Degender Dance

We're back for Season 2! In this kickoff episode, we sit down to unpack our complicated relationship with partner dance. From the intoxicating magic of a truly great connection to the patriarchal overtones woven through modern partner dance scenes, nothing is off the table. We talk about what drew us to build Degender Dance in the first place, what keeps us passionate about it, what we'd love to see change, and what's next.Along the way, we get into the highs and lows of social dancing, the joy of music and community, the frustrations of outdated and harmful norms, and gendered expectations, and why we believe another way is possible. Expect tangents, strong opinions, plenty of laughs, and a few moments where we get properly fired up. Also, stay til the end cuz also share some mega news, so consider this your invitation to catch up with us before some exciting changes ahead! And since you made it this far: what do you love and hate about dance?

That’s a wrap on our first season here at The Degender Dance Podcast! Thank you so much to everyone for joining us in our first year of podcasting- we love our listeners💕🫶🏼 Tune in to check out what’s next and get excited about all the stuff we’ve cooked up for you in season 2 and much more! Season 2 starts with a bang 💥 on June 9th, 2026

How accessible is your dance scene? Is dance ableist? What can disability advocacy do for partner dance? What on earth is going to happen to your dance life when you become older or disabled? If the whole world had access to dance, would it be a better place? In this week’s episode we sit down with Madeline Webster-Perry (she/her), a Queer Lindy Hop dancer from St. Louis, Missouri, and get into it. Madeline is a consultant and trainer in disability employment and is passionate about disability inclusion, accessibility and fostering dialogue in dance spaces. The truth is, partner dance (along with the rest of the world) caters to a narrow demographic. In this conversation, we hear Madeline’s perspective on what can be done to make communities accessible and more diverse, the value of disability advocacy for everyone and about how sometimes you just gotta be a squeaky wheel. Check out Madeline’s IG @stlfemme and on FB at Madeline Webster-Perry.We also discuss her work with Charting The LifeCourse; check it out here https://www.lifecoursetools.com !