Creating A Green and Healthier Environment with Eco-Friendly Dance Clothing

The extreme weather changes and the number of natural catastrophes that have hit the country the past few years have resulted in more manufacturing industries opting to go green. One of the first when it comes to promoting the use of eco-friendly materials is the industry of dancing wear. Environment-friendly dance wear are those made with organic materials and/or other 100% recycled material like the eco-friendly Repreve fabric.

The excellent thing is that these eco-friendly materials effectively support all the competitions in many dancing schools like technique competition, costume competition and flexibility competition. As a matter of fact, the dance schools have become a venue to showcase the best quality clothes and promote the use of environment-friendly clothing materials. Thus, it is essential that you carefully choose your dance performance wear, leotards, shorts and dance shoes to emphasize your body movements and capture the attention of the audience.

So now that you understand how important dancing clothes are to your career as a dancer, you must also understand how they affect your skin and the environment. Studies show that the use of eco-friendly dancing clothes has dramatically increased over the years. And this is supported by the fact that the production of organic cotton has increased too. Organic cotton is cotton harvested from plants that did not undergo genetic modification of any kind. You will know if the cotton used to create your dancing wear is organic if you see it certified by the National Organic Program of the US Department of Agriculture.

What are the benefits of dance performance wear made of cotton?
At first glance, you will not notice any difference from the usual satin accessories that you use when dancing. But if you actually wear cotton dancing clothes, you will notice that you sweat less and they feel softer against your skin. These are two factors that make comfortable dancing a possibility. But the use of cotton dancing wear is not only a growing trend among adult dancers; it is also getting popular among kids. Organic dance wear for kids are usually made from 92% organic cotton material and the remaining 8% is usually made of spandex.

However, the rise of cotton dancing wear will not mean the end of the shiny leotards and dance shorts. Rather, they will co-exist to make dancing a more pleasurable experience. Shiny leotards are perfect for some forms of dance like belly dancing and ballroom. On the other hand, cotton dance performance wear is perfect for jazz and hiphop music.

Since you are already starting to rev up your dance supplies by going organic, it is just right to match them with eco-friendly dance costume accessories too. There are basic cotton legwarmers to protect your legs from the cold as well as break your fall when you’re practicing very hard for an upcoming performance. And of course, to keep everything in one place, store all your dance supplies in ready-to-go dance bags that come in different styles and colors to suit your preference and personality.

How to Choose the Best Ballet Dancing Shoes for an Audition

Every year, the School of American Ballet gets hundreds of applications from hopefuls with good backgrounds in ballet. In fact, in the history of the school, only 700 ballet dancers out of the thousands have applied. The competition to get in is really tough as you will be given only one chance to audition. You should not ruin that single chance by appearing in your worst ballet dancing shoes. If you are buying your first pair of dancing shoes to begin your rehearsals prior to the audition, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. First of all, be aware that ballet shoes can be made of several materials. They can be made of satin, leather, canvas or both. Each of these materials has advantages and disadvantages so you need to spend time mulling over each one. Leather ballet shoes are the most durable and can withstand repetitive beatings from rehearsals and shows. In addition, leather shoes force the ballet dancer’s feet to work harder in order to stretch and thus, develop better feet and leg muscles. However, shoes made of leather can be more expensive than those made of satin or canvas. Canvass shoes for ballet, on the other hand, are better in terms of durability compared to those made of satin. Canvass shoes are more preferred by male ballet dancers because their weight sometimes makes their leather dancing shoes stick to the floor. Other than that, caring for these kinds of shoes is easy with the possibility of a machine wash. The problem is, canvass shoes used in ballet could snag and develop holes over time so you will have to spend on new ones soon. The last choice of material that you have in ballet dancing shoes is satin. Satin shoes for ballet have that extra aesthetic look but they should only be reserved for special occasions. Shoes made of this material also restrict the leg and shape muscles from stretching and they lack the mould that shape your feet.
2. Next, you have to check the fit. You do not want to ruin your audition with ballet shoes accidentally coming off or shoes that restrict your natural body movement because they’re too tight. Bear in mind that ballet dancing shoes are designed to protect your feet and ankles so they should serve no less than that. To know if they’re your perfect fit, check for space for the toes.
3. You should also check the soles of the ballet shoes you are considering to purchase. Generally, shoes for ballet can either be full soles or split soles. Full shoes are important for dancers who are technically ready to advance to a more difficult stage of performance. On the other hand, split-sole shoes allow the foot to take a better hold of the flooring and contribute a lot to the dancer’s dancing ability.
4. And don’t forget to look for elastics! Ballet shoes are sold with and without elastics. If you buy ballet dancing shoes without elastics, you will need to sew them at your preferred places later on to ensure that your feet are secured. So to avoid the hassles of sewing, just choose shoes that already come with elastics.

The quality and comfort that your ballet dancing shoes provide could set how well you will deliver your audition piece. So if you are aiming for a ballet school as prestigious as the School of American Ballet, wear only the best and most comfortable pair of shoes.

Another Week in the Life of a Dance Teacher

Most people dread Sundays because they only lead to Mondays, the first work day of the week.  Usually, they wake up before the sun has barely made it out of bed, pour what is sure to be the first of many cups of coffee, and get dressed in anticipation of a weekend’s worth of messages and emails to answer.  They can be stuck in jobs that don’t interest them because the job they really want to do “can’t put food on the table” or “can’t pay the bills.”  That may very well be true, but what is the alternative?  You get to enjoy life using your brain for something that both challenges and fulfills you each and every day.

This is where dance teachers and dancers reap life’s benefits each and every day.  We get to do what we love because we need to, not because we have to.  And sure, it doesn’t make us rich (at least the vast majority of us), and it doesn’t make us all that famous.  We aren’t thanked for helping a five year old learn how to shuffle or for absolutely nailing the combination behind the latest pop-star-whats-her-name.  But, we know we’ve made a difference in someone’s life, and that’s all that matters.

So, while you’re dreading this Sunday evening because you know tomorrow you have to go to work, maybe stop a second and remember how much YOU loved dancing as a child.  Or how excited your little one gets when it’s their dance class day.  Because holding on to those feelings make a case of the Mondays not all that bad.  Have a great week!

Spotlight on Choreographers: Gina Starbuck

Because of all the TV exposure choreographers are getting in recent years, we are able to understand the magic behind a fabulous dance piece: the choreographer.  Hours of sweat, tears, and more sweat are put into what evokes emotions in us we never knew we had, but we don’t take the time to understand where the movement comes from.  Choreographers are the “(wo)man behind the curtain,” so to speak — the often unrecognized reason we are able to enjoy dance in the first place.

Gina Starbuck is a triple threat performer who has worked with celebrities such as Nikki Minaj, Josh Kelley, Gavin DeGraw, and many more.  She is also an accomplished singer/songwriter and her debut EP, Pieces of My Mind, is available on iTunes.  On faculty at many different studios and conventions, Starbuck has also worked with TV shows such as America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, and, most recently, Mobbed.  But if this isn’t enough, she is also a philanthropist; her annual fundraiser, Art4Life, raises money for the American Cancer Society and supports cancer awareness.

I first encountered Gina Starbuck at a Hollywood Vibe Dance Convention in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  I hadn’t really heard of her before, but from her picture on the lobby’s display board, I gathered that she was spicy and maybe a little bit intense.  I had forced one of my male students to take the entire convention, although he was only interested in hip hop and had never taken a jazz class before.  He was definitely dragging around that morning, regretting the fact the he ever agreed to do as I asked and attend the entire convention. So…in walks Gina, a tiny little redhead with tons of personality.  The class lit up as she took the stage, and I was intrigued.  If she is capable of making a room of teenagers wake up on a Saturday morning, she must be something special.

It’s been about a year since we attended that convention, and I still get requests to play the song Miss Gina used in class so that my student can go over “his jazz dance.”  It created a fire in him to broaden his dance horizons and learn more styles.  He has since learned that he is a very fast tapper and is more flexible on his left side.  His double pirouette is getting better every day, but his jumps are what he wants to work on the most.  It’s hard to believe that a spunky little firecracker got this reaction out of him, but that’s the magic of an excellent choreographer and teacher. Thank you Gina Starbuck for the impression you’ve left on my student and students across the United States.

Did you see Dance Moms on Tuesday?

In case you don’t already know, Dance Moms is a reality that follows the Abby Lee Dance Company as they compete around the United States.  Season two is shaping up to be very interesting as a new little girl, Kendall, is added to the team.  According to Abby Lee, she isn’t as technical as the other girls (despite the fact that she has an Ah-mazing aerial and can turn for days like the rest of them), but we are more interested in the fact that her mom Jill drove for an hour and a half to attend class for the past few years when Abby Lee was right down the street.  The moms obviously feel threatened by her; when Christy whips out past competition books (who keeps those, anyway?) to show that her daughter Chloe and Melissa’s daughter Maddie beat Kendall in a past competition, Jill seems very taken aback.  I’m sure any mom would in that situation.

So, the question we ask of you is this — do you feel threatened by anyone at your studio?  What do you do to handle the situation and (hopefully) remain calm?