“I’ve spent the last 6-9 months in fear and confused with no proper guidance after 12 years of “training as a male dancer”. I see men and women each with their class yet not one for me and my fellow Non-Binary peers. Split it by gender, I’m erased. Split it by style of dance and I’m displaced. Change the name of the class and there goes one more part of their history. Not mine. Include Non-Cis-Gendered people. I dare you.
I stayed home and almost got kicked out of a program during this pandemic for being *irresponsible for my actions* and missing class when I was in survival mode due to my realization that I don’t fully identify with the gender I was assigned at birth. I sat alone in my apartment scared that no matter what I do I’m never going to find my place in the ballet world where I don’t have to constantly educate people who try to question the validity of my gender identity. Not even to mention my art or my future leadership capabilities.
If you own, teach or are involved in a dance space that is labeled or considered a “safe space” for the people of the LGBTQIA+ community but you don’t have anyone of trans experience involved in your program… Reconsider that branding.
Imagine a school where people of all genders get to learn all the parts of technique so they can have more tools to express themselves. That definitely would have saved me a lot of money on therapy.”
-Anonymous
