What's In Your Dance Bag?
Everyone knows as dancers that our dance bag is a sacred place. It holds all of our stinky shoes after dancing for hours on end and seems to be an abyss for endless amounts of bobby pins. With each new dance season, new goodies are needed to last the dance season which can add up quickly. We asked some of our DWC Ambassadors what was in their dance bag to give a special look into their go-tos and their necessities they need for classes! Read on to learn more about what is in their dance bags!
By The DWC Ambassadors
Everyone knows as dancers that our dance bag is a sacred place. It holds all of our stinky shoes after dancing for hours on end and seems to be an abyss for endless amounts of bobby pins. With each new dance season, new goodies are needed to last the dance season which can add up quickly. We asked some of our DWC Ambassadors what was in their dance bag to give a special look into their go-tos and their necessities they need for classes! Read on to learn more about what is in their dance bags!
Caroline
Hair bands or claw clip
Water bottle
Snacks (fired mango or granola bar bc I am always hungry!)
Sweatshirt or long sleeve to wear for warmups
Kindle and computer if I have some downtime
Native deodorant
Apple Watch
Marika
Band aids, hand sanitizer, makeup wipes
Sticker pouch
Hair ties
Planner
Movement cards
Knee pads
Colored room lights
I always carry a snack :) (Not shown)
Alaina
In my dance bag I try to keep only the essentials, so I can have a clean and organized bag. I also keep my pointe shoes and flat ballet shoes with me. I currently love the SoDanca ballet flat shoes, and the Mirella whisper pointe shoes. I keep all of my pointe essentials in my Dancewear Center mini zip bag. My favorite toe pads are from Bunheads. 2nd Skin Squares are my favorite for blisters so I always keep them on hand. I also keep blister bandaids and other types of tape with me for injuries and injury prevention. Biofreeze and Tiger Balm are two of my absolute essential items. There is also a mini Thera gun I keep in my bag for post class muscle recovery. Finally I like to keep a few snacks that are high in sugar and easy to digest for quick in between class energy boosts.
Vania
My dance bag (BACKPACK) varies based on whether I am taking class, teaching, choreographing, or working on a show. But in general, I like to make sure that I have jazz and ballet options. In addition, it is important to have a few things that help stretch, strengthen and release my body. When I looked in my dance bag, the first thing I saw was my black Dancewear Center pouch with TheraBands inside. :-) I also like to keep my Foot Rubz or Pinkie ball close by to help release my feet. And my ankle supports are a must have for heavy rehearsal times. When I travel, I like to take at least one of my yoga toes to increase circulation to my extra tight feet. :-) Last but not least, these days I need my computer for business and music editing. So, I carry it along with a portable speaker and a notebook/pencil.
Dancewear Center pouch - TheraBands, therapy balls for my feet and legs
Jazz shoes (regular and with a little heel sometimes for teaching)
Ankle braces/Knee brace
Yoga toes
My computer
The latest flyer for any events I am working on
Portable speaker and notebook - not shown
We hope you enjoyed finding out what is in our DWC Ambassadors dance bags! Shop for these necessities in store or online!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
The Return of Seattle Dances
Seattle Dances is one of Seattle’s top dance journalism pages that features upcoming performances and various interviews with local dancers in the area. We got the chance to speak with Kaitlin McCarthy who is the current editor and director of operations of Seattle Dances! Read on the learn more about what Seattle Dances is all about and their mission for the Seattle Dances on the dance community!
A Conversation with Kaitlin McCarthy
By Samantha Weissbach, DWC Owner & General Manager and Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Seattle Dances is one of Seattle’s top dance journalism pages that features upcoming performances and various interviews with local dancers in the area. We got the chance to speak with Kaitlin McCarthy who is the current editor and director of operations of Seattle Dances! Read on the learn more about what Seattle Dances is all about and their mission for the Seattle Dances on the dance community!
Seattle Dances was established in 2009 as a blog for Pacific Northwest Ballet. Later on, the organization expanded its converage and focused on including a wider range of dance performances in the area. Seattle Dances was passed around throughout the years to numerous different mangements and eventually landed on two local dancers Anna Waller and Mariko Nagashima from 2011-2016. Kaitlin became a writer for the organization in 2016 and then took over the managment position in 2016 with local dancer Megan Stevenson. At this stage, the orgianization was more of a formal jouranalistic entity with a staff of writers and more frequent posts on local shows in the area.
During the pandemic, many shows were cancelled so Seattle Dances decided to keep their site and staff to low capacity to adhere to the lack of movement from the Seattle dance community. The organization just had a large relaunch in January of this year that included a new look for their webpage and tried to continue focusing on local dance performances and supplying resources.
Kaitlin shares that what Seattle Dances wants most for the community to know is that everyone is open to submit anything dance related to the site! The organization was built to spread the word about local performances in the area and allow a common space for artists to share their work. There can be many misconceptions about journalism websites that only take a specifc range of content, but Seattle Dances is non-discriminating to the types of performances that they produce content about. Please use this resource to support local artists and spread the word about your upcoming performances!
We are so happy to be able to speak with Kaitlin abot Seattle Dances! This amazing webpage and resource is open for all dancers to use here! Be sure to check out the full interview with Kaitlin down below!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Get To Know DWC Ambassador Caroline Schmidt
For our new DWC Ambassador Caroline Shmidt, the Seattle dance community has always been somethihng that is special to her. Luckily, we got the opportunity to speak with her about it to see how it affected her dance journey! Read on to learn more about Caroline’s dancing journey and why she decided to become an Ambassador!
Pronunciation: Care-oh-line Shhmit | Pronouns: she/her
By Samantha Weissbach, DWC Owner & General Manager and Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
For our new DWC Ambassador Caroline Shmidt, the Seattle dance community has always been something that is special to her. Luckily, we got the opportunity to speak with her about it to see how it affected her dance journey! Read on to learn more about Caroline’s dancing journey and why she decided to become an Ambassador!
Caroline started dancing when she was around age two or three beginning in creative movement classes. When she got to middle school, she decided that it was time to try ballet and she instantly fell in love with it. Caroline danced for many years at ARC School of Ballet in Seattle and got to do a little bit of every style of dance throughout her journey. After high school, Caroline knew that she wanted to continue dancing, so she attended Western Washington University and got her BFA in Dance and BS in Kinesiology. Caroline currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri getting her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She shares that she hopes to keep dance in her life and work with dancers when she becomes a physical therapist.
When asked what inspired her to become a DWC Ambassador, Caroline shares that she loves seeing the Seattle dance community grow. Growing up a Seattle native, she loved seeing the community and resources of the dance world here and hopes that she can be a greater part of the community when she returns. She also loved the fact that she could find people that love dance just as much as she does and be able to shares resources with those same dancers.
Caroline shares that she will be in Seattle for the next couple of months for her clinical rotations and will be taking as many open classes as she can! She currently goes to Westlake Dance Center for classes and is planning on attending some workshops in the near future!
We are so happy to have Caroline as one of our new DWC Ambassadors! Be sure to watch the rest of her interview below to learn all about Caroline!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Get To Know DWC Ambassador Alaina Fowler
Here at Dancewear Center, our Ambassadors are something we love to share! We got the opportunity to speak with one of our new Ambassadors Alaina Fowler! Read on to learn more about Alaina’s dancing journey and why she decided to become a DWC Ambassador!
Pronunciation: Ah-lay-nah Fow-ler | Pronouns: she/her
By Samantha Weissbach, DWC Owner & General Manager and Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Here at Dancewear Center, our Ambassadors are something we love to share! We got the opportunity to speak with one of our new Ambassadors Alaina Fowler! Read on to learn more about Alaina’s dancing journey and why she decided to become a DWC Ambassador!
Alaina started dancing when she was just 2 years old and her parents enrolled her into a local dance studio’s mommy and me dance class. She shares that her parents would trade off on taking her to those classes each week. Her mother danced when she was younger so that was a big part of what sparked her to continue taking classes. Since then, Alaina has taken classes at Fidalgo Dance Works. When she was 12, she shares that she had a really big turning point in her dance career when she got her first big role as Clara in The Nutcracker. She shares that this is what made her want to take dance more seriously. Later that same year she got her first pair of pointe shoes and went to her first summer intensive at Summer Dance Lab, pushing her to continue dancing more.
Alaina shares that the summer intensive she attended is the reason that she is where she is today and gave her that kickstart to make dance a career. During the pandemic, Alaina had a teacher that was offering her privates so she could still continue dancing. She shares that if it wasn’t for that teacher and those privates she may have quit dancing altogether so she is forever grateful for that opportunity. Alaina is still continuing her training and is off to another summer intensive this summer!
When asked about why Alaina applied to be a DWC Ambassador, she shares that one of our former Ambassadors Kendall Hadley introduced her to the ambassador program. She shares that she helped her with certain social media posts and she shares that she loved it. Alaina says that she was really inspired by the amount of change and impact that DWC promotes and loves that DWC creates a safe space for dancers to be who they are. She shares that she is really excited that she applied and was accepted and is excited to see where this journey goes!
We are so excited to have Alaina as one of our new DWC Ambassadors! Be sure to check out the rest of her interview below!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Get To Know DWC Ambassador Marika Jaffe
Here at Dancewear Center, we are always so excited for our new Ambassadors to come in each quarter! We got the opportunity to speak with one of our Ambassadors Marika Jaffe! As a teacher in the local Seattle area, she is no stranger to how the dance industry functions. Read on to learn more about Marika’s dancing journey and why she decided to become a DWC Ambassador!
Pronunciation: Maar-ee-kaa Jah-fee | Pronouns: she/they
By Samantha Weissbach, DWC Owner & General Manager and Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Here at Dancewear Center, we are always so excited for our new Ambassadors to come in each quarter! We got the opportunity to speak with one of our Ambassadors Marika Jaffe! As a teacher in the local Seattle area, she is no stranger to how the dance industry functions. Read on to learn more about Marika’s dancing journey and why she decided to become a DWC Ambassador!
When Marika was young, she shares that she would dance around her house to U Can’t Touch This by MC Hammer. Her parents loved it and came to a point where they needed a way for her to get her energy out. At the age of 4, she was signed up for her first creative movement class, and by the age of 8, she was in more than ten classes per week. She shares that she was obsessed with all styles of dance and in middle school, she was on the competition team.
During eighth grade, Marika saw an ad for a hip-hop team that was having auditions. She went in and auditioned and fell in love with it. This led her to quit the competition team that she was on and was on the hip-hop team all through high school. After high school, Markia moved to Thailand and taught some hip-hop classes at her college there and those were mainly to youth that wanted to take dance classes but didn’t have access to them. She then moved back to the U.S. and started teaching at a few studios in the area and a few years ago became the director of The Dance School in Everett.
When asked about why she applied to become a DWC Ambassador, Marika shares that her love of shopping in our Kirkland location was a big factor. She shares that this is her go-to spot and loves how knowledgeable the staff is. Marika shares that she also loves watching the social media of DWC and the community that is built within the company.
We are so excited to have Marika be one of our new DWC Ambassadors! Be sure to check out her socials here and watch the rest of her interview on YouTube!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Seattle Dance and Performing Arts Medicine
Seattle Dance and Performing Arts Medicine, also known as SeaPam, is a fantastic resource for dancers who are in need of medical treatment from an injury! This community is filled with committed professionals in the industry that strive to promote healthy performance, education, training and help maintain a beneficial lifestyle for dancers in the Seattle area. They hope that they can enable all performing artists to pursue long, healthy performing careers!
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Seattle Dance and Performing Arts Medicine, also known as SeaPam, is a fantastic resource for dancers who are in need of medical treatment from an injury! This community is filled with committed professionals in the industry that strive to promote healthy performance, education, training and help maintain a beneficial lifestyle for dancers in the Seattle area. They hope that they can enable all performing artists to pursue long, healthy performing careers!
One of the things that sets SeaPam apart is their free clinic for performing artists. This clinic welcomes all dancers and performing artists of all abilities and genres. The free clinic is designed to assist with diagnosing the injuries of performing artists that are uninsured, but everyone is welcome! SeaPam takes a team-based approach at taking care of the local artist community to address all health-related needs.
These appointments run about 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the injury. The beginning will be with a physician that will speak with you for about 15-20 minutes about your physical problem and perform a physical examination. Then for the last 20-40 minutes you will see a physical therapist that will help you develop an effective home exercise program to help address your specific issue.
If you would like to find out when the next clinic will be, you can bookmark their homepage on their website and check the calendar regularly. You can also sign up for email updates when new clinic appointments are available or check their facebook page here for more updates!
image courtesy of seapam.com
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Self Discovery in Life & Dance
When Birgitte was 6 years old, she started taking a ballet class. She shares that she took the classes, had the recital and she shares that that experience woke the little ballerina in her. After that class she kept begging with her parents to take more classes, but they didn’t allow her to. She ended up taking some ballet classes for her P.E. credit in college and she shares that she loved it but it was absolutely terrifying. At 53 years old was when Birgitte finally fulfilled her dream to become a ballerina. Birgitte started with one to two classes per week and within 6 months she was taking fourteen classes and was en pointe. Since then, she hasn’t stopped dancing and loves what she does.
An Interview with Dancer & Teacher Birgitte Necessary
Pronunciation: Bi-gee-ta Ne-ses-aerie | Pronouns: she/they
By Samantha Weissbach, DWC Owner & General Manager and Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Here at Dancewear Center, we love to highlight local dancers and teachers that relate to our message. We got the opportunity to speak with one of them, Birgitte Necessary who is a local dancer! Read on to learn more about Birgitte’s dancing journey and how her identity affects them in the dance world!
When Birgitte was 6 years old, she started taking a ballet class. She shares that she took the classes, had the recital and she shares that that experience woke the little ballerina in her. After that class she kept begging with her parents to take more classes, but they didn’t allow her to. She ended up taking some ballet classes for her P.E. credit in college and she shares that she loved it but it was absolutely terrifying. At 53 years old was when Birgitte finally fulfilled her dream to become a ballerina. Birgitte started with one to two classes per week and within 6 months she was taking fourteen classes and was en pointe. Since then, she hasn’t stopped dancing and loves what she does.
Birgitte came out as non-binary during the pandemic and shares that all she really thought about was training and dancing and didn’t associate her new identity with dance yet. She shares that she was just doing what she was taught before which was existing in the binary of dance. Coming out as non-binary made her feel a little rough around the edges and made her think of how she was going to represent and be herself in this world that she loves. Now thinking about it more, she worries about how much she is represented in the studio and struggles with how much she should really worry about this.
We loved getting a chance to speak with Birgitte! Be sure to check out the rest of their interview down below!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Journey & Identity Through Dance
Pride month is upon us and what better way to celebrate pride than to highlight queer dancers in the Seattle community! We got the opportunity to speak with local teacher and dancer Annie St. Marie about their experience with the dance and LGBTQIA+ community. Read on to learn more about Annie’s dancing journey and their identity in the dance world!
An Interview with Dancer & Teacher Annie St. Marie
By Samantha Weissbach, DWC Owner & General Manager and Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Pride month is upon us and what better way to celebrate pride than to highlight queer dancers in the Seattle community! We got the opportunity to speak with local teacher and dancer Annie St. Marie about their experience with the dance and LGBTQIA+ community. Read on to learn more about Annie’s dancing journey and their identity in the dance world!
Annie started dancing when they were 4 years old. Their first experience with dance was at a local community center in Seattle and then moved to the American Dance Institute in Greenwood. They share that their neighbor across the street also danced there and went on to audition for Pacific Northwest Ballet. Annie says that they thought to themself “If they can, why can’t I!” and auditioned there as well. They initially got into PNB and danced there from ages 8 to 17. Annie trained very extensively in various different styles of ballet and Horton technique and shares that it was a great experience.
After consideration from their family, they decided to stop training at PNB when they were 17 and continued doing musical theater that they had done all throughout high school. Then when Annie was a senior they decided that they wanted to keep dancing and applied to Cornish College of the Arts. After not attending initially after their senior year, they did Cornish’s three year program and graduated in 2018. Since graduating, Annie has been teaching at various studios, performing and taking classes as much as they can.
Annie uses he/she/they pronouns and shares that they identify as non-binary which can affect the way they are seen in the dance world. They share that people can assume their gender or pronouns being she/her or that they present feminine which they share isn’t great. Now that they have found places where they are accepted they share that it is better, but growing up in the ballet world, there are lots of specific gender roles. Females are supposed to curtsey and males are supposed to bow and Annie tries in their classes to eliminate those gender roles as much as they can.
Annie shares that they have lots of things coming up for them in the next few months! Annie currently teaches a ballet/contemporary class at Westlake Dance Center in Shoreline every Saturday. They will also be teaching some master classes throughout the summer and just performed at the Seattle International Dance festival with Coalescence Dance Company. In September they are performing in a show called A Night In Paris which is taking place in Leavenworth. Lastly, in the fall they will be teaching some adult intermediate ballet classes and modern classes at eXit Space.
We are so happy that we had the opportunity to speak with Annie! Be sure to follow them on Instagram here and check out the rest of their interview on YouTube!
Sources:
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
The New Kid, Again (Pt. II)
I found a moment of relief as an artist in the 2nd iteration of Dani Tirrell’s “Black Bois”. We sold out The Moore Theatre on Valentine’s Day 2020; One Night Only. In a cast of only black people, I could just represent myself. It was truly a legendary community celebration. Even in this moment of happiness, I was still very physically and emotionally burnt out. I performed in the Seattle International Dance Festival Mini-Fest with Khambatta Dance Company, and the next performance on my calendar with The Tint Festival, which I had choreographed for.
Part 2
By Robbi Moore, DWC Ambassador
Pronunciation: Rob-bee More| Pronouns: they/them
I found a moment of relief as an artist in the 2nd iteration of Dani Tirrell’s “Black Bois”. We sold out The Moore Theatre on Valentine’s Day 2020; One Night Only. In a cast of only black people, I could just represent myself. It was truly a legendary community celebration. Even in this moment of happiness, I was still very physically and emotionally burnt out. I performed in the Seattle International Dance Festival Mini-Fest with Khambatta Dance Company, and the next performance on my calendar with The Tint Festival, which I had choreographed for.
And then the whole world shut down.
There is so much grief that I, all of you reading this, and countless other people have not even begun to sort through from the last three years alone. I know so many artists in Seattle who moved here right before the pandemic who feel like they are “The New Kid” the same way I did, because they spent their first years here indoors, unable to interact with or meet people. Some people did not get to have an in-person graduation.
I had the privilege of being able to dance all throughout the pandemic, just not in the same capacity as I was doing before. There were a lot of beautiful discoveries that came out of the pandemic, many of them personal. Not only did I have the space and time to really be honest with myself, but I finally had the space to work out things I had been avoiding. I went to therapy which helped me organize and clarify a lot of situations that had happened in my personal life. I started to be more honest with my community about who I was, what I stood for, and what I did not. The fact that I am a Dancewear Center Ambassador, writing all of this to you is a testament to the self-work and re-evaluating that I have been doing over the past three years.
Being truer to myself has drastically changed my personal relationships and career. Throughout the pandemic, and especially in the past 6 months alone, I have ended a lot of personal and professional relationships. I have also started many new ones. I started putting my values first and asserted them, which is bound to shake things up when people who met me in 2018-2019 were meeting a very different version of me. It had been painful, but also necessary. Like removing a splinter or getting an adjustment at the chiropractor. I consider myself a TRUE freelancer now, meaning, I am not dancing with any company at all. I am currently only presenting solo work and teaching. It is not as much as I want to be doing, but it is mentally and emotionally necessary for now. I still worry about falling on my face without the safety net of being from here, but I recently had the epiphany that one of the main reasons I did not feel like I was truly supported here was because I was not really opening up about what my needs were. I was just leaving what people thought of me up to chance. I was not lying about who I was or what I wanted, but I found that I needed to do more to connect the dots of my life for people so that this community understands who I am and what I have been through in my own words, so that expectations are crystal clear.
I am “The New Kid” once again, only this time, instead of aimlessly floating in the ocean letting the waves of opportunity take me places that may not always be in my best interest, I am surfing the waves I want to be on and making proactive decisions.
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Get To Know DPT Era Terry
All dancers have struggled with the issue of trying to find a physical therapist or doctor that understands how a dancer’s body moves. There are various doctors out there who just don’t understand how dancers move which can be frustrating in the recovery process. Luckily we got the chance to speak with Dr. Era Terry to learn more about the dance medicine field in Seattle. Read on to learn more about Era’s dancing journey and what got her into doing physical therapy on dancers!
By Samantha Weissbach DWC Owner & Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Pronunciation: Air-ah Tear-ee | Pronouns: she/her
All dancers have struggled with the issue of trying to find a physical therapist or doctor that understands how a dancer’s body moves. There are various doctors out there who just don’t understand how dancers move which can be frustrating in the recovery process. Luckily we got the chance to speak with Dr. Era Terry to learn more about the dance medicine field in Seattle. Read on to learn more about Era’s dancing journey and what got her into doing physical therapy on dancers!
Era grew up dancing and primarily did ballet while exploring competition dance in high school. While getting her undergrad degree after high school, she danced with Chattanooga Ballet in Tennessee where she was a contracted ballet dancer and taught various ballet classes. Once she graduated from undergraduate school, she suffered an ankle injury that took her out of the professional dance world, which allowed her to transition to physical therapy school. She obtained her degree from Columbia University in 2017 and moved to Seattle to pursue her physical therapy career upon graduation. Era still dances around the Seattle area and her mission was to work with dancers specifically to give back to that community.
Era shares that what sparked her decision to start working at her current practice was to work one-on-one with patients for longer periods of time to build that connection with her patients. She started working right after graduating from physical therapy school at a larger clinic where she was meeting with patients every 30 minutes and she realized that this wasn’t the scene for her. She then met the owner of her current practice Kinetic Physical Therapy through a mutual friend and has been a great fit for Era.
Era shares that Seattle is a great place for dance medicine and shares that there are some great resources to help dancers who have injuries.Seattle Dance and Performing Arts Medicine is a great resource for information on clinics and doctors in the area. Era also works in West Seattle at Kinetic Physical Therapy so be sure to come by and see her for all your dancer needs!
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