2026 DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award
Social Media + Communications Toolkit
We are proud to announce Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts as the 2026 recipient of the DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award.
This toolkit provides everything you need to help us share this important recognition across your organization, community, social media channels, newsletter and website.
Please share widely.
The more we amplify Dr. Roberts’ work and this award, the more opportunities we have to
bring attention to the importance of healthy, age-appropriate dance for children.
QUICK FACTS
The Award
DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award 2026
Recipient
Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts
Position
Professor of Psychology, Colorado College
Member of the APA Task Force on the Hypersexualization of Girls
Area of Expertise
Dr. Roberts’ research focuses on emotion, gender, the body, and the psychological consequences of the sexual objectification of women and girls.
Why She Was Selected
As a Professor of Psychology at Colorado College, Dr. Roberts’ research focuses on emotion, gender, and the body, and the psychological consequences of the sexual objectification of women and girls. Her nominator emphasized how her early research helped establish the scientific framework for understanding how environments that emphasize appearance, sexual appeal, and body surveillance can negatively affect girls’ mental health, development, performance, and well-being. Her scholarship also informed national conversations through the American Psychological Association’s research on the sexualization of girls. She has been working collaboratively to bring evidence-based education and advocacy around sexualization to the movement arts and children’s dance since 2013.
The Award Recognizes
Individuals who boldly and consistently champion children’s safety in dance by advocating for:
- Age-appropriate choreography
- Age-appropriate costumes
- Age-appropriate music
- Healthy dance education
- Children’s dignity and self-worth
- Greater awareness of the harms of hypersexualization
ABOUT THE TRAILBLAZER AWARD
The DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award honors individuals who boldly and consistently champion children’s safety in dance.
Recipients may advocate in many forms — through dance education, research, public platforms, studios, or their communities. What unites these trailblazers is action: they demonstrate meaningful choices that help create healthier, safer, age-appropriate dance environments for children.
The first of its kind award was inspired by inaugural recipient Leslie Scott Zanovitch, whose advocacy and leadership have helped advance the movement for healthy, safe dance.
The Trailblazer Award recognizes not simply one accomplishment, but a sustained commitment to creating positive change in children’s dance.
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
DA:NCE Names Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts 2026 Trailblazer Award Recipient
DA:NCE is proud to name Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts as the recipient of the 2026 DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award.
A Professor of Psychology at Colorado College, Dr. Roberts has dedicated her career to understanding the psychological consequences of sexual objectification and the ways cultural environments can shape the experiences and well-being of girls and women.
Her research has helped establish an important scientific framework for understanding the effects of environments that place disproportionate emphasis on appearance, sexual appeal, and body surveillance. Through her work as a member of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, she was instrumental in finding that the proliferation of sexualized images of girls and young women in advertising, merchandising and media is harmful to girls’ self-image and healthy development.
Dr. Roberts has brought evidence-based education and advocacy around sexualization into the arts, helping dancers, educators, and other members of the dance community better understand the importance of creating healthy environments for young people.
Her work aligns directly with the purpose of the DA:NCE Trailblazer Award: recognizing individuals who use their knowledge, voice, and actions to create meaningful change in the way children experience dance.
DA:NCE is honored to recognize Dr. Roberts for her leadership, scholarship, and continued commitment to protecting the dignity, well-being, and healthy development of children.
Congratulations, Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts, our 2026 Trailblazer!
SOCIAL MEDIA: PARTNER POST
Copy-and-Paste Partner Version
We’re proud to join our friends at DA:NCE to celebrate Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts, recipient of the 2026 DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award!
Dr. Roberts’ research and advocacy have helped advance understanding of sexual objectification and its impact on girls and women, while helping bring evidence-based education into the dance studio. Because children deserve dance environments that protect their dignity, support healthy development, and celebrate the joy of movement.
Congratulations, Dr. Roberts!
Interested in learning more about the Trailblazer Award and DA:NCE’s work to promote healthy, age appropriate dance? https://www.danceawareness.com/trailblazer/
“WHY THIS MATTERS” SOCIAL POST
Children deserve to dance.
They deserve to move, create, perform, explore, laugh, learn, and grow.
They also deserve to do all of those things safely, in age-appropriate ways.
That’s why organizations like DA:NCE recognize people who are working to create healthier, safer, age-appropriate dance environments.
And that’s why we are proud join them in congratulating Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts as the 2026 DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award recipient.
Learn more about the award and Dr. Roberts’ work:
https://www.danceawareness.com/trailblazer/
QUOTES
Quote Option 1 — Dr. Roberts
“We have begun to think of dance as something that is to be performed and to be
spotlighted on social media. It’s becoming more about what it looks like, and not
what it feels like. What matters more is helping children understand the beauty of
dance and the way in which dance can connect them to their best selves.”
— Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts
Quote Option 2 — DA:NCE
“Harmful dance can be normalized because we don’t think that we’re participating in
this culture. We don’t think we are personally viewing girls and women in a bad way.
What we need to stop and pause and think about is, if we don’t speak up, we allow
the harms to continue.” — Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts
SAMPLE NEWSLETTER OR BLOG
Meet DA:NCE’s 2026 Trailblazer: Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts
Celebrating the research, courage, and advocacy behind healthier children’s dance
What does it mean to be a trailblazer?
For our friends at DA:NCE, it means having the courage to identify a problem, the knowledge to understand it, and the determination to help create change.
In celebration of that, the organization recently named Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts as the 2026 recipient of the DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award.
Dr. Roberts is a Professor of Psychology at Colorado College. Her research focuses on emotion, gender, the body, and the psychological consequences of sexual objectification.
Her work has helped establish an important scientific framework for understanding how environments that emphasize appearance, sexual appeal, and body surveillance can affect girls’ mental health, development, performance, and overall well-being.
But her work doesn’t stop in academia.
Dr. Roberts has collaborated with members of the movement arts community to bring evidence-based education and advocacy around sexualization into conversations about dance. She serves as a member of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls. She is the co-founder of ‘Objectification Theory” whose work centers around the emotional, behavioral, cognitive and health consequences of the sexual objectification and sexualization of girls and women. She believes strongly in moving beyond scholarly research to evidence-based advocacy in the service of a more equitable society.
That work is especially important as children’s dance increasingly exists in a culture shaped by social media, performance culture, and an emphasis on how young dancers look rather than how they experience movement.
The DA:NCE Trailblazer Award was created to recognize people who are taking meaningful action to change that culture.
We are grateful for Dr. Roberts’ research, her voice, and her continued commitment to helping create healthier environments for children.
Why the Trailblazer Award matters
The DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award was created to honor individuals who boldly and consistently champion children’s safety in dance.
The award is inspired by Leslie Scott Zanovitch, whose own advocacy helped demonstrate what is possible when someone has the courage to challenge unhealthy practices and advocate for children.
Trailblazers can work in many different ways. They may be educators. Researchers. Studio owners. Artists. Parents. Community advocates. What matters is that they are taking action to create change.
Celebrating Dr. Roberts
Dr. Roberts’ work represents an important bridge between research and practice.
Her work gives communities greater understanding of the effects of sexual objectification. Her advocacy helps bring those conversations into the movement arts.
And her message reinforces something DA:NCE believes strongly: Children should be able to experience the beauty of dance without being burdened by adult sexuality.
Learn more about Dr. Roberts and the DA:NCE Trailblazer Award:
https://www.danceawareness.com/trailblazer/
GRAPHIC ASSETS
IMAGE DOWNLOADS
Image Use
Images provided in this toolkit may be used to promote the 2026 DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award and Dr. Roberts’ recognition. Please do not alter photographs or imply endorsement beyond the purpose of sharing this award announcement.
Photo credit, when applicable:
Courtesy of DA:NCE Awareness
SUGGESTED CALLS TO ACTION
Use any of these at the end of your post or article:
Learn more about the Trailblazer Award →
Meet the 2026 Trailblazer →
Learn more about healthy children’s dance →
Explore DA:NCE’s free resources →
Share this message →
Help protect children in dance →
Join the movement for healthy dance →
You can then link to a blog or newsletter article posted to your website or direct individuals to
https://www.danceawareness.com/trailblazer/
HASHTAGS
Primary
#DanceAwareness
#DANCEAwareness
#TrailblazerAward
#HealthyDance
Supporting
#DanceEducation
#DanceCommunity
#AgeAppropriateDance
TAGGING DA:NCE
When sharing, please tag DA:NCE so we can celebrate and amplify your post.
Instagram: @dance_awareness
Facebook: @danceawarenesssoultosolechoreography
LinkedIn: @Dance Awareness: No Child Exploited (DA:NCE)
TikTok: @danceawareness
ABOUT DA:NCE
DA:NCE (Dance Awareness No Child Exploited) is a nonpartisan, unifying organization dedicated to protecting children from exploitation through hypersexualization in adult costumes, choreography, and music.
DA:NCE provides free educational resources to help parents, educators, dance professionals, and communities understand the difference between healthy and harmful dance.
All DA:NCE educational resources are free.
Learn more: www.danceawareness.com
MEDIA CONTACT
Elizabeth Knight
Director of Communications
DA:NCE Awareness
elizabeth@danceawareness.com
THANK YOU FOR SHARING
Thank you for helping us celebrate the people who are making children’s dance healthier, safer, and more age-appropriate.
And thank you for helping us spread this important message. Together, we can make healthy
children’s dance the standard—not the exception.