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Posts in Dancer Health & Wellness
DWC Competition and Convention Product Guide

At last, the gift-giving season is upon us! When it comes to shopping for holiday gifts, an unnecessary amount of stress can easily accrue. What do I get for them? What’s on-trend? Will they like it? Countless questions circle through our brains, making an activity that’s supposed to be festive feel a bit overwhelming. That’s why here at Dancewear Center, we’re making your life a bit easier by giving you our ultimate guide to holiday shopping for your favorite dancers! From stocking stuffers to affordable activewear to luxury leotards, DWC is your one-stop shop for holiday gifts this season. Read on to learn about our top picks that you can get for 30% off at our Small Business Saturday Sale, starting with the more affordable finds and leading into more upscale items.

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Tips for Preparing for Nutcracker Season

Growing up, Nutcracker season was one of the most magical and exciting times of the year. The giggles backstage with my friends, the swelling of my heart as I’d listen to the beloved music, and the adrenaline in my chest as I graced the stage were truly unbeatable sensations. While performing in a production of The Nutcracker is undoubtedly an exhilarating experience, it can also be an incredibly stressful one. Not to mention, this is many dancers’ first time performing in front of a live audience in a while, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s understandable if people are feeling a little extra overwhelmed and nervous this time of the year! From organizing costumes, managing your time, taking care of your body amid numerous performances, and staying mentally healthy, there is certainly a lot to oversee. Fortunately, there are steps we can take to ensure we’re putting our best foot forward this Nutcracker season.

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Lessons from the Emerald Isle: What I’ve Learned as a Contemporary Dancer in Ireland

On September 12, 2021, I hopped on a plane and moved from Seattle to Ireland to study contemporary dance at the University of Limerick. It was a move five-years in the making, fueled by my lifelong love of Ireland itself and my growing career as a movement artist. I can say without reservation that this move was the best personal, professional, and artistic decision I’ve made to date. Living in a country that feels like home while advancing myself as a dancer has been transformative on a cellular level. I would love to share with you a bit of what I’ve learned on my Irish journey so far. 

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How to Create a Dancer Warm Up and Why it is Important

As a young dancer I never really considered the importance of warming up. If you looked across the room before a ballet class I remember seeing dancers sitting in their middle splits, legs on the barre stretching forward and chatting about their weekend plans. When I got to college level dance I discovered my schools recreation center and weight room. It was not until my Anatomy and Physiology class in college that I learned how to strength train and why it is so beneficial in activities like jumping and leaping that was necessary in dance.

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How to Mentally Navigate Returning to Dance After a Summer Break

Returning to dance in the fall is always a challenge. Many of us spend the summer either taking a break from dancing or dancing significantly less than usual. Don’t get me wrong, rest is incredibly useful for dancers. It’s also important to spend time with friends and family and engage in other activities that bring dancers joy. Some may be fearful that they’ve lost a significant amount of their dance technique over the break or that their focus will be out of shape. No matter what type of nerves you’re feeling, there are small steps to take to ensure you’re mentally prepared to return to studio dancing.

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DWC Recovery Product Guide

After getting back into dance following a break, it’s typical for your body to need a little extra TLC (see Physical Therapist Colleen Bickel’s article on tips for physically returning to dance). Not to mention, many dancers are also gearing up for competition and convention season, which is always physically demanding. Taking time to rest and recover is often just as important as the dance training itself. This means rolling out and resting your sore muscles but also setting aside time to pamper yourself to feel mentally refreshed. Check out this list of our favorite recovery products at Dancewear Center to help provide yourself with some needed restoration in the coming dance year.

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A DWC Back-to-School Shopping Guide

Just like that: back-to-school season is upon us! And as the summer winds to a close and students start stocking their pencil cases, that also means back to dance season is upon us. Back to dance season often calls for a trip to the dancewear store, as young kids grow out of their old leotards, and older dancers wear out their favorite dancing shoes. As always, Dancewear Center strives to set all dancers up for success year-round, and the back-to-school season is no exception. Here are some of our back-to-dance season must-haves!

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Physically Returning to Dance: Tips on Handling Load Tolerance and DOMS

It’s an exciting time of the year: the leaves are just starting to change colors, there is a crispness to the morning air, and most importantly, we are returning to the studio to dance!

While dancers usually stay very active in the summer, it’s not usually the same intensity or type of training as during the school year. You might have been swimming, hiking, biking, playing beach volleyball, etc. You might have been dancing but the daily dance classes and training were probably less intense or more intermittent. And the classes might have been virtual.

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