Ready to start supporting the mental wellness of your dancers?
Enroll in a workshop, certification training, or a Danscend membership today!
Danscend’s mission is to bring mental wellness to the forefront of performing arts training by providing a space for education, application, and community to performers, educators, and professionals.
Hi. We're Kristin & Michelle.
Kristin Deiss and Michelle Loucadoux have a shared sixty years in the dance industry. Both have worked extensively as professional dancers and are well-versed and experienced in the realm of dance education.
After working together in the education field for seven years, the idea of Danscend was born because of an overwhelming need that Deiss and Loucadoux observed in their students. No stranger to the need for mental health awareness, both creators wrestled with various issues in their professional dance careers as well.
In Danscend, Deiss and Loucadoux have created a resource that they wish was available when they were beginning their dance careers, a resource that will benefit not only their students but also the dance industry as a whole.
Danscend would like to recognize institutions that are committed to supporting the mental health and wellness of their dancers and educators.
Ignite Dance Competition
The GuiDANCE Experience
Broadway Dance Center Children & Teens Program
New York, New York
Celebrity Dance Competitions and Conventions
Higher Ground Dance Studio
Longview, Washington, USA
Fluid Dance Convention and Competition
Rhee Gold's Dance Life
Ballet Championships of America
Shine Your Light Dance Competition
Arts in Motion Dance Academy
Richmond, Virginia, USA
Studio Bea Dance
Waukee, Iowa, USA
See what people are saying about Danscend:
"Thank you for existing Danscend. Younger me would have benefitted so much from the work you do... and now my dancers are. Thank you for helping heal some deep dance wounds for this generation of dance educators."
- Ashleigh Whitworth - Owner and Director, Georgia Dance Conservatory
“We recently had all of our staff and judges undergo training and certifications through Danscend. As a company, it was one of our best decisions this season. Kristin and Michelle were great to work with. They built a certification that made sense for our teams given their scope of work, presented it in a format that made it easy to understand and apply while bringing in real-time scenarios and discussion for our staff and judges. I would highly recommend Danscend for not only competitions but studios and teams as well.”
- Meghan Burgess - Owner and Executive Director, Ignite Dance Competitions
"Danscend has provided wonderful and practical tools for my faculty to implement in the classroom. The highlight for us was the seminar on classroom feedback. Kristin and Michelle are knowledgeable and thorough in their trainings and offer really insightful and supportive content for educators".
-Allie Beach - Co-director, Broadway Dance Center Children and Teen Program
"Danscend was an absolute necessity for our Summer Intensive students this past year! We loved how Kristin and Michelle were so real and personable with the students. They touched on many things like healthy relationships with your body, with your dancing and with your peers. We absolutely will be using them again as guest speakers and look forward to having them share their wealth of knowledge with students in the future!"
- Julianna Rubio Slager - Artistic Director & Co-Founder, Ballet 5:8
We are thrilled to share our recent experience with Danscend, which has truly been nothing short of AMAZING! Through their virtual learning environment, our jurors/educators delved deep into the mental wellness of young adults and dancers, gaining a wealth of informative information. The sessions were not only educational but also fun and engaging, and time simply flew by. As a result, our team is now equipped with greater awareness and readiness to provide valuable and meaningful feedback to our ballet competition dancers. What attracted us most to Danscend was not only their exceptional past ballet experiences but also their profound knowledge of the ballet world. Their dedication to creating a safe and nurturing environment for all who participate in Ballet Championships of America is truly commendable.
Let us carry forward this newfound knowledge and enthusiasm to make a positive impact on the lives of young dancers. Together, we can continue to support and elevate the ballet community, making it a place where dreams thrive and flourish. Here's to empowering young talents and creating a brighter future for ballet!
-Matthew Caldwell and Ward Billeisen - Co-owners and founders, Ballet Championships of America
“Spend the money. Do it. It’s going to make a world of difference in the way dancers handle and shoulder the pressure that naturally comes with all of the things dancers deal with.”
-Brianne Zborowski - Co-founder and CEO, Apolla Performance Wear, Shark Tank Season 13
“I’ve found the Danscend’s prompts for my students to be an effective way to get them thinking about their mental health on an ongoing basis. The easy to understand and thought provoking questions make discussions around mental health an accessible topic for any dance teacher no matter the stage of their career."
- Anouska Moore - Classical ballet educator, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
"Danscend is that rare organization; it combines the most up-to-date science in psychology and wellbeing, with practical advice which dancers and teachers, at any level, can immediately use. Kristin and Michelle, who are utterly professional, kind and curious, are also at the cutting edge of dance education. They have started something big which is destined to change the industry. I can't wait to see what's next."
- Simon Ward FRSA, MAPS, CPsychol AFBPsS, Psychologist, Educator
“Thank you for an awesome training. Very thorough and well thought-out and organized. As an adjudicator with over 20 years experience, and a background in psychology, this is such a needed piece to the judging puzzle!”
- Christina Yoder - Dance Competition Adjudicator, ID Dance Competitions
“Danscend is a unique and much-needed resource in the world of dance education. I really enjoy the opportunity to discuss with my fellow teachers ways of supporting my students to build a balanced, healthy outlook during their training, and also to keep a check on my own well being. I really believe that this is the way forward in creating dancers with a greater sense of self worth and resilience.”
- Sarah Forbes - Dance educator, Northamptonshire UK
“Mental health needs to be held in the same regard as physical health in the dance world, and the work Danscend is doing to educate both dancers and dance instructors on how to take a healthier approach to their careers is vital, necessary and long overdue.”
- Allison Sheff - Host and creator, Anxiety and the Artist
"I really enjoyed the training class that was offered for Adult Mental Health First Aid. The teachers were knowledgeable and understanding. It was nice to interact with people from different parts of the country and life stages to get their views on things. I felt that when I left the course, I would be able to help lead my dancers in the right direction if needed. I really enjoyed the class!"
- Ashley Leone, Dance Teacher at ABDC
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