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Bullying policy.

2026-2027 season. Last updated 26 October 2026.

At a glance

  • At Ndigo there is no place for bullying, discrimination or boundary-crossing behaviour. This applies online and in the studio, in classes and at camps, for children and for adults.
  • Bullying means deliberately and repeatedly hurting, belittling or excluding someone. Discrimination based on background, religion, gender or appearance is also bullying. "It was only a joke" is no excuse.
  • Do you see bullying, or are you being bullied yourself? Tell your teacher, camp leader or parents, or email info@ndigo.be. Speaking up is not telling tales.
  • After a report, we talk to the dancers involved separately, inform the parents and follow up after two weeks.
  • If the bullying continues, there is first a warning and then permanent exclusion. Serious incidents lead to immediate permanent exclusion. Lessons not yet attended are refunded, minus a €20 administration fee.
  • Anyone who watches, laughs along or goes along with the bully leaves the bullied dancer on their own. The whole group shares responsibility.

You can read the full policy below.

Full policy

At Ndigo we want every dancer to enjoy coming to class and to feel free to be themselves. We are all here to learn, and that only works in a safe environment. Team spirit and resilience are two of our core values, and they start with how we treat each other.

Who and where does this policy apply to?

This policy applies to all Ndigo dancers: children, teenagers and adults. Adult dancers and course participants follow exactly the same rules.

It applies wherever Ndigo dancers meet: in class, in the changing rooms, at camps, at competitions and on trips, during rehearsals and backstage at the show. It also applies online and outside class hours, whenever it concerns Ndigo dancers.

We expect the same respect from our teachers, camp leaders and parents. A report about the behaviour of a teacher, camp leader or any other adult should be sent to info@ndigo.be. If your report is about Ndigo's management themselves, please speak to us directly.

What is bullying?

Bullying is behaviour in which someone deliberately and repeatedly hurts, belittles or excludes another dancer. There is often an imbalance of power: the dancer being bullied finds it hard to defend themselves.

Bullying can take different forms:

  • Verbal: laughing at someone, insults, gossip, nicknames, comments about someone's body or appearance.
  • Physical: pushing, hitting, taking or damaging someone's belongings.
  • Exclusion: deliberately ignoring someone, not letting them join in or never choosing them as a partner.
  • Discrimination: hurting or excluding someone because of their background, religion, gender or appearance. Comments about boys who dance ballet, or about someone who chooses a dance style that supposedly does not "suit" their gender, are also discrimination.
  • Online: sending hurtful messages, sharing photos or videos without permission, mocking someone in a group chat or deliberately keeping them out of it.

For us, online bullying and bullying in the studio are the same. They follow the same steps and have the same consequences.

Not every argument is bullying. Two dancers who disagree once usually sort it out themselves, sometimes with help from the teacher. Not sure? Report it anyway. We will then look at what is going on together.

"It was only a joke." That is no excuse. With remarks in the studio, in a group or online, we look at what is really behind them and at the effect they have. Laughing together, when everyone understands the joke and is happy with it, is different from bullying. But if a remark could hurt someone, makes the group uncomfortable, or splits the group into camps, we treat it as bullying. In that case we do not accept "it was only a joke" as an excuse.

Online, we do not do it at all, not even as a joke: you cannot take back a message, photo or video, and it is quickly passed on.

Boundary-crossing behaviour

Ndigo is a safe place for everyone. Intimate physical or sexual behaviour is not allowed anywhere on Ndigo's premises. This includes unwanted touching, for example during partner work or in the changing rooms.

In partner work, dancers touch each other for technical reasons. This always happens respectfully and only as the teacher teaches it. No filming or photographs are allowed in the changing rooms.

Boundary-crossing behaviour counts as a serious incident (see Measures).

Our agreements

  • Respect always applies, in class and outside it.
  • We do not laugh at anyone and we do not gossip about others.
  • Trying is fine. Nobody judges someone who is doing their best.
  • We do not comment on anyone's body or appearance.
  • We do not deliberately leave anyone out.
  • We listen to each other and stand up for each other.
  • If we see bullying, we report it. Speaking up is not telling tales.
  • Retaliating against someone who reported something counts as new bullying.

Online at Ndigo

You are still an Ndigo dancer outside class hours.

  • We do not send or post messages that are hurtful, disrespectful or discriminatory, or meant to make someone feel bad.
  • We do not post photos or videos of other dancers without their clear permission.
  • We do not share other people's phone numbers, addresses or locations without their clear permission.
  • Have you received a hurtful or upsetting message? Do not reply, take a screenshot and tell a teacher or your parents straight away.
  • Do you see something hurtful online about another dancer? Report it. Anyone who reads along and stays silent also carries responsibility.
  • Messages that "disappear", such as on Snapchat or in an Instagram story, can always be saved and forwarded.
  • Not sure whether something is OK to post? Feel free to ask a teacher first.

Castings, roles and formations

Castings, auditions, roles, lead roles and places in a formation are part of a dance school. Not everyone gets the role they hoped for every time. It is fine to be disappointed. We do expect dancers to support each other:

  • We congratulate each other, even when we are disappointed ourselves.
  • We do not comment behind anyone's back, in a group chat or on social media about who got which role.
  • Questions about a casting go to the teacher.

We ask parents not to make comparisons between dancers at home. Children pick up a lot from what they hear at home.

What our teachers do

  • They talk about respectful behaviour and our agreements in every group, not only in the competition teams. With the competition teams, they also hold a check-in about the atmosphere in the group in September and January.
  • They choose the rows, groups and pairs themselves, so that no cliques of popular and less popular dancers form.
  • They cast fairly and explain what they look at: level, effort, attendance and what the choreography needs.
  • They do not comment on a dancer's body or weight.
  • They keep an eye on the atmosphere in their group and pass on any signs to Ndigo's management straight away.

The whole group shares responsibility

At Ndigo we are a team. Bullying almost always happens in front of others. Anyone who watches, laughs along or goes along with the bully leaves the bullied dancer on their own. Anyone who sees bullying and does not report it helps it continue. That is why the whole group shares responsibility for a safe atmosphere.

We talk about this openly with all our dancers. Bullying finds it hard to hide in a group where everyone dares to talk about it.

How do you report bullying?

  • To your teacher or camp leader, before or after class.
  • By email to info@ndigo.be. Your report goes to Ineke and Justin, who run Ndigo.
  • To your parents. They will then email info@ndigo.be.

Have you noticed signs of bullying, even if you are not sure? Let us know at info@ndigo.be.

We take every report seriously. Within a week you will hear from us how we are following up the report. If it involves online bullying, keep screenshots of the messages.

What does Ndigo do after a report?

1. We listen. We talk separately with the dancer who was bullied and separately with the dancer who bullied. Nobody is judged in advance. 2. We make the impact clear. The dancer who bullied is helped to understand what the behaviour does to the other dancer: to their feelings, their confidence and their sense of safety at Ndigo. 3. Apologies, at the bullied dancer's pace. The dancer who bullied is encouraged to offer a sincere apology. The bullied dancer decides whether and when they want to receive it. Nobody has to forgive straight away. 4. We inform the parents. The parents of the dancers involved are informed, and together we make clear agreements. 5. We involve the group, always in consultation with the bullied dancer. 6. We follow up. Two weeks after the report, we contact the bullied dancer and their parents again to hear whether things are back to normal.

Measures

1. Warning. If the bullying happens again, the parents receive a formal written warning, or the dancer themselves if they are an adult. 2. Permanent exclusion. If the bullying continues after the warning, the dancer is permanently excluded.

Immediate permanent exclusion. Serious incidents lead to immediate permanent exclusion, without a warning. Serious incidents include physical violence, threats, taking or sharing intimate images, and boundary-crossing behaviour. Where necessary, we contact the police or the emergency services.

What does permanent exclusion mean? The dancer leaves Ndigo, is no longer welcome in the future and cannot enrol again. We refund the fees for lessons not yet attended, minus a €20 administration fee.

Ndigo's management decides on measures.

Does a dancer decide to leave? Anyone who chooses to leave Ndigo falls under the normal rules of our terms and conditions. In that case there is no refund. A refund is only made when Ndigo itself ends the relationship, as with permanent exclusion.

Working with parents

We count on parents' cooperation. These agreements are there to protect your child and the other dancers. If you cannot agree with these rules, it may be better to look for another dance school.

Confidentiality

Every report is handled discreetly. We keep a record for one year. We do not share names or details with parents who are not involved.

Tips for parents

Signs to look out for

  • Your child suddenly no longer wants to go to dance class.
  • Stomach ache or headache just before class.
  • Quiet or upset after class, or after looking at their phone.
  • Your child no longer talks about the dancers in their group.
  • Your child asks to change groups.

If your child is being bullied

  • Listen to your child and take their feelings seriously.
  • Let them know they are not alone and that it is not their fault.
  • Feel free to contact the teacher or email info@ndigo.be, so we can look for a solution together.
  • Give your child time to process what happened and to rebuild their confidence.

If your child is bullying others

  • Talk with your child about what the behaviour does to the other dancer.
  • Make it clear that bullying is not acceptable.
  • Encourage your child to take responsibility and to offer a sincere apology.
  • Work with Ndigo on a lasting solution.

For all parents

  • Set a good example yourself, including in parent groups and on social media.
  • Teach your child not to leave anyone out and to help others.
  • Encourage your child to report bullying.

Help outside Ndigo

  • Awel (102 or awel.be): free and anonymous, for children and young people with questions or worries.
  • 1712: for questions about violence, abuse and child abuse.
  • Child Focus (116 000): also for online problems, such as intimate images being shared.

Contact

Ndigo Dans & Yoga, Stokerijstraat 56, 8800 Roeselare info@ndigo.be

Ndigo bullying policy, 2026-2027 season. Next review: August 2027.