2026 Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award Recipient
Announced September 30, 2026
It is our honor to announce Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts, Professor of Psychology at Colorado College, as the recipient of the 2026 DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award. The first award of its kind in the dance industry, this award honors individuals whose fearless, sustained advocacy is creating real change for children in dance.
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Meet Our 2026 Trailblazer
Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts
Professor of Psychology | Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO
Dr. Roberts holds a B.A. in Psychology from Smith College and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford University. As a Full Professor of Psychology at Colorado College, her research focuses on emotion, gender, and the body, and the psychological consequences of the sexual objectification of women and girls. Her early research helped establish the scientific framework for understanding how environments that emphasize appearance, sexual appeal, and body surveillance harm girls’ mental health, development, academic performance, and overall wellbeing. Dr. Roberts serves on the American Psychological Association’s Presidential Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, whose findings shaped national conversations about the impact of media and culture on the development of young women. She has been working collaboratively to bring evidence-based education and advocacy around sexualization directly into the movement arts since 2013 — where children are among the most vulnerable to the effects of an increasingly hypersexualized culture.
Regarding the cultural forces driving harmful trends in children’s dance, Dr. Roberts has stated:
“I believe that digital media and the widespread availability of YouTube and our smartphones have changed the culture of children’s dance from healthy to more harmful. We have begun to think of dance as something that is to be performed, to be spotlighted on social media, and to be 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.”
A recipient of Colorado College’s Presidential Leadership Award in Innovation and Courage and the 2024 Smith College Medal, Dr. Roberts is recognized equally for rigorous scholarship and courageous public advocacy, and an evidence-based focus on children’s dance.
Meet the Finalists
2026 Finalists
This year’s Trailblazer Award was selected from an exceptional group of finalists. We are deeply
grateful for the work each finalist is doing on behalf of children in dance, and we celebrate them
alongside Dr. Roberts.
Inland Empire Dance Center, Riverside, CA
Past Recipients
Trailblazer Award Recipients
The DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award was established to honor individuals who refuse to look away and who take consistent, measurable action on behalf of children in dance. Each year, we are proud to add a new name to this growing legacy.
2026 Recipient
Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts
Professor of Psychology, Colorado College | Co-creator of Objectification Theory
Dr. Roberts has spent three decades building the scientific foundation that explains why protecting children from hypersexualization in dance is so urgent and has worked directly with dance professionals to bring that research into the studios and classrooms where children need it most.
2025 — Inaugural Recipient
Leslie Scott Zanovitch
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.
ABOUT THE DA:NCE 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. Inspired by our inaugural award recipient Leslie Scott Zanovitch and her steadfast efforts to put children’s safety first in dance, 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.
Nominate for the 2027 Trailblazer Award
Nominations for the 2027 DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch Trailblazer Award will open in early 2027. Start thinking now about the individuals in your dance community who are leading the way for healthy, age-appropriate dance for children. Who deserves to be recognized? A dance educator. A researcher. A parent. A studio owner. A community advocate. And anyone in between. This is a person who refuses to look away and whose work is making children safer in dance.
Sign up for the DA:NCE newsletter to be notified the moment nominations open.
Trailblazer Award - Overview and Criteria
The DA:NCE Leslie Scott Zanovitch 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.
Notes: Nominees must be 18 or older. International nominations are welcomed.
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:
- Nominations open in early 2027
- Who can nominate: Anyone can nominate a qualified individual; self-nominations will also be considered
- To nominate, please fill out and submit the nomination form electronically
- 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
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
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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. Inspired by our inaugural award recipient Leslie Scott Zanovitch and her steadfast efforts to put children’s safety first in dance, 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.