Statement of support

For those of you who may not know, I used to be a dancer. I was young, innocent and impressionable, and dancing was life-blood! Being a part of a troupe gave me a sense of belonging, purpose and identity. However, there was also a pressure to perform, be chosen for special parts, be in the front row...basically to be noticed and rewarded. Dance is a strange world where you are both close friends with your peers at the same time as being their fierce competitors. You spend endless hours with them training, gossiping, doing homework and growing up alongside of them. It is a world of great beauty but also strict conditioning, containment, and moulding.

 

I cannot imagine what my world would have been like if my dance journey had also put me in significant harm’s way. As both a trauma therapist and ex-dancer, I feel called to take a stand at the current rumblings occurring in the Sydney dance world right now.

 

Sadly, for many children in Sydney, they were exposed to sexual abuse when attending their daily dance classes. A sexual perpetrator was the co-founder and dance teacher at their agency. A Royal Commission did ensue, and charges were laid, with other adults at the agency also being found as negligent to protect. There was a whole systems failure to the children and young people, and their parents attending their studio.

 

It has recently come to my attention that the brave survivors of that studio are currently voicing their experiences of their dance journeys: the good experiences, the abuse experiences, and the ongoing ramifications on their physical and mental wellbeing. Their stories identify a multi-format of abuses perpetrated from multi-parties; physical, psychological, emotional, coercive control, on top of the sexual abuse. It is harrowing to think that a world of colour, movement and creativity can become so dark and scary.

 

Disgustingly, much of the response to the survivor’s courage to expose other forms and people perpetrating abuse has been one of disbelief, dismissiveness, minimising, aggression, silencing, victim blaming and more. To be clear, non-belief is a perpetrators best friend. It allows silencing and shadows to cover and excuse the abuse…it allows abuse can continue.

 

The dance world needs to be an opportunity that combines positive challenge, fun, creativity and one in which children and young people can grow up with a sense of empowerment, growth, safe psychomotor learning so they can flourish in all domains of their life.

 

To the survivors who have directly and indirectly been impacted- I see you, I hear you, I believe you.

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NOTE: survivors are able to receive Victims Services counselling support. Please head to https://victimsservices.justice.nsw.gov.au/victims-services/how-can-we-help-you/victims-support-scheme/counselling.html