Dancing4Jesus

 It's so beneficial for dancers to attend at least one summer intensive. This year I'm blessed to be able to attend two and I'm so excited! Today I'll be listing 6 reasons to participate in a summer intensive. You'll improve in technique.  This is probably the most obvious one. Dancers do intensives to increase their skill and technique. Intensives can also be one of the best ways to improve your technique quickly because you're dancing every day for long amounts of time.  You'll have new teachers. Most intensives will give you the opportunity to be trained under new teachers. This gives you the opportunity to be given new kinds of corrections, try new styles of dance, and learn different perspectives.  You can dance without the stress of school and other distractions. Most young dancers have full calendars during the school year. During the summer though, you can focus on just dancing without any other distractions.    You can try out different companies. ...

I've wanted Gaynor Minden pointe shoes for quite awhile now. They last a long time, I like the brand, and most of the people I dance with wear them. I got stuck in the mindset that I needed Gaynors. They're good shoes and really popular. I went with some friends on a road trip in December to get some. The lady suggested that I not get Gaynors yet, and instead had me try on Capezio Avas. I fell in love with the shoe immediately and bought them.  A couple of weeks ago I went with my friends to the same place to try on pointe shoes. Again, I wanted to try Gaynors. This time the lady let me try them on, and we even found some I almost bought. After thinking about it for awhile, though, I decided to compare my old Capezio Avas to the Gaynors I was going to buy. Thankfully I did, because I decided to buy the same shoes that I had before, the Capezio Avas. I'm writing this because I want other dancer to know how important it is to keep your mind open to different kinds of pointe s...

 I had a really intense conditioning class yesterday that I'm really sore from, so I thought today would be the perfect time to write a post sharing 7 ways to relieve sore muscles.  1. Drink Water Dehydration increases the chances of getting sore muscles. The more hydrated you are, the less likely you are to get sore; so if you're in regular athletic activities, make sure to drink plenty of water. 2. Keep Moving Sometimes it feels like the last thing you want to do when your muscles are tight and sore, but if you don't keep moving, your muscles will get even more sore. Even if it's just a quick walk around the room, it helps.  3. Rest Make sure you're getting plenty of sleep. You don't want to work out and then not get enough rest. Sleep is our way of refueling our bodies.  4. Ice/Heat If the soreness seems unbearable, try either a cold compress or a heating pad to reduce the pain.  5. Foam Roller As any ballerina knows, foam rollers are lifesavers after intense...

Hi everyone! I can't believe this is the last blog post I'll write in 2021. Since the new year is right around the corner, I thought I'd write a post today with 4 goals every dancer should set for the new year.  Discover why you dance. This is something that's been heavy on my mind recently. I've wondered why I dance, what made me fall it love with it, and why I connect to it so well. One of my goals this year is to discover the answers to this. I feel like once dancers have figured that out about themselves, it can help them to connect to dance in ways you can't if you don't even know why you do it in the first place. Of course, I want to point out, the ultimate reason I dance is to bring glory to God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat of drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.) I dance to witness my faith to others. I'm setting this goal because I want to discover more about God's plan for me in the future with dance.  Identif...

 We all dread those fast changes during performances. I have a performance coming up in mid-January, and I have to make several fast changes for it. I wanted to share a few tips today that have helped me.  Know how long you'll have. I was actually able to look at a DVD of the performance we're doing since we've done it before. I timed how long I'll have for each of my fast changes. If you don't have this option, try setting a stopwatch during a rehearsal. Knowing how long you have can help you to prepare. Practice your fast changes. If you know how long you'll have to change, you can set a timer and practice your fast changes at home. This can help you to figure out things you need to do differently before the night of the performance.  Get someone to help you. If you have a fast change assistant, that's great. If not, find someone who's not on stage during your fast change that can help you. They can fix your hair, tie shoes, or whatever else you need. ...

Today I'm going to share some tips and advice to help with barre. I get it, barre isn't always the most fun. In some ways, it can even seem like it limits your ability to move and dance. My goal in writing this post is to help barre become more interesting and useful.  Barre is not a warm up. Barre should never be replaced for your warm up before class. The whole point of doing a warm up is so that you will be able to find and activate your muscles while dancing. If they're not warm, you won't be able to actively engage them. Even if you only have three minutes before class, find some exercises that warm you up quickly. I like to do the plank, crunches, squats, etc. It's important to warm up your full body before class.    Barre isn't a time waster. Barre can definitely seem like a waste of time, but it's not. If it were, why would every ballet class include it? Barre is vital if we want to dance well in center. It strengthens us, helps us find our balance, ...

After months of an empty schedule (for most of us), it can definitely be overwhelming to jump back into school, sports, work, and everything else that comes with a new school year.  Over the next two months I'll be starting school (I'm homeschooled), two new jobs, four in-person classes, dancing 4 days a week, and obviously still going to church and youth group. Because I have such a full schedule, I've had to come up with some ways to stay organized, and I thought I'd share what I came up with on here since many of you are starting the new school year soon too. Use a calendar or planner. This one is very important if you have a busy schedule. There's calendar apps, planners, bullet journals, wall calendars, and so much more that you can use to keep track of your schedule. Personally, I use a calendar app on my phone and a planner. Find what works best for you.  Get places early.  This is one of my biggest goals for this school year. Recently I heard someone say tha...

It's easier than usual to get injured at the sta rt of a new year of dance. In today's post, you'll learn why that is, and what you can do to prevent it. Why are you more likely to get injured now? One reason is, after months of no classes, or less classes than normal, you won't have the strength and stamina you had months ago. Your muscles will get tired faster, which will result in less support for your joints.  The other reason is dancers are more likely to push themselves beyond their limits. Whether it's out of excitement or an effort to prove themselves at the start of a new school year, dancers can actually work too hard.  What can you do to prevent injuries? Now that you know why injuries are more likely to occur right now, I'm going to show you what you can do to help prevent it. To start with, go slow. Build your body back up to what it was capable of before summer. Listen to your body, and if you feel fatigue or pain, take it easy. Only attempt things...

Most advanced dancers take som e form of classes over the summer, whether that's a weekly class your studio provides, a summer intensive, or something else. Today I'm going to give you some tips on how to build on what you learned over the summer. Stay in touch with friends and instructors.  This one isn't about progress in dance, but it's still important. If you went to an intensive at another school, you probably met some new people. Try to keep up with them. If you have the opportunity, send the teachers you had a thank you card or text.  Use corrections you got from your teachers. If you took any summer classes, it's almost guaranteed you got several corrections. Use those in your dancing as you start regular classes again. Your teachers will most likely notice your advancement, and it might be useful later on during casting or level promotions.  Use compliments you got from your teachers. Don't forget about the compliments you got! Did a teacher say you hav...

As we all know, dancing in the summer can be brutal if you don't keep yourself cool and hydrated. Today I'm going to share some practical tips on how to stay hydrated. First of all, why keep yourself hydrated? When dancing or doing other forms of exercise, you're losing body fluids. Drinking water replaces what you're losing. By keeping yourself hydrated, you're reducing the risk of heat stress, and you'll maintain normal body function and performance levels. If you want to dance your best, then drinking enough water is important. Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day so you don't need too much water while dancing. Not only should you drink water regularly outside of class anyway, but it also stops you from feeling like you need drink too much in class. Drinking too much all at once can make you feel sick, and you definitely won't want to move much either. Eat foods with a high water content. Apricots, oranges, pineapples, blueberries, peaches, ras...

    Wouldn't it be nice if you woke up one morning and could suddenly do twenty flawless fouettes, triple beats during petite, and jump five feet during grand allegro?   We all wish it could happen overnight, but to get better at dance, you have to commit to years of hard work and dedication. But what if I told you I've got some tips for speeding up your improvement? You're in luck, because that's what I'm sharing today. Don't cheat yourself in class.  It's so easy to go off releve or drop your knees in the plank while the teacher's head is turned. But it's only going to take you that much longer to improve. Push yourself to your limit. My dad was talking to me recently about this, and he said that when you think you can't go any longer, go five more seconds. Then five more. Only stop when you absolutely have to. Do your best, even when the teacher isn't looking. The hard work will pay off.  Get inspired before classes. Interestingly, I'v...

Dressing modestly in the ballet world- and not spending a fortune while at it- is definitely a real struggle. It was easy as a young dancer to dress modestly. Leotards were high in the front and back and skirts were appropriate length. Everything was cheap and easy to find. They even have a section at Walmart with little girl's ballet clothes. Once you start wearing women's sizes, though, everything changes. Dancewear stores aren't very common, so looking online is what most older dancers do. And then to find inexpensive, pretty, and appropriate leotards that match the dress code can take a long time. In this post I'm going to share what dressing modestly in ballet looks like, as well as some online dancewear stores you can try. Dress code is the biggest problem for a lot of dancers. Unless you can find a school who's dress code lines up with your beliefs, you've got a decision to make. If the dress code, whether for class or performances is inappropriate, don...

  Since dancers around the world are preparing for a new year of dance right now, I thought it’d be appropriate timing to write a blog post about what to pack in your dance bag.  Common or Important Items To start with, having extra dance apparel and shoes is the most important to a lot of people. Most of my friends keep old dance wear in their bags, such as a leotard that is very basic, or a pair of tights that have ripped. These are kept just in case something is forgotten so they have a backup. Next is hair stuff. The most common things to keep on hand are bobby pins, hair bands, a brush, comb, hair nets and hairspray. You can also keep headbands, scrunchies, or other fun stuff. The most important to me personally is deodorant. Whether it’s an offhand day when I forget to put it on completely or a day when my class or classes are more intense then usual, it’s always nice to have some just in case. Some stretching tools such as a theraband , plumband , rollors , or ball are...

 Since I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with anything related to dancing.  My journey as a dancer began about 12 years ago when I was a little girl, about the age of 3. I had a book about a little ballerina, called I Wear My Tutu Everywhere. I also danced around the house more than I walked, so it wasn’t long before my mom realized my interest in ballet. She got me a dancing dvd so I could practice at home, and looked for ballet flats for my little feet, but couldn’t find any, so instead she got me thin house shoes that resembled ballet shoes.  As my love for the art of dancing grew, my mom decided to put me in dance class. She put me in a dance school which I danced at for one year, until I was about five.  We eventually moved across the state to a small town. One of my kindergarten friends took ballet classes at a nearby ballet studio, and her mom recommended the studio to my mom. My mom contacted the studio about a year and a half later, and I remember going in...

I’ve considered writing a blog for some time now, but I didn’t know where to get started.  My favorite hobbies are dancing, reading, and writing, so I always thought that blogging would be a good fit for me. My idea started after reading various dancer’s blogs, and grew when I started blogging for my new non-profit, Christian organization ( website here , blog here ), but it wasn’t until a good friend of mine began her blog about dancing that finally made me do something with my growing idea. (Find my friend’s blog at http://dancinginwords.com/ .)  I sat down one day recently during quarantine (due to COVID-19) and wrote all my ideas for my blog down. My blog’s content is mostly going to consist of things related to dance, but I also want to share about my faith, hobbies, and other things. I already have 17 ideas for future posts, and am coming up with new ideas all the time.  Many of my posts will have relatable struggles that we face as people, dancers, and Christians, ...