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.
How To Flexistretch Your Hamstrings
The Flexistretcher is a great tool that is used for the recovery and strengthening that dancers around the country find themselves using. Luckily, we have a certified Flexistretcher instructor on our DWC team that has a great tutorial on how to use this product. Read on to learn more about the FLX Hamstring Stretch with DWC Staff member Emma Neilson!
By Nicole Barrett & Emma Neilson
The Flexistretcher is a great tool that is used for the recovery and strengthening that dancers around the country find themselves using. Luckily, we have a certified Flexistretcher instructor on our DWC team that has a great tutorial on how to use this product. Read on to learn more about the FLX Hamstring Stretch with DWC Staff member Emma Neilson!
Grab your Flexistretcher and lay on your back with your knees facing up.
Bring your leg to your chest and place the ball of your foot on the elastic pad.
Hold the loops on either side of the elastic pad and carefully extend your leg.
Once your leg is all the way straightened, gently pull down on the loops to activate the stretch.
Hold this stretch for 30 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.
We hope that this tutorial helped you perfect your hamstring stretch with the Flexistretcher! Be sure to watch the full video below for a visual of this stretch!
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.
Coaching For Excellence and Debunking Misinformation
Ms. Robbins also wishes to see a greater focus on keeping Washington’s aspiring ballet dancers performing at a national level and being prepared to audition for international schools and companies. In her teaching and coaching philosophy, she believes in breaking down mechanics, dynamics, and coordination to find the root cause of a challenge a dancer is facing to eliminate incorrect muscle memory or habits that hold them back or cause weakness/insecurity in their performance. She is passionate about coaching pirouette and jumping techniques as separate classes in her workshops and developing dancers who articulate their epaulement and footwork at a high classical standard. Through KMCoaching intensives, Ms. Robbins aspires to help PNW-based students supplement their year-round training with hands-on attention and challenging high-stamina classes, to ensure dancers feel prepared to take the next steps in their careers.
Kathryn M. Robbins on Her Training Philosophy
By Madison Huizinga, Former DWC Blog Editor
Photo by David Cooper
Operating in a history-rich artistic genre like ballet has its benefits and drawbacks. While there are benefits in upholding the traditions of classical ballet training, there is also a need to push for more up-to-date information about important training aspects, particularly those relating to nutrition and mental health. Kathryn M. Robbins, the owner of The Sylvia Joyce Wanner School (previously known as The Ballet Workshop of Port Angeles) and director of KMCoaching Seattle, is passionate about technically progressing dancers through coaching workshops and helping demystify widespread misinformation in the dance realm. Click here for more information on KMCoaching’s Young Professionals Intensive 2023 being held August 21-25, 2023 at The Francia Russell Center at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Ms. Robbins’ dance journey began in Toronto, where she only began serious ballet training at the age of 11. At age 15, it was The Joffrey Ballet School that would introduce her to the professional world of dance. She would go on to become an apprentice at Ballet British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and perform on tour with Vancouver Goh Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. Due to injury, and a desire to step into pedagogy, she stopped dancing in her early twenties. She shares that her goal in dance was always to teach, after first performing at the highest professional level that she could, as she saw the value in bringing the first-hand perspective of a professional dancer to her role as a teacher. She opened her first all-junior private academy, Vancouver Junior Professional Division, in 2005.
Before transitioning into teaching full-time, Ms. Robbins shares that she did a lot of independent research, using her Cecchetti certifications to help build her base of knowledge. She attended consecutive teachers' course summers at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where she honed in on what type of content she wanted her teaching curriculum to contain, drawing inspiration from the renowned Marcia Dale Weary. She continued to stay connected with CPYB and is now a frequent guest teacher at their summer intensives.
After years of research, Ms. Robbins would base her Vancouver ballet school’s syllabus on what she learned at CPYB, combined with principles from The Royal Ballet School’s teacher program, the Paris Opera Ballet School’s demonstrations, and ABT’s curriculum. “I was sort of getting a sense of all these different training methods and what I thought was useful from all of them,” she says of honing her own syllabus. From 2009-2015 her students would win consecutive medals at YAGP and in 2013, she was named Outstanding Teacher at the YAGP New York Finals. After running her ballet school for nearly eleven years, her syllabus produced graduates who would go on to dance with Princess Grace Academy, English National Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Dresden Opera, San Francisco Ballet, School of American Ballet, and The National Ballet of Canada, to name a few. In 2015, Ms. Robbins founded KMCoaching as a professional coaching/workshop outlet for Seattle-based students and relocated to Port Angeles, Washington where she bought an existing dance school, The Ballet Workshop, founded in 1970.
“The kids here are doing wonderfully,” Ms. Robbins says of The Sylvia Joyce Wanner School. “I’m very happy with where I’ve landed at this point in my life.”
Ms. Robbins’s parents are renowned sports coaches and educators, which helped instill an appreciation for excellence in athletic coaching and achievement in her. The way her parents superbly communicated athletic skills with students and team members greatly resonated with her growing up. “I latched on to them as mentors,” Ms. Robbins says, sharing that her parents involved her in coaching gymnastics and participating in dance.
“Ballet is 90% psychology. Dance is so much in your head,” Ms. Robbins says, sharing that the psychological approach to sports training that her parents often utilized was something that she was inspired to translate as a classical ballet coach. Teaching dancers to capitalize on their emotional capacity to invest in themselves and be fully present are aspects of sports psychology Ms. Robbins found particularly fascinating.
“It feels like a private language,” Ms. Robbins says of classical ballet. “I think there’s something so comforting about knowing that people understand this language that you speak.” She also has an appreciation for the rich history and traditions of ballet. “It feels like such a privilege to carry that history with you,” Ms. Robbins says, while also acknowledging how some of the old traditions and ways of thinking have become outdated and unhelpful to dancers of the modern age.
One of the biggest challenges Ms. Robbins feels she has witnessed in the dance world is the dissemination of misinformation about training, including antiquated beliefs about nutrition and body image. Growing up, she shares that she received a lot of conflicting information about diet and muscle recovery, which contributed to nutritional challenges, injuries, and issues with her body image as a teenager. Since she started dancing a bit later than many of her peers, Ms. Robbins was also often told that she could never make it as a professional, which wasn’t true.
“We still have very outdated ways of thinking [and] looking at things…which I think this generation of leadership is trying to change gradually in the ballet world,” Ms. Robbins says. She hopes to see improved access for dancers on how to take care of themselves, how to pace their training, recover nutritionally, and rehearse effectively. At this point in time, she encourages young dancers to always advocate for themselves and do their own research rather than just take information at face value. She feels hopeful seeing schools and companies talk more about mental health challenges on social media outlets and teachers encouraging open dialogues with their students.
Ms. Robbins also wishes to see a greater focus on keeping Washington’s aspiring ballet dancers performing at a national level and being prepared to audition for international schools and companies. In her teaching and coaching philosophy, she believes in breaking down mechanics, dynamics, and coordination to find the root cause of a challenge a dancer is facing to eliminate incorrect muscle memory or habits that hold them back or cause weakness and insecurity in their performance. She is passionate about coaching pirouette and jumping techniques as separate classes in her workshops and developing dancers who articulate their epaulement and footwork at a high classical standard. Through KMCoaching intensives, Ms. Robbins aspires to help PNW-based students supplement their year-round training with hands-on attention and challenging high-stamina classes, to ensure dancers feel prepared to take the next steps in their careers.
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.
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.
How has your identity affected you in the dance world?
I am Anna Ricketts, a sixteen-year-old dancer at Fidalgo Dance Works. I currently identify as a cisgender, omnisexual woman. If you don’t know what that means, it means that I am attracted to people of all genders and orientations. Fortunately, my dance studio is very accepting of people in the LGBTQ+ community. Overall, I feel very loved and accepted there. Although I feel accepted at my studio, the journey to feeling careless about what others think about my orientation took a long time.
By Anna Ricketts (she/they), DWC Blog Contributor
I am Anna Ricketts, a sixteen-year-old dancer at Fidalgo Dance Works. I currently identify as a cisgender, omnisexual woman. If you don’t know what that means, it means that I am attracted to people of all genders and orientations. Fortunately, my dance studio is very accepting of people in the LGBTQ+ community. Overall, I feel very loved and accepted there. Although I feel accepted at my studio, the journey to feeling careless about what others think about my orientation took a long time.
I never knew a lot about the LGBTQ+ community until middle school. I started attending GSA meetings and thinking to myself “Who am I?”. Figuring out my sexuality was not an easy task and it was extremely challenging mentally. I felt scared, alone, worthless, confused, and stressed. These mental challenges with exploring my identity and the troubles with everything else in life critically affected my dance life. This affected my dance life especially since I never really saw professional dancers on social media who were a part of the community. I felt that I was never going to be able to dance professionally in the future, which had been my only dream in life since I was very young. The mental turmoil made me want to quit dancing. It made me want to quit trying in life. However, as I grew older, figured out my sexuality, and found a place of peace in my mind, those thoughts and feelings went away. I stopped caring what other people thought about me and started thinking more about how I can start loving myself and giving back to myself.
Seeing more and more queer dancers on social media has also helped me gain confidence in my dancing. These dancers inspire me to continue growing and learning the art of dance. One important dancer to mention is Ashton Edwards. Ever since I read that they started dancing with PNB, I have been inspired. Seeing them dance onstage a few times has also been extremely inspiring. Another inspiration is Merce Cunningham. Merce Cunningham was a dancer and choreographer who helped shape modern dance into what it is today. He was a part of the LGBTQ+ community and was very inspiring to hundreds of people around the world. Having these inspirational dancers to look up to and having friends and family to support me helped with my journey extraordinarily. Growing up not knowing about many LGBTQ+ dancers made me feel alone. I want to change this for the future generations of dancers to come. I want to show them that it is okay to identify with the LGBTQ+ community. You can become a professional dancer and be a part of the community. You are worthy of acceptance and happiness.
If you are struggling with your identity just understand that you are not alone. There are so many other people around the world who struggle with figuring out their orientations. Having people who inspire you and help support you will make your journey less stressful and challenging. It is normal to feel confused, sad, and scared. Growing up not knowing about many LGBTQ+ dancers made me feel alone and frightened. I wanted to give up on everything including dance. Now that I have gotten through that really long path, I want to help change the future generations of queer dancers to come. I want to show them that it is okay to identify with the LGBTQ+ community. You can work in the dance/performing arts industry and be a part of the community. You are worthy of acceptance and happiness. The journey may be difficult, but I believe in you. There are people around you that believe in you and love you.
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.
Tips For Preparing Your Pointe Shoes for Summer Ballet Intensives
An exciting summer of dancing is in store for many dancers this year with summer ballet intensives right around the corner. Intensives are a great way to challenge oneself, try new skills, meet new people, and experience different ballet styles. They are also called “intensives” for a reason, as dancers are typically dancing hours a day for weeks on end, sometimes in different states. At Dancewear Center, we want to make sure our customers are prepared for an exciting summer of dancing by providing them with the tips and supplies they need to be successful.
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Elena Kloppenburg from Unsplash
An exciting summer of dancing is in store for many dancers this year with summer ballet intensives right around the corner. Intensives are a great way to challenge oneself, try new skills, meet new people, and experience different ballet styles. They are also called “intensives” for a reason, as dancers are typically dancing hours a day for weeks on end, sometimes in different states. At Dancewear Center, we want to make sure our customers are prepared for an exciting summer of dancing by providing them with the tips and supplies they need to be successful.
An important part of preparing for summer ballet intensives is making sure your pointe shoes are prepared for long hours of dancing. Pointe shoes only last about 10-20 dancing hours on average. It’s helpful for dancers to take steps to prolong the life of their shoes, as dancing in dead shoes can have adverse effects on foot and ankle health. For instance, dancing in dead pointe shoes with little support overloads dancers’ joints and can change their center of gravity, which can make force unevenly distributed and excessively load the front of dancers’ feet. This can put dancers’ feet and ankles at risk for stress fractures, bunions, and more harmful injuries in the long run. See: “The Dangers of Dancing on Dead Pointe Shoes” by Dance Magazine
So, how can dancers prolong the life of their pointe shoes to prepare for upcoming summer ballet intensives?
Rotate Multiple Pairs of Shoes
Firstly, dancers can rotate their pointe shoes to keep them lasting longer. To do this, dancers can purchase multiple pairs of their pointe shoes, sew them, and alternate the ones they wear each day. It’s helpful to take into account the average lifespan of a pointe shoe (10-20 dancing hours) when determining how many pointe shoes one should bring to a summer ballet intensive.
Prepare for the Environment
Secondly, take into account the location where your summer ballet intensive will be held. In more humid environments, pointe shoes tend to die at faster rates. Considering pointe shoes are essentially made of layers of paper/cardboard and paste, exposing them to hot environments with high levels of moisture in the air will cause them to deteriorate quicker. So, if your summer intensive is located in some of the hotter and more humid areas of the United States, like Florida, Louisiana, or Hawaii, you may want to consider bringing along more pairs of pointe shoes to rotate throughout the intensive.
Photo by Michael Afonso from Unsplash
Dry Out Your Shoes
In addition, it’s helpful to dry out your pointe shoes when you’re not dancing in them to help slow their deterioration. One of the best ways to do this is not to leave your worn pointe shoes in your dance bag after class when you’re not wearing them. This creates a “sauna effect,” exposing your shoes to a stuffy, humid environment that can cause them to break down faster. When you’re not wearing your pointe shoes, take them out of your dance bag, don’t fold them inside one another, and lay them out to dry (it can take pointe shoes 48-72 hours to fully dry out!). When transporting pointe shoes to the studio, putting them in a mesh bag can help them aerate and keep them out of direct sunlight to prevent further deterioration. It’s also important to not leave pointe shoes in a car or any other environment that isn’t climate controlled.
Strategically Use Reinforcing Agents
There are some products you can purchase alongside your pointe shoes that will help extend their shelf life: one of which is Jet Glue. Where to apply Jet Glue varies slightly among dancers; however, the most common placement is on the outside and inside of the shoe’s shank, covering 1.5-2 inches where the arch breaks. Some dancers also put it on either side of the shank and in the box of their shoes. Before applying Jet Glue to your pointe shoes, we recommend consulting with a DWC fitter to see how you can best apply it to maximize the shoe’s support and integrity for your unique needs.
Schedule a Pointe Shoe Fitting
It’s especially important for dancers to touch base with a fitter before and/or during their summer intensives to ensure that they’re taking the best possible pointe shoes and products with them to help them feel supported. To prep for intensives, DWC fitters will ask dancers where their intensives are taking place, how their current shoes are breaking down, whether the intensive is requiring certain pointe shoes, how many pairs of shoes the dancer should bring, and more. DWC fitters can also help evaluate how dancers’ shoes are breaking down, recommend where to apply reinforcement agents like Jet Glue, and make sewing suggestions to help maximize the pointe shoe’s performance. Dancers can also discuss what their intensive workload will look like so fitters can potentially recommend different shoes for different activities, as some loads might require shoes with a harder or softer shank, for example.
Importantly, due to unfavorable supply chain circumstances, stock in some pointe shoe styles is limited. That’s why we recommend that dancers have backup options to assure they have shoes to take with them to the intensives.
Photo by Bruno Horwath from Unsplash
Schedule an Injury Risk Prevention Appointment with a Dance Medicine Specialist
Finally, it’s important that dancers are aware of any potential injury flare-ups that could come up when dancing long hours. For example, master pointe shoe fitter Josephine Lee of ThePointeShop says that issues like tendonitis can flare up during summer intensives because of the added workload on the feet. We recommend visiting a dance medicine specialist before heading to your summer intensive, as specialists can conduct body assessments, analyze what physical challenges you’ve been experiencing, which problems may potentially flare up, and give a specific plan to follow to help mitigate the risk of injury. Check out our dance medical specialists page on our website to find specialists in your area!
Summer intensives can be enriching experiences for dancers of all ages and technique levels. What makes them even more successful for dancers is ensuring that their pointe shoes are in the best condition they can be to support dancers’ feet. Be sure to book your pointe shoe fitting appointments at DWC today. Happy intensive season!
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.
Interested in writing for the DWC Blog? Click below to fill out the DWC Contributor application!