The importance of respect & connections in dancing

Everyone should be able to learn and excel in dancing without pressure or shaming.

Dancing is an expressive and therapeutic art form. This can only happen if all dancers, from all backgrounds and abilities, are valued, supported, and respected. It also means taking responsibility to challenge attitudes and respond appropriately when difficult situations arise.

Background
From my observations since the worldwide pandemic, levels of patience and tolerance have declined (and, in some cases, disappeared entirely). I have witnessed the negative effects of this in certain dancing environments, including an increase in competitiveness and judgement in both dancing and social interactions.

Experience and Observations
Sadly, I have both witnessed and personally experienced judgement. This creates an environment where dancers (including those with specific difficulties) struggle to navigate learning, social events, and festivals without feeling divided
 or disrespected.

I have also observed that during classes, parties, and social dancing, individuals whose learning or participation is affected by personal challenges are often wrongly judged. Their difficulties may be misinterpreted as a lack of effort
 or dismissed as “lack of confidence”. As a result, dancers (including those with additional challenges) may be unfairly labelled as a liability and made to feel invisible or unwelcome.

Consiquences
If we continue to create pressure and division through competitiveness and negative perceptions, certain dance environments will become inaccessible to dancers with neurodiversity, disabilities, or anxiety.
The burden should not fall on dancers with specific difficulties. Everyone has a role to play in changing attitudes and intervening when necessary. This includes discouraging and addressing unfair or disrespectful behaviour. No one is perfect, but there is no justification for acting as judge and jury based on unrealistic expectations without first seeking to understand another person.

Final Points
The only way to ensure a positive dancing experience for everyone is to stop using ableist assumptions and personal perceptions as excuses to disrespect, exclude, or divide dancers of varying abilities.
This means keeping an open mind, thinking before judging, and showing respect for each person’s circumstances (whether or not those challenges have been disclosed).


It is time to build respectful connections without pressure or exclusion. Everyone must take responsibility for creating a more inclusive and supportive dance environment.

Written by Keith Mckenzie
For Plus Value Awareness & Embrace Dancing

Discover more about me.

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Embrace Dancing is developed by with Keith Mckenzie with Plus Value Awareness


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Also available on the Plus Value Awareness Website

Embrace Dancing is developed by with Keith Mckenzie with Plus Value Awareness

Notice to editors

Keith Mckenzie
Keith is an awareness campaigner, a creative designer (Graphic design and digital art) and a salsa dancing participant

With a background in Art & Design (including Graphic Design & Digital art) and a participant in music-related film documentaries, events & record label project King Of the Beats including filming and behind the scene preparations.

Keith was educated at Hereford College of the Arts, the University of Northampton, Birmingham City University and Google's Digital Garage. Since 2000, he has developed over twenty years in providing awareness projects, campaigns and activities with the Awareness brand Plus Value Awareness along with Differences Originals. Also are involved with salsa classes in the local community as an assistant. Also have participated in major dancing conventions twice a year at Birmingham's NEC for Birmingham Latinmotion and London's ManboCity.

In 2022, Keith become a featured community participant for Birmingham who became part of special projects and campaigns to promote a positive legacy beyond hosting the commonwealth games

Plus Value Awareness
The Plus Value awareness initiative is a family of projects, information & campaigns about challenges understanding and awareness for people with invisible difficulties, to see a more human rather than medical aspects and to promote and to educate a better sense of value. Eventually to develop this awareness initiative to provide in the future potential services, products and social mission activities as part of the umbrella identity Aware+Vision

Hidden differences are used to describe independent people which live with specific neurological difficulties or Anxiety which is not noticed. This is associated with moderate or mild psychological and learning-related conditions (including a mild form of autism through to, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD & Social Anxiety).


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