This week I reflect on how respect is not just a word we repeat in dance spaces it’s the foundation that shapes safety, boundaries, and dignity. Drawing from the voices of Fernando Salas and Gabriela Equiz, I talk about how objectification and power dynamics are normalized, and why we must build healthier structures for our community.

I also share a personal moment when I had to listen to my own body’s reaction to a promotion in our scene, and how documenting that discomfort became a way of reclaiming agency.

Respect begins in the choices we make in what we normalize, in who we give a platform to, and in how we respond when someone says, this doesn’t feel safe for me.