Harassment and Bullying in the Dance Space and How You Can Help

 

Hello everyone, welcome to a special topic that I would like to cover:  Harassment and Bullying in the Dance Space. 

Just to clarify, this does not happen often in dance spaces, but I think it is important to be aware of this if you see anyone being harassed or bullied by someone in the studio that you are in, and how you can help with this in whatever dance studio or dance style that you are training in. 

In the dance community, we often forget how different we each are in our dance backgrounds and levels. When you go to a dance studio for the first time, there is often a fear of judgment from others and your own personal insecurities about trying something new for yourself. You don't know how you are going to be treated, and that is definitely one of the scariest things to process. 

There are definitely studios that acknowledge the safety of the dancers in the studio, and know how to see and stop bullying and harassment, but some don't, and that's where people are on the fence about coming to certain studios. Some dancers who are coming back to dance may even have trauma from these experiences, so it's important to recognize and validate that.

Here are some things to observe when in the dance space for bullying and harassment:

1. Homophobia and Hetronormativity- Despite dance being a demanding art form, there is a significant issue of homophobia in these spaces that aren't always acknowledged.

 Gender stereotyping, such as men dancing to more feminine dance styles like Femme Funk or dancing in heels, and women doing more masculine dance styles like hip-hop. 

Other genders, being outcasted or ignored due to how they identify, express their style, or even just their appearance, and doing styles that they are only comfortable doing to not give themselves gender dysphoria and other struggles they may be dealing with. 

There are a lot of people who aren't educated in the culture of the LGBTQIA+ community who will have this hetreonormativity that assumes that only dancers of traditional gender roles and who are straight can be a part of the dance community, even though that is not the case.

2. Sexual Harassment- This can happen to anyone and often isn't always reported or talked about enough.

 Depending on the situation, dancers can experience this kind of harassment from other dancers in the space, teachers, higher-ups, etc. Some things you may see happening are unwanted touching, inappropriate comments, forced contact, and sexual exploitation. 

These things that happen create a position of vulnerability, fear, a culture of silence, normalization of boundary-blurring interactions, grooming, and more. People are often afraid to report these allegations due to threats and humiliation that may happen to them by the person who is harassing them. 

3.  Intense Pressure- This can happen in times of being in a studio crew or performance production. 

Because of how much pressure there is to have clean lines, perfect formations, and transitions, etc, some people can feel this almost heavy amount of pressure to be perfect in every regard in those situations.

 It creates extreme physical and emotional demands that often make people question their growth in career development and also deepens their own insecurities about themselves that come out to a bigger picture. This can be overwhelming and stressful, often resulting in severe burnout.

4. Studio Culture Toxicity- Depending on the type of studio, there is often a toxicity that involves a lot of different situations that can happen to the dancers in that space and community. 

It often involves harsh criticism, negative social comparisons, public shaming, and more. This can impact dancers on a HUGE level and lead to low self-esteem, emotional distress, low confidence, and sometimes even eating disorders of different variations.

 Sometimes these environments say that they thrive on the perfection of the dancers over their well-being, which can create a competitive, rather than a supportive and encouraging space for everyone.

5. Isolation- In many cases, no matter the situation, some dancers can feel isolated in an environment that they don't feel safe in, or they don't know anyone in the space that gives them that safety net.

 Other dancers in the space, not inviting them to social events, to film in a group during class, leaving them out of conversations, targeting their differences for their looks, body type, sexuality, and sometimes even technique. 

There are often moments of power imbalance, making a new dancer feel intimidated by a more "powerful" group, telling them that they have to prove that they belong in the space. Doing this can make dancers feel targeted for being different or less skilled, and can often lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal.

6. Culture of Silence- Dancers often have this fear of reporting any kind of bullying or harassment because they are afraid of their career reputations and growth that may impact them in the future for other opportunities.

 So, this often leads to the victim of the not-reported abuse to be continually abused by the person or persons involved in the abuse of the victim. Usually, the dancers will simply laugh along or at the abuse, despite it making them uncomfortable.

So, how can you help in these situations?

If you are the founder or owner of the studio, implement transparent written policies against discrimination and abuse that are accessible to all attendees.

 This can be very impactful in having your attendees have a sense of safety and reassurance in their experience at your studio. Inform your staff on-site about abuse, harassment, and bullying, so that they are more aware of this in the space itself.

Make sure to observe and monitor the classes that you are in as a fellow dancer or staff member, to see if you are seeing this kind of treatment with anyone, especially if the person or persons look like they are anxious or depressed in the environment they are in that can no longer be a safe space for them. 

Follow up with reported incidents to ensure lasting behavioral changes and the safety of the person or persons affected.

Foster an environment of respect, accountability, and education, not silence, so that people feel comfortable enough to open up about their neglect or abuse happening in the space. Empower and support each other, set boundaries calmly. 

Don't laugh along or give the bully or abuser the reaction that they want; show disinterest and stand up for the person or persons. If you can, take the person or persons away from the situation so that they can breathe and get comfort from you or the teacher/staff on-site.

Structure your classes, rotate partners/positions to prevent cliques from forming and excluding others. Show people that they aren't alone by offering them a chance to talk privately outside of class to give them a sense of relief and know that someone is on their side. This can create a group of allies who can uplift and encourage the person or persons. 

I hope that this post has been insightful and allows you to really see the impact of bullying and abuse in the dance space. I believe this post will help everyone create a safer, more supportive, encouraging environment, and hopefully give you a chance to speak up if any of these things have happened to you in dance spaces before. You are not alone, you are braver than you think you are, you are beautiful, worthy, valued, and loved in everyway. 

Thanks for reading!