From the age of 12-16, I danced at a studio where I was hypersexualised, abused, and groomed. To begin it was things like inappropriate songs (britney spears Slave 4 u at 12, pussy cat dolls Buttons at 13 ect.) and costuming, which creeped into choreography (twerking, dry humping, wide legs dropping to the floor, inappropriate hand placements) and continued into comments such as “dance sexier” “give the boys a thrill” and “you would be a better dancer if you hurried up and lost your virginity” (age 13). This was, to us children, normal, and merely seen as a sign of having a ‘cool dance teacher’. We were often forced to change in large open rooms, with our dance teachers and classmates seeing everything. We were told to only wear G-strings to dance class, and it was encouraged to share with our dance teacher if and when we had lost our virginity. This normalisation of the topic of sex in the studio lead to the grooming of me and my friend, in which we were encouraged to ‘date’, kiss, and have sex. This was at the age of 15. Our dance teacher would tell stories of her sexual relationships and ask us if we thought about things like that, and often made us sleep in the same bed and lock the door when travelling for dance. As someone who made it very clear I was not interested in girls, It made me deeply uncomfortable, but also instilled deep fear in me, and made me question if I should partake in these activities to gain my dance teachers approval. The more scared we became, the more obedient we were, allowing her to conduct physical and emotional abuse on us (not quite sexual thankfully). Dance became a place of fear, manipulation, and abuse. I strongly believe that the normalisation of inappropriate choreography, costuming and music allows for the normalisation of abuse, it is a slippery slope. I hope with all my heart your organisation can help to protect these innocent children, and that more protection is put in place in the performing arts industry.

America’s children are being sexualized on stage – RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSES. Dance studios nationwide pump out hypersexualized “performances” forcing little girls into adult costumes, twerk choreography, and music that screams exploitation. The result? Traumatized kids primed for predators, skyrocketing mental health crises, and a generation robbed of innocence. Mary Bawden, MA – Executive Director & Founder of DA:NCE (Dance Awareness: No Child Exploited) – is the fearless whistleblower BLOWING THIS LID OFF.

Mary isn’t just sounding alarms – she’s the evidence-based expert (BA Modern Dance; published in Dignity Journal, LA Times contributor) leading the charge with:

Essential Links

• DA:NCE Official Site: https://www.danceawareness.com/ – Home for initiatives, blogs, and resources.

• Mary Bawden Author Page: https://www.danceawareness.com/author/marybawden/ – Her latest posts on healthy vs. harmful dance.​

• LA Times Op-Ed (Oct 2025): https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-10-28/childrens-dance-sexualization – “Social media sexualized children’s dance.”​

• Dignity Journal Article (May 2025): https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol10/iss3/3/ – “The Shift in Children’s Dance: From a Culture of Innocence to a Battlefield of Hypersexualization.”​

From her viral LA Times op-ed to NRB exposés on “Cuties”-style scandals, Mary delivers CHILLING DATA + HOPEFUL SOLUTIONS. She’s booked via TruthPR, ready for your show to ignite parent outrage and policy change. This isn’t “dance evolution” – it’s child endangerment. Book her before the next recital scandal erupts.

Availability: Immediate. Topics: “Why Social Media Turned Dance into Porn,” “5 Signs Your Studio is Unsafe,” “Bipartisan Path to Protect Kids.”