For the longest time at the beginning of my dance career, I didn’t see many dancers that looked like me. I did ballet, jazz, tap, and modern growing up in my little Kent, Washington studio--and I thought this was normal. My dance classes didn’t look any different from my school classes, I was one of the only people of color in my classes there too. For years and years I went without knowing anything about the success of dancers like me in the dance industry and simply thought they didn’t exist.
Read MoreIt is easy to spend dance breaks curled up on the couch or binging Netflix shows; these activities are definitely needed when you have a little more free time but it is also important to keep your training going. Flexibility, strength and endurance decline quickly when you have time off from a rigorous dance routine, so here are a few tips for “staying in shape” during dance breaks or off-seasons!
Read MoreBecoming a DWC Ambassador was something that Laurie Balise knew she wanted to do. She saw an opportunity to positively impact the dance community by participating in the program especially because she shares the company’s ideals of integrity, laughter and tenacity. Additionally, her impetus was because she believes in the importance of positive support and collaboration in our industry in order to more greatly empower all dancers. We got the chance to speak with one of our new Ambassadors and hear about her dancing journey and what motivated her the most in the dance world! Read on to learn more about Laurie’s experience with dance and what she’s looking forward to most about becoming an Ambassador!
Read MoreOn the first day of a theater camp for homeless and abused teens, I walked down the line of 40 campers and tried to teach what I had naively considered a “basic” ripple of movement. I stood next to a kid I would later learn was named Bruno, demonstrating and loudly explaining to the room how they should reach and hold each other and told the camper behind him, “now put your hand up on her shoulder like this.”
Bruno flinched at the sudden touch, and then his head snapped around, big brown eyes flitting from straight at me to the ground and back again.
Read MoreOver 80% of athletes, including dancers and figure skaters are unaware of a highly prevalent condition known as Female Athlete Triad or sometimes, more recently termed Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome (RED-S)(Tosi & Dodson, 2019). You may find that you are in this category. It was many years until I got a first-hand experience of the manifestations of RED-S. Three weeks before my dance company’s spring recital I broke my arm in multiple places while mat tumbling in acro class. Since then, I have learned a lot about RED-S from my physical therapy education and my own desire to learn about and spread awareness of this condition.
Read MoreAt Dancewear Center, we always look for people that can help fulfill our message that “every body is a dancing body.” New DWC Ambassador Emma Rose DeSantis was perfect for that! We got the opportunity to speak with Emma Rose about her dancing journey! Read on to learn more about what dance means to Emma Rose and what inspired her to become an Ambassador!
Read MorePromoting body positivity is something very important to new DWC Ambassador Aubrey Zappen. When she heard about DWC, she instantly loved what the company stood for and new that she wanted to apply for the ambassadorship. We got the opportunity to speak with Aubrey about her dancing journey! Read on to learn more about what dance means to Aubrey and what inspired her to become an Ambassador!
Read More“It’s my personal way of processing and understanding the world,” CarliAnn says of why she loves dancing. She describes herself as a kinesthetic person, using physicality as a way to connect with others and share experiences. CarliAnn also appreciates what a great medium dance is for storytelling, as communicating stories through the body can utilize a richness that simple text cannot, making it an accessible storytelling tool.
Read MoreDance is just one part of our identity, one culture that we belong to. It’s important for dancers to understand this, and it is important for them to feel affinity with other parts of their identity so that they understand they have other identities and other communities where they belong. It’s about finding balance. So, invite both your or your child’s dance and school friends to birthday parties, take a night off dance to spend time with your family, spend the summer trying a new sport or movement style— it is okay to take time off, it is okay to try out different interests, and it is important to make sure dancers understand this because the only constant in life is change and we need to prepare our young dancers to be flexible when change occurs so they can process it with strength and grace.
Read MoreAt Dancewear Center, the fundamental mission that underpins all of our work is “to support and empower our dance community through quality, integrity, and education.” A large part of how Dancewear Center strives to support local dancers is by finding unique ways to connect dance artists and forge community. The DWC Ambassador program is one of the ways we’re creating those connections and conceiving that community. As ambassadors, individuals get the chance to create original content for the DWC Blog, take over the DWC Instagram, receive free products, get professional photos taken, and much more.
Read More