I started dancing at the age of four in the 1970s and I have been a dance educator since 1991. Becoming a parent of young dancers in the early 2000s allowed me to revisit the dance studio environment with new insight and inspired me to conduct research on contemporary trends in dance training for children
Guest Bloger: Heather Harrington “I would have put myself in a better position if I had just worn red lipstick,” explains Kayleen Babel (2021) who gives advice for trying out for college dance teams on her YouTube channel. She later explains that make-up and hair are part of your appearance score, and that you should
My first in-depth experience with the internet began at 13 years old. For years I would watch my friends play online games and I was annoyed with my parents for not allowing it until I was mature enough. But finally, they said yes to a free game online and sat me down to lay some
As a producer for the Miss Ohio Outstanding Teen Program and judge for other child pageants and dance contests, I have seen how "harmful dance" hypersexualizes and exploits children by wearing adult costumes, choreography, and music. I have also noticed how these imposed dance methods have affected young people later in life. Once a child
This article is dedicated to the girls who haven’t had a chance to know better. “My job required one thing of me, to be an object for arousal and consumption. I started dancing my heart out in the studio, but I ended up coddling the fancies of a stranger bent on using me as an
From my earliest memories, dance has been a source of great joy and delight for me. My parents enjoyed ballroom dancing and so they were happy to encourage my interest. I began to dance at about 5 years of age and continued taking ballet, jazz and tap classes through college. Besides being enjoyable, dance became
Training dancers is a responsibility and a privilege. Our industry is an unregulated one at the moment, but that doesn’t mean we have to be uneducated. Dance is magical and as teachers we are entrusted with the huge responsibility to nurture and train a wide range of vulnerable children. Just because we don’t physically harm
One of my favorite pictures of my daughter was taken at a dance studio when she was four years old. She is wearing a black leotard with a short green ballet skirt. Her little arms are reaching as high as they can go. Someone has told her to smile and she is doing
From a very young age, I wanted to be a performer - a singer, a ballerina, a dancer, a star. I began at 4 years old in a tap-dancing class - we wore adorable little chickadee costumes and I remember feeling so special because my mom let me wear blush and red lipstick. My dad
I have been coaching youth and young adults in the areas of Gymnastics, Cheerleading and Dance for the past 20 years. I have a degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Pedagogy, and Masters in Teacher Leadership and Development. I have worked in various different socioeconomic groups as well as a variety of inner-city youth
