Look Before You Leap

The steady deterioration in standards and ethics in dance training in recent years, together with a growing lack of truth, honesty, integrity and care for dance students and parents, has led me to write this book.   In using my many years of experience in professional dancing, teaching and adjudicating, as well as the experience of colleagues and experts, I hope to contribute to educating and raising parents’ and children’s awareness of what they are entitled to expect from a dance education. The dance industry is not regulated — anyone can open a dance studio and teach dancing and there is no consumer watchdog for dance. This means that it is very much up to you as a parent to ensure that your child is taught by someone who knows what they are doing and will not harm your child.

The sickening worldwide epidemic of dangerous stretching methods together with the global and degrading sexualisation of young dance students must stop. (Pseudo) teachers and parents must stop encouraging this abuse and exploitation.

Even with the best education, not every child will become a professional dancer; however, every child should be able to gain much enjoyment from dance, as well as many useful life skills and a lifelong interest.