Guest User 12/8/21 Guest User 12/8/21

“Anyone Can Dance”: The Dance School

It’s no secret that when studios are creating their classes for the school year, people with disabilities are more often than not left out of the equation. Within the mainstream industry, dance has a troubling history of exclusivity, often creating strict requirements and standards that prevent marginalized individuals from succeeding. Fortunately, to help rectify these problematic circumstances, Emmy Fansler has created the Best of My Abilities (BOMA) program as a way to introduce students with disabilities to dance…

Emmy Fansler’s BOMA Classes

By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor

Founded in 2006, The Dance School is a non-profit organization that strives to provide individuals of all abilities with a space to dance, sing, and perform. The school offers classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary, as well as classes on storytelling, partnering, “Broadway Stage,” and more. “Anyone can dance” is The Dance School’s motto, and with its latest addition of the BOMA classes, it’s clear that the school is living up to the slogan.

The BOMA program was created by dance educator Emmy Fansler. Emmy fell in love with dance around age 15, as it was a safe space for her to seek refuge from childhood trauma. She was able to cultivate a strong community that made her feel secure with herself. She danced at the Midwest Regional Ballet in Joplin, Missouri before getting a dance scholarship at the University of Central Oklahoma. She eventually moved back to Missouri and danced two more seasons at the Midwest Regional Ballet. During her return to Missouri, Emmy found her passion for working with “populations that don’t usually access the dance world.”

As a para-educator in Oklahoma, Emmy ended up developing a dance-based after-school program. She was asked by a parent if her daughter with cerebral palsy could join. Emmy said yes. “I was greatly inspired by her in general,” she shares, discussing how she adapted the program to make it more accessible for the student with cerebral palsy. Not long after that experience, Emmy moved to Lawrence, Kansas to work as an adapted PE educator, where she helped modify activities in PE classes to make them inclusive. In 2008, Emmy describes “accidentally” creating a dance studio when she rented out the back of a warehouse to provide a dance space for a group of girls who couldn’t afford typical classes. That studio would later become Dance Hues Studio.

“At some point, there was an ‘ah ha’ moment,” Emmy says. From then on, Emmy knew that she wanted to dedicate her time to making dance accessible. She began teaching some specialized BOMA classes, one for dancers with physical disabilities and another for students with mental disabilities. Emmy expanded her thinking, asking herself what kept certain kids out of dance class and how she could create a class that caters to their needs. “I was really lucky that I had a beautiful community of people who wanted to try it too because they shaped it as much as I did,” she says.

The BOMA program at The Dance School is intended for dancers with a wide range of ability levels, including those with an array of intellectual, physical, and sensory disabilities. This includes students with autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, traumatic brain injury, and more. The dance community that helped shape Emmy’s first BOMA classes was composed of peers, including students without disabilities. These dancers didn’t see BOMA as a class solely for “other” dancers with disabilities, but wanted to be a part of it themselves too. This is how the program became designated for all dancers of all ability levels, as well as peer-supported and centered on relationship building.

“What attracted me to this program was, first off, Emmy’s experience with youth and offering this class previously,” says Marika Jaffe, executive director of The Dance School. “What I like about this class is that Emmy adapts it to the students.” Emmy shares that the BOMA classes are relationship-based and centered around the students that show up.

“I think my goal is to have a few classes like this every week. Maybe with different age groups, maybe one is more [based on] floor work, maybe one [that] is more prop-related,” Marika shares of her objective with the BOMA program. “I just want those to experience something fun and maybe find a new skill that they’ve never had.”

The President of The Dance School’s Board of Directors Megen Nachreiner shares that one of the most valuable lessons that Emmy teaches students is to embrace who they are. She describes how Emmy discovers what each student needs and finds out how best to support each one. “I’m very excited about this program and giving more kids opportunities to feel connected.”

“Emmy is nothing short of a miracle worker,” Treasurer of the Board of Directors Julie Kafkalidis says. “She’s just an amazing human and she’s able to draw out creativity and earn the trust of all kinds of kids...I know that she’s just the right kind of person to teach this class.”

The sheer existence of the BOMA program is already making immense waves of impact. Having a class that makes dance accessible to people with disabilities is a resource that was unfathomable just a few years ago. Julie shares that she grew up dancing, but there weren’t any classes available to her late sister Tara who had Down syndrome. “She loved music. She loved listening to the radio...she’d sing along to the songs and she liked dancing,” Julie explains. She shares that about a year before Tara passed away at age 54, she received a video taken by one of her caretakers of her sitting in a chair and moving her hands to music that was playing. She was dancing. “I know Tara would have loved dance classes if there were some available for her when she was younger,” Julie says, tears in her eyes.

Marika hopes to see more accessibility in the dance world. Whether it’s making dance more available to those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, those of varying ages, or those with disabilities, doing so can be life-changing. This is a vision that Emmy has as well, which is evident in her other projects, providing dance to people in foster care, homeless shelters, juvenile detention centers, and other spaces where it may otherwise not be.

“One of my biggest goals is building community and showing people that meaningful relationships can happen with people that don’t look like you,” Emmy shares. “I want it to be understood that dance is a universal thing, all you need is a body in space...I would like for wellexpression and connection and creation to be just as valued as technique.

“No matter who you are or where you are at in your life, it is never too late to start dancing. Get out there, and give it a try!” Marika says.

More about Boma

More about The Dance School

more about dance hues

more from Madison

Guest User 12/6/21 Guest User 12/6/21

Karl Watson on Finding Balance and Seeking Transparency

As dancers, we’re encouraged to push ourselves as far as we can, often until our breaking point. Finding the harmony between challenging ourselves and staying within our boundaries can be a tough balancing act. Karl Watson of Whim W’him gives insight into this challenge, his dance journey, and what he hopes to see moving forward in the dance industry.

By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor

Photos: Stefano Altamura & Bamberg Fine Art Courtesy of whimwhim.org

Karl first fell in love with dance because his mom took him to see A Christmas Carol around the holiday season. “I freaked out within the first 10 minutes,” Karl laughs. His mom took him out of the theater and into the lobby of Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio. She asked the employees if any other shows were happening that night, and they suggested she take her son to see The Nutcracker. As soon as he set his eyes on the show, Karl was mesmerized. Eager to learn dance himself, his mother enrolled him in a creative movement class. He continued dancing at The School of Cleveland Ballet, later floating between a couple of different studios. Karl later got more involved with competition dance, falling in love with jazz and musical theatre.

Towards the end of high school, Karl realized he wanted to pursue a career in dance and thus wanted as much training as possible. He soon began dancing seven days a week with a focus on ballet, jazz, and musical theatre. Around the time when Karl began his freshman year at Butler University, YouTube began taking off. He recalls coming across videos about Crystal Pite, as well as William Forsythe’s improvisation techniques. These online resources and the resources on his campus opened him to the range of dance that was happening outside his bubble.

During his time in college, Karl did two summer intensives summer intensive with Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago and a winter workshop with Doug Varone. At Butler, he also got the chance to take master classes from Gustavo Ramírez Sansano who was the artistic director of Luna Negra Dance Theater at the time. After graduating, Karl ended up landing an apprenticeship with Luna Negra and moved to Chicago. Karl ended up becoming a performing apprentice and toured with the company before it folded in 2013. He ended up staying in Chicago and performing with Visceral Dance Chicago as a founding member. Later on, while in New York, Karl ended up auditioning for Whim W’Him, as they were having a workshop and audition over there. He got the job with Whim W’Him in 2016 and relocated to Seattle where he’s been ever since.

Ever since Karl discovered dance, it’s been his most effective tool for self-expression and storytelling. He shares that as a child, he was fairly quiet. “I was the kid who liked to sit at the grown-up table and just listen...I was just a little more internal,” he says. Thus, he loves that dance can be a “very internal practice,” allowing him to be within his body and self-discover.

However, nowadays, Karl shares that he is most moved by experiences that take him out of his body and allow him to connect with his own or other people’s physicalities. “I think it’s just the physicality of [dance] in a world that feels increasingly less physical,” Karl says of what draws him to dance. He loves how qualitative the art form is, the meanings of dances are up for interpretation, making it even more compelling for audiences to watch. Karl also marvels at how technology and social media have given dancers new platforms to gain traction and share their work with the world.

While classical ballet training has been invaluable for his training, Karl shares that dance challenges he’s faced have come from the ballet world, specifically from ballet’s strict physical standards, as well as imposter syndrome. Karl is interested in the “decolonization of contemporary dance,” involving the decentering of European or Western standards. He’s eager to see different dance approaches being utilized, specifically those that center on the individualities of dancers through standardized modes of training. For too long, creating, training, and rehearsing has involved fitting his body into a rigidly pre-determined shape. Now, Karl feels as though he can pull movement out of his body in a way that challenges him but also works within the bounds of what’s possible for him. “I think it’s just about being in your body and finding what your body can do,” he says.

In the dance world, Karl hopes to see more transparency within dance education and more productive discussion about personal development and the realities of being a working dancer. While pre-professional and BFA programs have a multitude of benefits, Karl points out that they can be quite insular. Having holistic opportunities for networking outside of institutions would be helpful for dancers’ careers.

In terms of professional companies, Karl wishes to see more transparency and equity across the dancing hiring process. For example, he shares that the Dance Artists’ National Collective is furthering this agenda by “advocating for safe, equitable, and sustainable working conditions for dancers in the U.S,” as a way to empower dancers who are often underpaid and mistreated within the industry.

While Whim W’him is on its break, Karl is working on an outside project with the choreographer Emily Schoen Branch and fellow Whim W’Him member Liane Aung. The group is planning on making a dance film and hopefully performing at festivals later this season when more in-person events begin happening. He is also teaching in-person Dance Church classes in Seattle. Whim W’him released two new dance films with Mark Caserta and Rena Butler, available for viewing online. Stay tuned as Karl and the rest of Whim W’him continue phasing back into in-person performances this winter after a long-awaited break.

Karl's Instagram

More about whim whim

more from Madison

Guest User 12/3/21 Guest User 12/3/21

Is Ballet Really the Foundation of All Dance?

Anyone who has danced for an extended number of years has heard the age-old mantra about ballet: that it is the “foundation of all dance.” Youngsters that have complained to their dance teachers about their disinterest in ballet have had this drilled into them. The idea that ballet is crucially supplemental to other dance genres is common knowledge to dancers around the world. It is information that is rarely questioned or scrutinized. But if we study the origins of ballet, we can see that it perhaps isn’t as universalized as it’s thought to be. The benefits of ballet technique cannot and should not be divorced from its problematic founding ideals that still influence dancers today.

A Discussion of Racism, Sizeism, and Classism in the Industry

By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor

Ballet was born during the Italian Renaissance of the 15th century and became intensely saturated and codified in France over the following hundred years. It was a coveted source of entertainment for elite aristocrats and King Louis XIV performed many popular dances himself before professional dancers were hired to perform at court functions. Storytelling ballets like Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker developed through the 19th century and quickly gained traction. In the years that followed its conception, ballet spread throughout the globe, gaining popularity and prestige in Russia and later in the United States. In the 20th century, pioneers in neo-classical ballet, like George Balanchine, experimented with the medium by merging styles and creating contemporary works that warped ballet’s traditional rules. Though its style and aesthetics have been tweaked throughout time, ballerinas have remained a constant symbol of beauty, grace, fragility, and strength. And the concept of what type of woman should be allowed to symbolize these ideals has stayed relatively the same.

The visual standard of what a ballerina is supposed to look like has continued to be narrow and exclusive. There is an expectation that ballerinas are tall, thin, and white. This standard was arguably cemented and perpetuated by prominent choreographers like George Balanchine, who was famously critiqued for only hiring women who were tall and thin. This is the same expectation present on fashion runways, in magazines, TV shows, and just about any other form of popular media in Western culture. This adverse ideal immediately excludes an abundance of individuals, including dancers of color and plus-sized dancers, and swiftly praises dancers with flat-chests, pale skin, and Eurocentric features. Around the world, young girls are being spoon-fed an ideal that most of them cannot achieve, leading to body shame and insecurity (read more here).

A variety of entertainment enterprises have made attempts to showcase a wider range of individuals and tell eclectic stories. But ballet is not one of them. Yes, some ballet companies have taken small steps. For example, in 2015, when Misty Copeland became the first African American principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, people were rightfully ecstatic. Many marked that as a huge leap forward for the ballet world, in terms of promoting diversity and altering the whitewashed ballet standards. But it would be ignorant to praise Copeland’s individual achievements and think ballet has achieved equity and appropriate representation on a systemic level.

For example, in the United States, about 62% of dancers and choreographers identify as white, 11.3% identify as Hispanic, 11.7% as Black, and 6.11% as Asian. Like all art, dance is meant to express emotions, transport audiences to different worlds, and explore unique narratives. However, when white people make up two-thirds of the American dance industry, we cannot expect dance to be a comprehensive art form that communicates widely shared anecdotes.

“Challenge the idea that “ballet is the foundation of all dance,” by offering other styles and training elements that can support dancers’ growth in nuanced ways. This could include offering mental health workshops, cross-training classes, or master classes in different cultural folk dances. Give your students exposure to every corner of the dance world.”

It is universally implied that the lead roles in nearly every ballet belong to white women. And if any roles depict people of color, they are often extremely racialized and sometimes still played by white dancers. This is evident in the extreme case of blackface in the Bolshoi Ballet in 2019, but also characters routinely depicted by ballet companies around the world in the holiday classic The Nutcracker. The “Chinese Tea” role is often played by white girls in black wigs, often with eyeliner drawn to represent an offensive caricature of Chinese people. The “Arabian Coffee” is often depicted as sultry, exoticized, and wearing little clothing, sometimes even carried onto the stage in a cage or basket, like an animal. Meanwhile, the sparkly, often Anglo “Sugar Plum Fairy” floats around the stage like a princess. Yet, The Nutcracker is the most successful and long-running show each year at most ballet companies, usually showcased from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve. Each year, thousands of upper-class families splurge hundreds of dollars to see these stereotypes play out on the big stage with impressionable kids in tow.

Along with the blatant sizeism and racism that ballet perpetuates is clear classism. Since its origin, ballet has been a medium for the wealthy to enjoy. Today, not much has changed. Not only is ballet often extremely expensive to view, but it is also expensive to learn and practice. Dancers can begin wearing pointe shoes as early as ten years old and often start burning through them weekly. Pointe shoes alone (not including necessary accessories such as ribbon, elastic, sewing materials, padding, etc.) cost anywhere from $80-140 and when young dancers start practicing more frequently and intensely, their pointe shoe expenditures add up. This combined with ballet academy tuition, costume and performance fees, and supplemental physical therapy and cross-training creates a financial strain on many families.

Despite this perverse history and these persistent stereotypes and barriers, many dance teachers still preach the significance of ballet to their students without acknowledging any of the harmful values it perpetuates. As a dancer who experienced rigorous ballet training, I admit that ballet has allowed me to achieve excellent posture, ankle strength, and stamina. However, there are other genres of dance I have been unable to master due to my ballet technique hindering me. My intense ankle strength and rigidity have kept me from having the loose ankles essential for tap. My tendency to hold stiff ballet positions has caused me to struggle to “sit in the pocket” while dancing hip hop choreography.

This is likely because there are aspects of many dance genres that have roots in styles that aren’t ballet. For instance, tap involves elements of “African-influenced shuffle dances, English clog dancing, and Irish jigs.” Hip hop and breaking have roots in the hip hop culture born in New York City in the 1970s and 80s, specifically the Bronx, and is directly influenced by African American culture. A variety of cultural folk dances have roots that expand past the United States and Europe, such as Indian folk dances and Japanese folk dances.

The origins of jazz dance are traced back to African and African American dance styles. White entertainers stole and falsely claimed elements of the jazz style after years of parodying African American styles of dance and music, often using mediums like blackface. African American performers like Pepsi Bethel, JoJo Smith, Fred Benjamin, and Frankie Manning have often been denied credit for their contributions to the jazz style, while white performers are widely recognized and celebrated instead.

Thus, saying that ballet is the “foundation of all dance” is entirely inaccurate. All movement didn’t begin in 15th century Europe and claiming that it did is dismissive of many different styles of dance. Moving forward, dance teachers must be thoughtful when educating their students on ballet and its significance in their dance training. It’s time to start taking strides to change this antiquated art form for the better. Here’s some ways we can get started:

Educate students on problematic ballet history

As more studios and ballet schools add dance history lessons to their curriculum, we must offer critical context to students about the racism, sizeism, and classism that’s prevalent in the ballet industry. Making sure that students have an awareness of the systemic problems that have existed in the dance industry for centuries is the first step for them to become agents of change. Here are some helpful books to gain education on the problematic aspects of ballet and how to move forward teaching dance at large:

Revise offensive and archaic ballets

As I mentioned earlier, many iconic ballets like The Nutcracker have portrayed marginalized groups, particularly people of color, offensively since their conception. However, many choreographers like Donald Byrd, have revised these works so that they center the perspectives of non-white individuals, whose stories have rarely been brought to the forefront in ballet. Eliminate the racist caricatures in your studio’s annual production of The Nutcracker and other works, and collaborate with fellow community members to create shows that uplift all dancers.

Create a more well-rounded curriculum

Challenge the idea that “ballet is the foundation of all dance,” by offering other styles and training elements that can support dancers’ growth in nuanced ways. This could include offering mental health workshops, cross-training classes, or master classes in different cultural folk dances. Give your students exposure to every corner of the dance world.

Support creators who are challenging harmful ideals in ballet

Seek out choreographers and dancers who actively challenge racism, sizeism, and classism in the dance industry and support them in any way you can. Buy tickets to their shows, hire them to teach a master class at your studio, collaborate with them on a piece, and more. These are the types of creators we need to see more of in the dance industry.

This isn’t a matter of loving or hating ballet. I have taken ballet classes since I was five years old and have fallen deeper in love with the art form throughout my life. That’s why I want to see changes made in the industry. It’s a matter of challenging this dance genre that we’ve all grown to cherish and creating needed systemic change.

more from Madison

Guest User 11/29/21 Guest User 11/29/21

Jule Dancewear’s Julia Cinquemani

Many people are drawn to dance because it is a means of self-expression, allowing individuals to share their emotions with others and have a creative outlet to relieve stress. In many ways, clothing operates similarly to dance for many people, as it communicates a lot about a person’s identity and can invoke specific emotions in viewers and wearers alike. Founder of Jule Dancewear Julia Cinquemani knows all too well that wearing clothes that don’t fit right can make a significant impact on people, particularly with dancewear. Combatting this phenomenon was the inspiration behind Jule Dancewear, as well as creating dancewear products that cater to dancers with a variety of body types. Read on to learn more about Julia’s journey to Jule Dancewear.

By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor

Click below to shop the look:
*Meshies Tights by Jule Dancewear*

Julia grew up in Dallas, Texas where she began dancing at age four. “I was very passionate about ballet and left home at age 16 to train year-round at the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle,” she shares. Later on, Julia ended up signing her first professional contract at Los Angeles Ballet, where she danced for seven years, even earning a promotion to Soloist in 2014 and Principal Dancer in 2016. “I then joined Miami City Ballet in 2017 where I danced for four seasons,” she shares. Highlights from her time at Miami City Ballet include Aria 1 in Stravinsky’s “Violin Concerto,” Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and War Girl in “Symphonic Dances.”

Click below to shop the look:
*Luster Leo by Jule Dancewear*

One of Julia’s favorite parts of ballet was the discipline involved with it and being able to express herself within the studio. “Part of expressing myself was how I presented myself; how I did my hair and what I wore to class,” she shares. At age 14, Julia began designing and sewing her own ballet skirts to wear to class. Eventually, she began creating and selling these skirts to her friends. Shortly after this, as the skirts gained more popularity, Julia was approached by her local dancewear store asking if she wanted to start carrying her own line of wrap skirts in the store. What started as her individual outlet of expression soon became a product for others to enjoy as well.

Jule Dancewear was established in 2011 to “reshape dancewear.” Julia’s mission is to “design and produce dancewear that offers support, conforms to all body types, is high quality, and incorporates the latest in fashion with a commitment to ‘made in the USA.’” “Support” is a crucial aspect of the products Jule Dancewear offers. Julia shares that during her teenage years, when her body began changing, she realized she needed a leotard that provided more optimal coverage and support for herself. “I hated that my ill-fitting leotards were making me self-conscious in a profession where confidence is key,” she says. This is what inspired her to incorporate the support of a sports bra in her leotards in her leotards. “As a result, we are known for reshaping the dancewear mold to support all body types,” she shares.

Click below to shop the look:
*Meshies Crop Top by Jule Dancewear*

In addition to stunning leotards and wrap skirts that flatter an array of body types, Jule Dancewear has become well-known for its “meshie” tights and crop tops. Intended to flatter and accentuate muscle definition, these high-quality mesh tights and crop tops make for unique, colorful, and comfortable outerwear to wear over the top of leotards. Julia shares that Jule Dancewear has “many new products” coming soon, so stay tuned for more!

Julia shares that she’s always loved the way a good outfit makes her feel. This feeling was one of the main sources of inspiration for her products. “My goal in the design process is to bridge fashion and function,” she says. Julia points out that it helps that she spends most of her days in a leotard and tights, as it allows her to seek inspiration for designing products that make her look and feel her best.

For those who are interested in starting their own business, Julia advises them “to have patience and commit to creating in a field that [they] are passionate about.” Once you realize that you can be the solution to the problems you’re facing, many doors are opened.

Shop now!

Learn more about Jule

more from Madison

Guest User 11/26/21 Guest User 11/26/21

DWC Holiday Shopping 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.

By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor

Once Upon a Dance Books ($)

Once Upon a Dance is a local, woman-led business born during the COVID-19 pandemic (click here to learn more about their founding). The brand, run by Terrel Lefferts, offers movement and dance books for children of all ages. Check out the “Dance-It-Out” series for stories that stimulate young children’s imaginations while giving them guides for movement. The “Dancing Shapes” books make excellent gifts for older elementary-aged children to learn ballet and body awareness in a fun and guided fashion.

Pirouette Planner ($$)

With 2022 coming around the corner, it’s getting close to the time of year when people make resolutions for the new year. The Pirouette Planner is the perfect present for dancers who are eager to set goals for the upcoming year and track their growth. Designed for dancers by dancers, this planner contains guided journaling and goal setting and a monthly coaching section, covering topics like nutrition, audition prep, team building, and more.

Nutcracker Products ($$)

What’s more holiday and dance-related than The Nutcracker? Dancewear Center’s got your Nutcracker lovers covered, with Nutcracker-themed sweatshirts and hoodies galore. And check out these adorable makeup bags and mesh bags from Ansliewear, featuring designs inspired by the beloved Snow scene in the classic holiday production.

Wear Moi Knitwear ($$)

With the frigid winter months upon us, dancers often need to wear extra layers to class to stay warm. From cozy legwarmers to stylish wrap sweaters, Wear Moi knitwear is sure to keep your favorite dancer warm this season. Offered in a variety of colors and patterns, these pieces are functional and fashionable.

Girl Power Sport ($$)

Girl Power Sport is a small, local gymnastics, dancewear, and activewear brand based out of Vancouver, WA (click here to learn more about founder Lisa Fairman). The brand offers leotards and biketards in colorful prints and patterns, as well as cozy hoodies that read the phrase #girlpower. These products are perfect for a young gymnast or dancer who loves bright colors and extravagant designs.

Flexistretcher ($$)

The Flexistretcher is one of the world’s leading training tools for flexibility and strength. Unique from your average resistance band, the Flexistretcher contains custom hardware to prevent sliding, adjustable loops and custom strength elastic to adjust resistance levels, rubber stoppers to keep the loop in place, and much more. This is an excellent gift for older students eager to work on their flexibility and strength for the upcoming dance year!

AK Dancewear ($$$)

AK Dancewear is a small, woman-led business that never compromises on quality. Offered in a rainbow of colors, from vibrant corals to subdued blues, these leotards contain dynamic designs sure to make any dancer feel comfortable and confident. We love the rose print on the Emery in Rose Garden Leotard and the monochromatic tones of the Celia in Motley Leotard.

Jule Dancewear ($$$)

The woman-led dancewear brand Jule Dancewear offers beautiful leotards and dancewear geared towards older children and adults. Well-known for its line of “meshie” crop tops, tights, and skirts, these high-quality products contain classic color combinations and shapes, sure to bring a smile to any dancer’s face. The color blocking on the Luster Leotard and Royal Leotard and unique texture on the Royalette Crushed Velvet Leotard are some standout picks.

Bonus: Stocking Stuffers!

Apolla Performance

Apolla Performance products are a must-have for any dancer looking for specialized dance socks and leg warmers to train, perform, and recover in. This USA-based, entirely women-led business was founded with dancers in mind, aiming to reduce the staggering number of injuries in the dance world. The Apolla Amp Shock, Performance Shock, and Infinite Shock compression socks have cushioning on the balls and heels of the sock for shock absorption from jumps and a tight squeeze around the arch. The K-WARMER Shock is a thigh-high compression leg warmer that’s perfect for the chilly winter months.

Tiger Balm

Tiger Balm is a tried and true topical ointment aimed at effectively relieving pain for sore muscles and minor bruises. It’s helpful for active dancers to keep a jar of this in their dance bag or on their shelf after those long classes and rehearsals that leave their muscles feeling weary. Shop for it in-store at Dancewear Center!

Bullet Pointe Skirts

Since their conception, Bullet Pointe skirts have taken the dance world by storm! These circular skirts possess flowy fabric sure to drape beautifully and flatter every body type. The Bullet Pointe skirts come in a wide array of colors, one for every day of the week and then some! They’re also easy to roll up, making them an excellent option for stocking stuffers.

Holiday Keychain

The classic pointe shoe keychains Dancewear Center carries just got a whole lot more festive. This winter-inspired, holiday-themed keychain from So Danca makes the perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite dancer, especially those who just began driving and need something to hold their keys on.

Covet Dance Apothecary Set

The Dance Apothecary Set is an ideal stocking stuffer for any active dancer. The set comes with four of Covet’s most popular “after dance” care products to help relieve dancers of muscle pain, bruising, and swelling.

We hope this DWC holiday gift guide has given you a little bit of guidance this holiday shopping season. Come down to Dancewear Center Saturday 11/7 and Sunday 11/28 for our Small Business Saturday Sale to pick up the perfect treasures for the dancers in your life. Happy Holidays!

Shop now!

more from Madison

Guest User 11/22/21 Guest User 11/22/21

Expressing Thanks to the Dance Community

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.

By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor

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!

Shop now!

more from Madison

Guest User 11/19/21 Guest User 11/19/21

DWC Ambassador Coco Liu on Beginning Dance as an Adult

Have you ever wanted to try something new, but felt like you weren’t welcome to or as though your time to begin had passed? If so, you aren’t alone. There’s an unspoken assumption that as adults, we somehow know exactly what we enjoy doing and have all of our passions clearly defined. However, DWC Ambassador Coco Liu is here to tell you that it’s never too late to try something new, specifically with dance.

click below to shop the look:
*Can't Pliese Everyone Tee by Cloud & Victory*

Coco began taking dance classes as an adult, but her admiration for the art form began as a child. Growing up in China, Coco’s mother would take her to see Russian ballet performances. She remembers being thoroughly engaged with the shows and learning to appreciate dance through being an audience member. Coco shares that she was an active kid, but didn’t enroll in dance classes because there weren’t many high-quality studios in her area. At age 15, after moving to the United States, Coco recalls constantly playing the game Just Dance on her host family’s Wii, continuing it into college with friends. “I remember playing for hours on that thing!” she says, as it helped cultivate her love for dance.

After graduating college, Coco was inspired to take her first ballet class after watching her best friend dance. She visited her friend in Utah and watched her perform the “Waltz of the Snowflakes” in The Nutcracker. Coco remembers being amazed by the performance, and immediately thinking she should try to dance herself. She researched studios in the Seattle area and decided to enroll in a class at The Ballet Studio in U District. “Slowly, it just stuck,” Coco says, sharing that she’s been dancing for about three years now. She mainly focuses on ballet training but has also started taking classes in contemporary, modern, and hip hop styles. Dabbling in other styles has made Coco realize how fundamental ballet skills can be for other genres of dance.

Coco says that one of her favorite things about dance is the community. “Some of my very close friends nowadays, I met through dance,” she says. Coco points out that the dance community feels both big and small at the same time, mentioning the connections she can make with all types of people, from different areas of her life, through their shared love of dance.

click below to shop the look:
*Pinch Front Leotard by Bullet Pointe*

On a personal level, Coco enjoys seeing the self-improvement that comes with ballet training. “The amount of effort you put in, you get back,” she says. “You see that improvement within yourself. That really kept me going.” Within the dance world, particularly ballet, it always feels like there is more to learn and improve upon, preventing most dancers from feeling stagnant within their practice.

When Coco first began dancing, she struggled with feeling like she was “good enough.” She remembers going on Instagram and seeing dancers post photos and videos of their high extensions, fast turns, and other impressive feats. As a beginner, exposure to these posts made her feel a bit frustrated at first. However, after some more practice, this feeling went away. She recognized that most of these dancers had started training as young as age three, it was unrealistic for her to expect herself to be at the same level as them.

“To get out of that mindset, it was about having a competition with myself,” Coco shares. Each week, she would shift her focus on a specific technical element she could improve upon, whether it was her turnout or engaging specific muscle groups correctly. From there, she could gradually build her muscle memory and advance at her own rate. By channeling her energy into improving her own skills rather than comparing herself to others, she was able to truly appreciate other dancers and herself fully.

click below to shop the look:
*Carmen Wrap Sweater by Wear Moi* | *Quilted Warmup Booties by Russian Pointe*

Coco first learned about Dancewear Center when she bought pointe shoes. She learned about the ambassador program through a mutual friend and thought it would be a good opportunity for her to share her story and show people that it’s never too late to start dancing. That is the message she strives to promote as a DWC ambassador.

In addition to being a DWC ambassador, Coco’s dance group has a performance planned for December for friends and family at Dance Underground in Capitol Hill. Coco also began teaching beginning ballet to adults at Second Act Dance, an adult ballet studio. She shares that teaching has been an exciting and challenging new endeavor for her, as the experience is quite different from being a student.

Ultimately, Coco hopes that more opportunities come about for adult dancers, specifically beginners. While researching for her first class, Coco found that most studios in the area solely cater to adults with prior dance experience. She recalls being placed in intermediate classes at some studios, likely due to her age, and feeling intimidated and unconfident. Thus, she hopes more classes can center on teaching beginner adults. “If you love ballet, if you want to try it, you should try it. It’s never too late to do something that you’ve always had a desire to do,” Coco says.

About the DWC Ambassadors

Coco's Instagram

DWC Ambassador Kristina Koumaeva on Putting the Human Before the Dancer

From competitive commercial dance to ballet academies, there has historically been a laser focus on technique in various dance realms, even at the expense of dancers' mental health. DWC Ambassador Kristina Koumaeva speaks on prioritizing the human over the dancer, cultivating self-confidence and self-care, and what she looks forward to doing as a DWC Ambassador.

click below to shop the look:
*Luster Leotard with Black Pop Mesh by Jule Dancewear* | *Seamless Rib Short by Capezio* | *Performance Shock by Apolla*

Kristina began dancing at age four at Turning Pointe Dance Centre in Washington. From then on, dance became a significant part of Kristina’s world, cementing itself into every part of her life. “I don’t think I have memories without dance in them,” she shares. Throughout her childhood, she danced at studios, attended conventions and intensives, and participated in competitions. A program that stands out to her was called “Camp”, in which she flew out to rural Massachusetts and trained with “beautiful movers and artists” like Jason Parsons and Stacey Tookey. “That was really transformative and gave us a chance to choreograph and work on improvisation,” Kristina recalls.

After graduating high school, Kristina danced with the UW Cheer & Dance Squad, which was a completely different world of dance than what she had been a part of previously. However, she enjoyed the versatility she gained training in pom. She has also worked with Veronica Lee-Baik’s modern dance company, The Three Yells.

Following college, Kristina greatly drew inspiration from her brother to move to Los Angeles and pursue a career in commercial dance. Kristina’s older brother is an “incredibly inspiring professional dancer” who moved to LA when he was 16 to achieve his career goals. Similarly, Kristina spent four years in LA, diving into the commercial world of dance and working with luxury brands and a number of musical artists. Upon returning to Seattle, Kristina took up teaching again, and participated in various performances.

When Kristina thinks about what has kept her connected to dance all these years, music is one of the first things that comes to mind. “I have always been obsessed with music,” she says. “I think that’s just one of the greatest gifts that was given to this world. I’m super inspired by music of all kinds.” For Kristina, being able to dance to live music and feel a connection to real instruments is a fully immersive experience.

In addition, Kristina loves how dance enables her to connect her mind and her body. She shares that more conventional modes of expression, like public speaking, make her nervous. Yet, dance is “the complete opposite.” When dancing, Kristina feels like she can express anything she wants to efficiently.

*click below to shop the look:*
*Ballet Body Tee by Cloud & Victory*

Throughout her dance career, handling self-confidence and self-care have been the biggest challenges for Kristina. She shares that even after all her years of dancing, she still experiences some nervousness when she performs in front of others. However, she says that building a toolkit of coping strategies and practicing self-care have been the most helpful tips for bolstering her confidence. Kristina emphasizes that self-care wasn’t deeply discussed in the dance realm when she was younger, especially in the competition dance world. Nevertheless, it’s important to understand that dancers need to take care of themselves, as their bodies are their “whole art.” “Having the time to slow down for yourself and prioritize your needs is really important,” Kristina stresses.

Kristina also shares that the pursuit of perfection, particularly in ballet, can serve as another challenge. Recently, Kristina has looked into studying holistic approaches to dance training, drawing inspiration from her beloved ballet teacher Rachel Tudor. Rachel taught Kristina that pursuing perfection often leads to prioritizing the dancer over the human. “I think the person should always come first,” Kristina says. Balancing teaching technical skills with supporting dancers’ needs is a step in the right direction. "Dance wasn't meant to be this intense thing…it's freedom of expression, and I think we lost that at some point when we got really deep into technique," Kristina voices.

This school year, Kristina is teaching at three different studios and choreographing competition pieces for various students. "That's been super exciting!" she shares. Additionally, Kristina has started collaborating with some local dance artists, including Daniel Wilkins from DASSdance. They're aiming to release some work, either in the form of a live performance or virtual experience, sometime in January 2021. The two are seeking inspiration from the various stories of individuals grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and are interested in "telling different perspectives of what people went through during that time." Kristina shares that during the creation process, she got the opportunity to create a work to live jazz music and "it was just magical."

Kristina has also been connecting and creating contemporary videos and phrases with artist Stephanie Golden, and was featured in an Amazon commercial. Next summer, Kristina will perform in a jazz, burlesque show at the Can Can Culinary Cabaret in Seattle. "I love exploring different realms," she says of performing burlesque.

*click below to shop the look:*
*Pinch Front Leotard in Wine by Bullet Pointe*

Kristina has always been hesitant about partnering with a company, as she is nervous about promoting products and services she isn't actually proud of. However, Dancewear Center is not only a brand Kristina can strongly stand behind, but she also has a special connection to it. "I got my first pair of pointe shoes here!" she shares. "I grew up going [to Dancewear Center]." She really appreciates what the brand stands for and how it has made advances to connect people and create a more intimate dance community. She is looking forward to sharing her perspectives, particularly as an adult dancer, with others.

Looking ahead, Kristina hopes to help "create a safe, welcoming, and nurturing dance space" for everyone. Even if students don't plan to pursue dance professionally, she hopes they can gain assets from their amazing experiences within dance communities. "I just want to make sure that they have space to be themselves," Kristina says.

About the DWC Ambassadors

Kristina's Instagram

DWC Ambassador Ava Budish on Self-Expression and Breaking the Mold

In nearly every industry, expectations are set regarding what a professional individual should look and act like, and dance is no exception. However, these standards are arbitrary. The dance world is a much better place when dancers have the freedom to break the mold and express themselves freely. DWC Ambassador Ava Budish shares her thoughts on expressing herself through dance, creating connections, and breaking the mold.

click below to shop the look:
*Carmen Wrap Sweater in Sky by Wear Moi* | *High Waisted Active Leggings by Capezio* | *Infinite Shock by Apolla Performance*

Ava began dancing around age three in her hometown in northern California. She focused solely on ballet for around ten years. After moving to Washington and starting high school, she ventured into new styles at Glass House Dance, including lyrical, modern, jazz, and contemporary. Ava also joined a competition team, where she’s been competing for about three years. Recently, Ava has also started teaching dance to little kids, which she greatly enjoys. She loves witnessing children explore dance for the first time, and getting the chance to “help shape their first experiences.”

What’s kept Ava connected to dance for so long is it being an effective source of expression for herself. She shares that for a long time, especially as a child, she danced more for the performance aspects. But, as she’s gotten older, tried new styles, and connected more to herself as a dancer, she feels like she’s gotten more opportunities for self-expression. Rather than solely performing to entertain an audience, dance has become a vessel for Ava to come in closer contact with her inner feelings and share them with others. “This is my outlet in that way,” she shares.

*click below to shop the look:*
*Deader Than My Pointe Shoes Tee by Cloud & Victory*

A challenge that Ava faced after moving to Washintgon was trying out new styles of dance and feeling comfortable outside of a hyper-focused, competitive ballet atmosphere. “To me, ballet was what tied me back to California. And for a while, that was the reason I kept dancing,” she says. “I really tied it to my identity.” She felt like if she wasn’t training in a competitive ballet environment as she did before, she wouldn’t be the same person. However, once she got out of that mindset, she found herself enjoying dance even more. Soon after, Ava was able to take some steps in a healthier direction, towards a more balanced lifestyle with more dance genres under her belt.

For others struggling to try new classes, Ava shares that trying out the first class is the hardest step, but it’s also often the most impactful. She suggests that people just try one new class, “give it a shot,” and go from there.

After a long break from dancing on stage due to COVID-19, Ava is thrilled to return to performing and competing this season. “I’m super excited for this company/competition season,” Ava says, sharing that she’ll be competing in a duet with former DWC Ambassador Niki Kothari. She’s also looking forward to attending some dance conventions this year to learn from some of the best professional dancers and choreographers in the industry.

As a DWC Ambassador, Ava is excited to bridge gaps between different dance communities. She points out that there is a lot of separation in the dance world, so she is eager to help cultivate a space that values connection and collaboration. Ava also looks forward to being a voice for those in various dance realms, from those who have trained strictly in ballet to those who dance more recreationally.

*click below to shop the look:*
*Seamless Rib Racerback Leotard by Capezio* | *Bullet Pointe Skirt by Bullet Pointe* | *Infinite Shock by Apolla Performance*

Looking ahead, Ava hopes that the dance world moves towards being more inclusive, with fewer barriers and expectations regarding what a dancer is supposed to look like. While the dance community, in general, has been moving in a positive direction, she says that more work can be done in amplifying the voices to people who don’t fit the typical “mold” of what a dancer is expected to be like. “You don’t have to fit that mold to do great things in dance and make a difference,” Ava says.

About the DWC Ambassadors

About ava

Inspiring a Lifelong Love of Dance Through Accessibility

Youngsters eager to learn dance in the greater Seattle area are always in luck, as the Pacific Northwest abounds with high-quality dance studios eager to take on more students. However, adults with the same enthusiasm aren’t often as fortunate. Most dance studios across the region offer dance classes up until the age of 18, after which students are expected to move on to more professional training or get a non-dance-related job and move on with their lives. Luckily, Karena Birk and the rest of the team at Dance Fremont are providing high-quality, affordable dance education to youth and adults to foster the passion for dance in people of all ages and identities.

Dance Fremont’s Karena Birk

By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor

Karena began dancing at Spectrum Dance Theater at age three, eventually moving over to Cornish where she did the bulk of her training. She danced with the Colorado Ballet before wrapping up her college degree. Karena later danced with the ARC Dance Company in Seattle, predominantly focusing on ballet, modern, and jazz. Around the same time, she also began teaching. “Teaching fed me as a dancer, and vice versa” Karena says, explaining how teaching and performing held co-benefits for each other. After dancing with several other local companies, Karena decided to dedicate more of her time to teaching. She got her MFA in dance from Ohio State University, came back to Seattle, and continued teaching. Karena enjoyed being able to teach a wide range of individuals, from kids at dance studios to young adults in higher education. She prides herself in adopting an education model in which students get to understand their abilities and limits rather than imposing unrealistic expectations onto them, as traditional teaching models often do.

After nearly 20 years of running Dance Fremont, co-owners Vivian Little and Mary Reardon retired in 2015 and were considering closing the studio. Eager to keep the dance community alive, Steve Casteel bought the business and hired Karena as the dance school’s director, where she’s been ever since. After a few years as director, Dance Fremont was turned into a nonprofit organization, which has enabled the studio to have more unique opportunities to support the community.

Dance Fremont’s mission is to “inspire a lifelong love of dance in each student in a nurturing atmosphere full of joy and creativity.” Karena shares that the studio strives to “provide quality ballet and modern dance education to all who are interested.” It’s important to Karena and the rest of the Dance Fremont staff to provide dance education to all regardless of economic status, race, gender expression, and more. Classes range from youth programs for three-year-old students, all the way up to pre-professional training for students who want to dance in college or become professionals.

Something rather unique about Dance Fremont’s programming is its robust adult programming. “For adults, we offer beginning classes in ballet and modern, and drop-in intermediate/advanced ballet classes,” Karena shares. “We have everyone in there from professional dancers to people who start dancing as adults...It’s a wonderful community. I love working with them because they’re just there because they love to dance. As a dance teacher, there’s nothing better.” The adult open classes are held Monday through Saturday, with a Zoom option on Wednesday mornings.

The in-person open classes are taught by a different instructor every day of the week, so dancers get a variety of perspectives and get to find out what instructor fits best for them. Karena shares that the instructors for the open classes care immensely about their students. “I feel like one of the things that really distinguishes our open class teachers is that they really want to be here teaching these people,” Karena says.

Many dance studios in the Seattle area don’t offer classes for adults, as most are centered on providing rigorous training for youth. However, the benefits that children can reap from dance classes, including stress relief, creative expression, and community, are just as important for adults. “Everybody deserves to have dance classes,” Karena says. “There should be a space for people to continue dancing and continue dancing in an environment that really values what [they] have to say.”

An exciting development at Dance Fremont is it offering its Zoom adult open ballet classes as “pay if you can, pay what you can.” Dance Fremont made this change to provide more access to classes for adult dancers, as many lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. “A lot of people in the dance world were hit really hard,” Karena points out. Additionally, for in-person open ballet classes Dance Fremont is offering its pay-what-you-can Community Class Card, a donation-funded card in which dancers can choose the amount they pay for classes. “The donation support that we receive as an organization will cover the rest of the cost of [the classes],” Karena shares. “That’s something that we hope to be able to continue long-term and not just while the pandemic is still going on.”

Accessibility to classes is of the utmost importance to Karena, sharing that she “would rather be here for people” and have them take classes at the rate they can afford than feel like access is shut off to them. “There are a lot of issues in the dance world, especially the ballet world about accessibility, [particularly] with race, gender identity, and body type. Another big component is economic accessibility...I feel like this is at least one way we can start chipping down some of those barriers,” she says.

Karena points out that the world of ballet and modern dance is predominantly Eurocentric, and that moving forward “the beauty of the diversity of the world around us” ought to be embraced. “I would like to see dance made more economically available to people and for people to feel welcomed in their identities,” Karena shares of her vision in the dance world. Through providing affordable access to high-quality dance education to students of all ages, it’s clear that Karena and the rest of the team at Dance Fremont are taking a step in that direction.

Dance Fremont

Drop in Schedule

more from Madison

Interested in writing for the DWC Blog? Click below to fill out the DWC Contributor application!

Become a DWC Contributor