About the Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award:
The DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award honors individuals who boldly and consistently champion children’s safety in dance by advocating and supporting age-appropriate choreography, costumes, and music for children. Award recipients may advocate in many forms: in the studio as a dance educator, in research, through public platforms, in their local communities. In whatever form their advocacy takes, recipients demonstrate specific, action-based choices that create change toward healthy, age-appropriate children’s dance environments.
Leslie Scott Zanovitch’s Story:
Leslie Scott Zanovitch has been a dance educator for 35 years. She was on faculty for 14 years at The Edge Performing Arts Center and 12 years at Millennium Dance Complex, both located in Los Angeles. Leslie has been a guest artist in 22 countries and 48 states in the USA. She was on adjunct faculty in the dance departments of Loyola Marymount University and Phoenix College, Founder of Arizona State University’s Hip-Hop Coalition dance company and a Creating Opportunities® dance industry coach in Hollywood for 5 years. Leslie is represented by the dance agency McDonald/ Selznick Associates (MSA) located in Hollywood, CA. She founded the nonprofit EDIFY Movement® and Founded Youth Protection Advocates in Dance (YPAD)® in 2012 and NEAMA (Nonprofit Education and Advocacy for the Movement Arts) in 2022. Alongside clinicians, psychologists, social workers, and doctors, Leslie developed the world’s first-of-its-kind dance-specific, survivor-centered Certification, Adjudicator Training, and Spirit Swag self-esteem seminars, all addressing emotional, physical, and sexual wellness and safety in dance. Leslie’s work over the last 14 years has specifically addressed the pervasive impact of sexualization, objectification, and sexual abuse within the movement arts. Leslie has been featured in Dance Magazine,The Hollywood Reporter, Nylon Magazine, Dance Spirit, Dance Informa, and more. She was also guest faculty at Dance Teacher Web, Dance Teacher Life Conference, The Pulse, Toronto Dance Teacher Expo, and more.
Besides becoming a dance advocate, she worked with Beyonce, Ciara, Hi-Hat, Jermaine Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Fatima, and among others. She danced on the skeleton crew for Tina Turner’ and Ricky Martin Tours under the direction of Toni Basil, Chonique Sneed, and Lissette Bustamante. Leslie was nominated for several Hollywood Industry Voice Awards. She was the recipient of two IVA’s for Best Dance Class in Hollywood alongside her Humanitarian work.
Leslie now lives in Florida with her husband, daughter, and pup! She is a full time homeschool mom and continues to spread the message of happy, healthy, and safe dance through various dance endeavors.
Trailblazer Award - Overview and Criteria
The DA:NCE Trailblazer Award honors an individual who is leading the way in promoting healthy, age-appropriate dance and raising action-based awareness about the harms of hypersexualized children’s dance. The Trailblazer Award honors not just a single achievement, but a sustained effort to create lasting change in how children experience dance.
Nominees should demonstrate the following:
- Creative efforts to stop the hypersexualization of children in dance
- Passion for educating others about the difference between healthy and harmful dance
- Advocacy for healthy children’s dance education through teaching, social media, public speaking, research, or community engagement
- A voice that inspires others to protect children from exploitation in dance
- Ongoing commitment to uplifting the dignity and self-worth of young dancers through age-appropriate dance
How to Nominate:
- The next nomination window will open January 2026.
- Who can nominate: Anyone can nominate a qualified individual; self-nominations will also be considered
- When the nomination window opens in January 2026, individuals interested in nominating someone can fill out our nomination form that will be available on this page.
- Questions? Contact melissa@danceawareness.com
Award Details:
Award recipient will receive:
- A $500 honorarium
- Recognition across DA:NCE social media platforms
- Featured in the DA:NCE newsletter and supporting videos
- Winner notified via email August 2026
Selection Process:
Nominations will be judged by a panel of DA:NCE advisors and experts using the following criteria:
- Strength of written nomination form
- Evidence of nominee fulfilling award criteria