From the Top
Exploring dance and legitimacy.
Subculture Research | November 2025
Problem
Recreational dance is a hobby with an implied age limit.
Legitimacy in dance is currently defined by two extremes:
Childhood Hobby: Studios are incentivized to prioritize youth dancers as students under the age of 9 continue to be the main demographic.*
Exclusive Profession: Dancers are commodified as they’re highlighted as athletes and artists by brands like Nike and Gap, represented in the new International Dance League, and featured in Playground LA and other studio-based reality TV.
With the dance industry focused on those two categories, I went in search of where that leaves recreational dancers, particularly dancers who started in adulthood, the forgotten group left between the youth and the elite.
*IBISWorld OD5350 (2025)
Research Question
Why do dancers, even those with validation through childhood dance experience, question their legitimacy?
I hypothesized that adult beginners faced the most uncertainty, navigating both a professional and traditionally ‘youthful’ activity.
I expected to see a clear divide between adult beginners and dancers with more experience, but a handful of planned interviews turned into 22 hours of conversation with 20 dancers where I found much less clarity.
Beginners dismissed some of their dance experiences. Lifelong dancers resisted new opportunities in favor of security. I reevaluated what I was researching to include a broader range of experiences.
Behind the Insight
Drive 3 hours one-way to Maryland for an all-levels dance workshop
Schedule conversations over one weekend with former teammates in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Pennsylvania
Ask 20 dancers for the 2.5 hours of songs that most inspire them in the studio or while dancing in their bedrooms
1:1 & Small Group Interviews | Dance Class Shadowing & Participation
The Beginner Dancer
“I joined my first team in college in 2024, but I’ve danced for church and school cultural events since I was 7.”
- Dancer, 1 year of experience
The Beginner Dancer
“I didn’t learn the difference between dance styles until after starting college, but I used to play Just Dance at my cousin’s house and wanted to join my high school’s dance team. I don’t know if that’s a valid option.”
- Dancer, 3 years of experience
The Lifelong Dancer
“I started ballet when I was 4, but I chose not to take classes in dance styles besides ballet while growing up, even though I had the opportunity to try.”
- Dancer, 16 years of experience
The Lifelong Dancer
“I started ballet at a local studio at 2, but I still stand in the back when I take new classes.”
- Dancer, 21 years of experience
Insight
Legitimacy in dance isn’t earned once through technical experience.
It is continually reevaluated as different labels and environments inform dancers’ journeys.
The Project
A guide for dancers and dance spaces on legitimacy and reflection.
In those conversations, I saw how legitimacy was defined, reinforced, and reinvented.
I created From the Top, a zine / interview journal, which explores three factors that influence that cycle while keeping the voices of the 20 dancers central.
-
Category: Internal Labeling
How the language dancers use impacts self-worth and sense of belonging.
The Learning: “Beginner” isn’t a label that dancers simply advance from.
Dancers with 1 year of experience and dancers with 21 described moments of starting anew. Feeling like a beginner can cause insecurity, but it can also represent openness and possibility.
-
Category: External Environments
How dance spaces establish norms that influence who feels welcome and who doesn’t.
The Learning: Dance spaces don’t just host dancers; they validate them.
Dance is inherently communal, representing identity, expression, and shared understanding. Dancers look at how they do or don’t fit within dance spaces, confirming or challenging their legitimacy as a dancer.
-
Category: Time and Reflection
How redefining what counts as a “real” past or future in dance expands who feels their journey is worth continuing.
The Learning: Legitimacy in dance is not static.
Over time, dancers revisit their experiences and reevaluate their credibility. Adult dancers can focus on their regrets, but being proud they stuck with dance can be enough of a reason to continue.