2025 Award Recipient
AnyaKleinman
Project Dancers Beyond Labels
Project Dancers Beyond Labels
Anya is the co-founder and CEO of Dancers Beyond Labels (DBL), a nonprofit organization that aims to create a body-positive environment for youth dancers. Anya began dancing when she was six years old and never stopped. As an adolescent, she struggled with the pressure to maintain an ideal “dancer’s body.” While the experience was isolating, she soon discovered that she was not alone. Anya’s friend, also a dancer, struggled as well. Together they learned that more than 75% of dancers feel pressure to lose weight, and started DBL to address the youth dancer health crisis.
By creating and distributing resources to educate dance instructors and support young dancers’ mental health, DBL works to combat the pressure, stigma, and poor nutrition that too often lead to eating disorders within the dance community.
DBL has organized a group of 150 dance instructors across 15 studios to commit to following a therapist-developed body image code of conduct. It has also recruited 300 volunteers in 16 countries and 18 states to raise awareness and funds. Through its digital campaigns, DBL has engaged more than 40,000 dancers and educators with supportive and empowering messages.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that strives to address the eating disorder and mental health crisis in the dance community and society by changing the standards and conversations around body image.
