Respect the Step: Teaching with Integrity in Dance Sport

The BDSA is launching the campaign "Respect the Step: Teaching with Integrity in Dance Sport" this month to foster a safe, respectful, and professional environment for dance teachers, parents, and students, and to provide education and raise awareness of professional practice standards regarding appropriate physical contact.

Understanding appropriate touching is essential for dance teachers and students is important for both parties to feel confident and safe whilst learning dance. Physical contact is a powerful, hands-on teaching tool to convey complex physical information and correct technique, fostering deeper student understanding and body awareness. However, it is equally important to use touch ethically, respecting student boundaries and consent, which requires careful consideration of student comfort levels, cultural backgrounds, and the establishment of clear, respectful communication to create a safe and productive learning environment.

To support learners and dance teachers, the BDSA will provide a digital download pack, which includes an awareness poster, a briefing on appropriate contact for dance teachers and staff, and a handout for everyone on how to spot a red flag and how to report a concern. The BDSA are here to educate teachers and students on appropriate boundaries in teaching to encourage professional, respectful, and safe interaction in the studio in order to prevent misconduct or misunderstandings related to physical contact. By doing so, we aim to empower students, parents and teachers to speak up if they feel uncomfortable promoting a culture of transparency, consent, and professionalism in dance sport.

The BDSA are providing a free, for everyone, digital download leaflet on how to spot Red Flags for the dance community. You can download it here:

Red Flag Education for Dance Sport - Flyer ver1 digital.pdf

Download PDF • 132KB

Full access to all digital downloads for this campaign are available to BDSA members via the campaign page our new Members Zone. If you are already a member you can access the page here. To become a member and gain access to all the additional resources, visit our Membership page and sign up today

The BDSA will also be offering workshops for dance teachers that will cover the following topics;

·        Understanding boundaries and professional touch. 

·        Encouraging students to exercise agency over their own bodies.  

·        Legal and ethical implications of inappropriate contact. 

·        The requirement to consistently obtain a student’s consent.  

·        How to read student comfort levels. 

·        Role-playing scenarios (e.g., asking for consent, addressing discomfort). 

·        Diversity and inclusion in physical instruction (age, gender, cultural considerations).

·        How to create a check-in procedure for the start of each dance session.  

Follow us on social media for more updates about our awareness campaign this month!

If you have a concern about appropriate behaviour or would like to make a report, or simply draw our attention to a type of behaviour you feel needs addressing then you can contact our Safeguarding Team on 0800 170 0555, you can also use our dedicated email address: besafe@bdsassociation.com