What is it like to be a plus-size dancer today? Complicated. Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts have raised awareness about exclusionary practices in all kinds in dance, and the mainstream body-positivity movement has led to some progress—most noticeably impacting the dance world since the rise of social media. Yet sizeism remains an especially recalcitrant, systemic issue that continues to plague dancers worldwide.

Hip-hop dancer Amanda LaCount reflects on the biases she’s encountered as a plus-size artist—and how dancers can be more supportive of one another. Inclusion starts in the studio, says LaCount. How you treat other dancers matters.  Plus-size dancers still face biases when it comes to booking gigs, but, says LaCount, demeaning comments from fellow dancers […]

I started working as Lizzo’s choreographer and live-show artistic director last January. She has a vision: She wants to put curvy dancers in her performances, because they are deserving. And I was so down. But when we had our first casting call, an agency open call in Los Angeles, our top agencies only had two […]