Expressing Thanks to the Dance Community
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
It's finally that time of the year when families around the country gather around a table replete with food to share what they're thankful for with one another. After an unusual holiday season in 2020, people are undoubtedly eager to return to a sense of normalcy this Thanksgiving.
It’s no secret that in 2021, many people have returned to their pre-pandemic routines, including going back to school and working in person. Many have also gone back to training in person in their dance studios. It's safe to say that returning to dancing among others, the way that dance was intended, is something many community members are thankful for. After many months of dancing in confined spaces, we’re finally free to move freely without bumping into our living room furniture.
The many months of dancing in confined spaces, physically distanced from our peers, has shown us that our dance lives aren’t something to take for granted. Dance is a creative outlet that we rely on to stay both physically and mentally healthy. Within each of our lives is a vast network of individuals and organizations that keep the dance community afloat. Local studios and their faculty keep dancers growing through training, teaching new techniques and modes of artistic expression, and transforming the lives of their student bodies. Venues and theaters in our communities provide platforms for choreographers and dancers to share their creations with audiences. Families work together to transport their young dancers to classes and conventions, attending performances and competitions to show their loved ones support. Local dancewear stores, like Dancewear Center, offer individualized and educated pointe shoe fittings and a curated selection of dancewear to keep dancers performing safely and confidently. Perhaps most importantly, the dancers themselves keep these enterprises going! Local businesses rely on dancers to keep their organizations functioning and to fulfill their mission statements.
Dance may be a global phenomenon, but action clearly begins at the local level. The relationships between studios, instructors, venues, choreographers, dancewear stores, and dancers and their families are all interconnected, perhaps even more than we realize. We all need one another, we all fill each other's cups.
Throughout the pandemic, all of these arenas have struggled in one way or another. However, it was the relationships and the passion for dance we all share that kept us functioning through the past year and a half of hardships. In the spirit of giving back this Thanksgiving, let's show our community love in any way we can. Express thanks to your studios' instructors and staff for their perseverance through a challenging year of teaching. Purchase a ticket or virtual pass to an upcoming show to support your beloved local venues and theaters. Donate to a dance nonprofit that's creating work that inspires you. If you're a student, give your family a huge "thank you" for the support they've shown throughout your dance journey.
Here at Dancewear Center, we want to extend our thanks to you! We wouldn't get the chance to provide expert pointe shoe fittings, offer diverse merchandise, create insightful blog posts, or carry out our mission to support and empower the dance community if it weren't for you. Part of how we're showing our gratitude this year is through our Small Business Saturday Sale. Join us Saturday, November 27th, and Sunday, November 28th for 10% off pointe shoes (Use Code: ShopSmall10) and 30% off all other products (discount automatically applied at checkout). Come help yourself to some discounted products to get ready for the coming months of training and performing - our thanks to you!
