TED 08 | Safer Dance Spaces with Lara Tabet

This episode discusses creating safer spaces in dancing communities, particularly focused on preventing sexual abuse.Lara is a co-founder of the Safer Dance Spaces initiative and in this episode, she talks about the importance of education and bystander intervention in preventing abuse. Dancers are encouraged to speak up if they feel unsafe and to intervene if they witness inappropriate behavior.Lara emphasizes that creating a safe dance space is a shared responsibility between organizers, dancers, and instructors. Organizers can demonstrate their commitment to safety by adopting a "safe rather than sorry" approach and having clear guidelines in place, thus creating a safer dance space for everyone.What to expect in this episode:(00:00) - Introduction.(00:53) - Meeting new people through dancing.(01:34) - All about Safer Dance Spaces.(08:28) - Why join SDS?(10:09) - Sharing knowledge in live workshops.(12:42) - Collaboration promoting education mindset.(15:00) - Active bystanders’ intervention.(17:50) - Changing culture for safer and braver space.(20:35) - Involving dancers and organizers.(22:23) - Empowering voices of both men and women.(25:35) - Sexual abuse is taboo for men.(26:55) - Creating space that upholds respect.About Lara Tabet & Safer Dance SpacesLara Tabet is a salsa and kizomba dancer who champions speaking up and creating spaces where women and men feel equally safe and respected. She is a co-founder of Safer Dance Spaces, an initiative that drives cultural change in dance communities through education and access to information. The SDS steering group is made up of dedicated volunteers, who believe that everyone can and should play an active role in creating safer and braver spaces for all dancers.Connect with Lara TabetFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/saferdancespaces/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saferdancespaces/Events: https://www.facebook.com/events/1914812198971037About Bobbie Miles:Bobbie Miles is a social dancer and empowerment coach in the salsa, bachata, and kizomba scene. Dancing is a happy place for Bobbie, as it is for so many. In order to foster safer dance spaces for all dancers, Bobbie is on a mission to promote more accountability and responsibility surrounding boundaries, consent and safety within the community through education and conversations that matter. Bobbie is a coach and advocate for speaking up, boundary setting, and promoting respect in the dance scene. Through The Empowered Dancers Podcast, she promotes transparency, understanding, and accountability and as a coach and public speaker, she focuses on  boundary setting and respect in practice, both on and off the dance floor.Resources:Download my 5 Top Tips to boost your confidence on any dance night! https://empowereddancers.com/5tipsPractice saying NO on the dance floor: empowereddancers.com/noConnect with Bobbie MilesFollow me on Instagram @theempowereddancerspodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/theempowereddancerspodcastFind me on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/bobbiemilesbailadoraSubscribe to my YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA8pcAq9lXttVf9w9lDb1bQ?sub_confirmation=1