February 2023. I really like to eat chocolate hearts on Valentine’s Day. It’s a month to lift up the concept of love that includes various kinds of candy and often, a special dinner with a special someone. But the meaning of love goes far past the color red, wonderful desserts and romantic evenings. Wikipedia says
I am lucky. It’s Christmas time year ‘round. So many ongoing gifts of goodness. I love presents. I spotted my first gift in 2013 at the inaugural CESE(Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation) Summit in Washington DC. The Summit is sponsored by NCOSE (National Center on Sexual Exploitation) and it is an amazing experience. There are countless
She wrote me because she was a concerned parent. “My daughter got invited to try out for the (dance) competition team, made it, became captain of the team, and was doing amazing things. Then I started feeling uncomfortable with song choice and costumes. After I voiced my concerns, they (the studio) told me that my
It’s time to restore the wonder of childhood dance! "DA:NCE Awareness invites everyone - from choreographers and dance studios to individuals, families and groups of any size - to choreograph the song ‘She Loves to Move’. Help us celebrate healthy, age-appropriate children’s dance all around the world! It's easy: 1. Download the song ‘She Loves
I consistently say that the solution to harmful dance is healthy dance. Today is special because I get to back up that claim and introduce you to a wonderful dance organization: daCi(dance for the child international)! The 2022 daCi conference, organized by Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt of York University Canada and Nancy Francis of Brock University
Several weeks ago an article came out on several news outlets about current abuse in children’s dance. I'd advise you to get some tissues out while you take a few minutes to read it. It's awful. This was my response to the article on social media: “Break The Floor Productions, a Los Angeles dance industry
The CAHPERD (California Health Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) and NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) conferences were more than good. DA:NCE had an incredible response to our presentations, exhibits, and interviews. The best ever. And it was in person for the first time in 2 years. The cultural doors are opening…. During my presentation at
“There has been a cultural shift from healthy, educational children’s dance to harmful, hypersexualized children’s dance at younger and younger ages. The art of children’s dance has been high-jacked.” Mary Bawden was a little girl who wanted to dance. I dreamed about it. All the time. I begged my mother for lessons. All the time.
Impeccable Research, Moving Testimonials, A Powerful Call for Collective Action Washington, DC. Voices Against Trafficking – The Strength of Many Voices Speaking As One compiles insights, stories, and frontline knowledge from trafficking survivors, human rights advocates, and journalists. Every chapter provides essential truths and advice that affirm a collective community can defeat the rising tide
It’s January 2022: a New Year with renewed memories. During the holidays, my heart remembered a short story that was made into a movie I loved as a child. Written by Charles Dickens in 1843, A Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who was visited by the ghost of his
