Media
Hypersexualized: The Scary Trend in Children’s Dance
In children’s dance classes around the nation, young children are learning to dance with choreography that hypersexualizes them and their bodies. These children have become covert victims of sexual exploitation in what used to be a safe place – the dance studio. Children’s dance is being distorted and the art form of dance is being hijacked.
As awareness grows, more and more dance educators, parents and concerned citizens are speaking out against this cultural shift toward normalizing the hypersexualization of children in dance.
Video Resources
Intro to DA:NCE (NRB Convention 2019)
4-minute trailer
Sexualized Children’s Dance: What the Experts Say – Anne Blythe
Sexualized Children’s Dance: What the Experts Say – Clay Olsen
Recent Articles & Events
- April, 2024 – RHMedia Canada — Uncovering the Disturbing Trend of Child Grooming in the Dance Industry
- March, 2024 – Covenant Eyes Podcast — Protecting Children in Dance: Mary Bawden on Combatting Hypersexualization
- December 19th, 2023 – Defend Young Minds Article — Sexy Moves and Costumes in Children’s Dance–How to Protect Your Little Ones by Mary Bawden
- Presentation for DA:NCE : October 2023 — Wholesome to Hypersexualized: What Happened to Children’s Dance? by Mary Bawden
- May 3rd, 2023 – Interview with Music for the Soul podcast: Episode 26th — Music for the Soul podcast
- Presentation for the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Conference [sponsored by the National Center of Sexual Exploitation]: November 2022 — 2022 NCOSE Panel: What Happened to Children’s Dance?
- Interview with Lynn’s Warriors: August 10th, 2022 — Mary Bawden, Founder of DA:NCE Awareness Discusses Healthy vs. Harmful
- Presentation for the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Conference [sponsored by the National Center of Sexual Exploitation]: July 21, 2021 — DA:NCE Healthy or Harmful, National Experts Talk About Children’s Dance, a presentation by Mary Bawden
- Interview on The Hard Question: April 26th, 2021 — The Hard Question interview with Mary Bawden
- Video Course with Charlene Doak-Gebauer, April 5th, 2021* — Internet Sense First: Online Protection for Dance Students
- Interview with Dawn Sessler, Spotlight: March 2nd, 2021 — Spotlight on “kids’ sexual unawareness” with Mary Bawden
- Presentation for Rogers TV — Freedom Fighters: Code Gray by Mary Bawden
- Presentation for Texas Governor’s Office: September 10, 2020 — Heathy or Harmful: National Experts talk about Children’s Dance By Mary Bawden
- Published: September 22, 2020 — Cuties Is Not Cute: DA:NCE Says Children Are Not Mini-Adults By Mary Bawden
- Published: January 21, 2020 — Featured on Protect Young Minds, January 2020. Booty Shaking & Sexy Costumes in Children’s Dance: How to Find Healthy Studios That Won’t Objectify Your Kid, By Mary Bawden
- Published: August 16, 2019 — Featured on Redlands Community News, August 2019. Stop Children’s Dance From Becoming Hypersexualized, By Mary Bawden
- Published: November 25, 2019 — Healthy or Harmful Dance: What do the Experts Say?, By Mary Bawden
*Expert research shows that dance is a wonderful activity for children when:
1. Children are enrolled in a healthy dance studio (see danceawareness.com) in age-appropriate costumes, choreography and music;
2. Parents supervise the online digital activities of their children to ensure communications are safe and appropriate.
Press Materials
Mary Bawden received a BA in modern dance from UCRiverside, a MA from Hope University in Fullerton CA, and a California secondary teaching credential. In 2016, after leading a dance ministry at Trinity E Free Church in Redlands CA for over 20 years, she released a book on dance ministry titled “Dance is Prayer in Motion”. Recently, Mary has noticed that the culture around children’s dance has moved towards an unhealthy, harmful trend – the hypersexualization of children under 12 in adult costumes, choreography and music. That focus translates into a desire to advocate for healthy, age-appropriate, educational materials to protect children and preserve the art of dance. That has led her to found DA:NCE (dance awareness: no child exploited). Join the conversation at danceawareness.com.
Important Links
APA Report:
www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation:
endsexualexploitation.org
The National Center of Sexual Exploitation:
Healthy or Harmful Dance: What do the Experts Say about Hypersexualization?
