Healthy or Harmful: National Experts talk about Children’s Dance

There is a dire need to protect children from hypersexualization through the use of evocative adult costumes, choreography and music, and to safeguard the art of children’s dance. Sexualized messages through the media influence children. These messages have become interwoven into children’s dance, which has increasingly led to harmful outcomes. There are many negative impacts related to the sexualization of children. Conversely, healthy dance has many positive outcomes for children. Education is required to shift mindsets, attitudes and cultural norms in the dance industry to prevent the sexualization of girls and boys. This report discusses the above issue.