Published: April 29, 2026
Valentina Morales
Independent Research Article
Abstract
Dance is an artistic medium rooted in a foundation of discipline, skill, consistency and beauty; however, access to the essentials of dance wear and equipment persists to be a disregarded and an overlooked barrier in embracement and inclusion. My independent research examines how accessibility of materials impacts a dancers’ sense of belonging. A survey that consists of over 100 participant dancers’ who were willing to share their experience with access in the dance world. We were able to find that a percentage of participants (36.6%) have sometimes felt self-conscious or left out in dance because of equipment/wear, with widely reported a struggle on their confidence, expressing their artistry, a sense of exclusion and feeling judgement. In line with these findings, it is observed that access to proper attire takes part in a crucial role in shaping inclusion and confidence within the dance world.
Introduction
While dance highlights musicality, artistry, technique, and performance, it also emphasizes a specific attire and essentials such as leotards, tights, pointe shoes, tap shoes, toe pads, etc. These items are essential for efficient dancing but can also create financial burdens for some dancers’.
Literature Review
Increasingly, deeper understanding of how impactful the lack of access in dancewear/equipment has been examined by the dance world. Dias et al. (2022) discovered that the majority of low-income households are most likely to experience financial strains towards the affordability for dance expenses such as dancewear costs, equipment costs, as well as dance classes and competitions costs. Goldsmith and Kokolakakis (2021) discovered that financial constraints have the impact to limit performance participation, highlighting dance arts economic significance. According to Cameron et al. (2021), resources such as dancewear/equipment costs including course costs, contest or performance fees are essential for an impactful learning environment that fosters student engagement and skill improvement.
Methodology
The survey of over 100 responses provides insight into dancers’ experiences with access and belonging as well as informing research on equity and inclusion in arts education. All dance participants responded to quantitative and qualitative questions and were able to share detailed answers regarding their personal experiences.
Results and Analysis
Findings indicate a deep connection between access to dancewear/equipment and dancers’ sense of belonging.
Percentages & Responses
Quantitative responses enlightened these trends with participants often experiencing feelings of self-consciousness, feeling judged and being embarrassed when unable to meet expected appearance standards. Based on the data, it shows that the majority of the dance participants have sometimes felt self-conscious or left out in dance class due to their wear or equipment (36.6%). Feeling self-conscious can lead to an impact on your mental health such as developing social anxiety, low-self-esteem, depression, etc. In all, this impacts the way you dance. The aspect of lack of confidence is definitely a step back into a dancer’s way to really express themselves and focus better on the dancing itself. One dance participant states, “Having the right dance equipment definitely boosts my confidence. When I feel comfortable in what I’m wearing, I can focus better on the dance itself and really express myself.”
There are many individuals in the dance community who face financial barriers especially with the high costs that dance can bring from dance wear to the costs of dance classes. Although they have a passion for dance, they are not able to receive or have access to proper shoes, leotards they desire, or the costs of dance classes—a dance participant states “…not having the most “in trend” dancewear made me feel like I was less of a dancer than others who had top brands.”
Not only can a dancer feel self-conscious in dance spaces due to their attire but can have a higher risk of injuries. One dance participant states, “Their were many times when my lack of access to certain equipment made me more likely to get an injury, ie i was missing toe pads for so long that my toe slipped into the wrong position and began give me bad form that traveled up my ankle, eventually leading to an injury and a hiatus from dance” When you don’t have the right shoes such as dead pointe shoes, no access to toe pads or any protection on feet from pressure or shock, you’ll most likely will feel unsafe and in pain when your dancing, building negative thoughts, losing the confidence and commitment for the art. Other results show 61-67% feel confident and improve their experience when participating in dance class when they receive or have proper dance equipment/wear. These results propose that material access correlates to psychological inclusion, as the visible or the feeling of being different in attire may affect the dancers’ sense of belonging and overall confidence in dance itself.
References
Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development 2024, 8(12), 9297.,
systems.enpress-publisher.com/index.php/jipd/article/viewFile/9297/4386.
Morales, Valentina. Dancers’ Experiences with Access and Belonging. Google Forms, 2026, https://forms.gle/DTZXad1bJm7UsRee7
STEM Plus Kids 