A Holistic, Embodied, and Trauma-informed Resource for Dancers and Dance Educators
Dancers as People
About Dancers as People
Dancers as People is a way of approaching dance education that takes into account a student's personhood and prioritizes their overall well-being. Dancers as People offers suggestions for dance educators to move away from harmful practices they may have encountered in their own education and to move toward teaching their classes in a way that supports students' growth and health. No one is perfect and there is always room for improvement, however, there is no excuse for abuse or inflicting harm. The onus falls to dance educators and the dance community at large to ensure that those who are teaching dance and holding space for dancers are doing so in ways that are aligned with best practices and dancers’ overall well-being in mind. Dancers as People emphasizes the fact that the ways in which a dance teacher conducts classes affect their students' lives beyond dance class.
About the Author
Grace Shaver is a dancer and dance educator based in San Francisco, California. She began studying dance at age three, fostering a deep appreciation for her body and the movement it's capable of. In December 2019, she completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training and later became a trauma-informed yoga instructor. Grace is a contemporary dance performing artist and holistic and whole-bodied ballet educator, and her current class offerings focus on connecting her research surrounding trauma and the body to real-life practices. Aside from dance and yoga, things that bring her joy include hiking, swimming in the ocean, sharing home-cooked meals with friends, and attending live-music gigs. Grace grew up on the Jersey Shore and briefly lived in Boston before moving to San Francisco in August 2021. She has found a wonderful community in California and is incredibly grateful for the people she knows on both coasts. For more information about Grace and her other ongoing projects, visit graceshaver.com
Dancers as People
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Grace's hope is for Dancers as People to grow and evolve as more dancers and educators share their feedback and their experiences. Please reach out and let her know how you may have found Dancers as People helpful or what additional topics you'd like included.Thank you for being dedicated to caring for dancers as people!
All illustrations by Hannah Scarpelli. Thank you Hannah for your artistry!
Dancers as People wants to hear from you!
Contact Grace at hello@dancersaspeople.org
