Many dancers are independent contractors with virtually no labor protections. While there are some unionized dance companies, the nature of the work is inherently precarious, with grueling training and policing of dancers’ bodies that seems intentionally designed to break them—physically and emotionally. In the past few months, more stories have come to light about serious abuses in dance companies: sexual harassment, revenge porn, etc. In all these stories, the abuse and corruption go straight to the top, and the institutions protect the abusers.

How can dancers increase workplace protections, what obstacles do they face to organizing, and how do realities like young age and the hyper-focus of body image exacerbate the power imbalances here? We discuss current issues facing ballet workers with Chloe Angyal, Senior Editor at VICE News and author of “Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers is Saving Ballet From Itself.”