The Mission of ICDR: A Conversation About Safety, Fairness, and the Future of Competitive Dance

A panel discussion on safety, privacy, and building a stronger future for dancers through trust and collaboration.

In a January 2026 episode of TURNOUT Radio, host Nicole Inica Hamilton sat down with a dynamic panel to explore the future of competitive dance: Jamie Hodgins (Executive Director of the International Competitive Dancer Registry, or ICDR), Jerome Bobb, (Director of Fever Dance Championships and ICDR Competition Advisor), and Nathaniel Chua (recent competitive dance title winner and current student at Pace University) Together, they discussed the critical roles that safety, fairness, privacy, and accountability play in supporting dancers, families, studios, and events.

A central theme of the discussion was dancer protection. The panel emphasized that the rapid growth of competitive dance demands stronger, modernized systems to safeguard privacy, secure media, verify identities, and ensure digital safety. While studios and events have long worked to foster positive environments, industry practices must continue to evolve to meet the challenges of the modern digital landscape.

The panel acknowledged the incredible work already being done across the broader dance community to advance well-being. Organizations such as YPAD (Youth Protection Advocates in Dance), Healthy Dancer Canada, and the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) were highlighted as vital leaders in dance education, health, and safety. ICDR's work complements these efforts, focusing specifically on verification, privacy protection, secure media access, and trusted records within the competitive dance sector.

Jamie shared ICDR's vision of uniting the industry's key stakeholders—dancers, parents, studios, events, and registration providers, under a unified framework designed to strengthen trust and transparency. Because safety should be a right rather than a privilege, ICDR provides its baseline protections completely free of charge, effectively removing barriers so that every family can access a secure environment. Rather than acting as a governing body for dance, ICDR aims to provide practical tools that help organizations operate more efficiently while prioritizing participant safety and well-being.

The Dancer’s perspective: Nathaniel reflected on his journey, emphasizing that success in dance should be measured by more than awards. He highlighted the lasting value of personal growth, mentorship, relationships, and the memories created along the way.

The Event Producer's Perspective: Jerome described ICDR as a practical solution that preserves dancers' achievements while giving families greater ownership and control over their information. He compared ICDR to the nostalgic shoeboxes families once used to store treasured photographs. In the digital age ICDR acts as that trusted repository and verification layer. By confirming user identities, ICDR helps media providers ensure that protected content, accomplishments, photos, and videos are safely maintained and viewed only by verified individuals.

The discussion also tackled the growing influence of technology and artificial intelligence in dance. As performance media becomes increasingly accessible and shareable, the panel addressed mounting concerns regarding digital safety. They concluded that forward-thinking solutions like ICDR are essential to ensuring that a dancer's identity, milestones, and media remain secure throughout their competitive journey.

Today, ICDR is successfully moving from vision to implementation. Through its innovative verification platform, the organization is introducing a secure, consent-based system designed to support verified participation, protected media access, centralized records, and stronger privacy safeguards.

As engagement continues to grow across studios, events, dancers, and industry partners, ICDR remains deeply focused on building trust, protecting participants, and helping create a stronger foundation for the future of competitive dance. By working together around shared standards of safety and fairness, the competitive dance community can continue creating environments where dancers can truly thrive–both on and off the stage.

Listen to the full episode here.