How To - The 101 Dance Basics

Dancers put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into their art, and the same goes for their shoes! Ballet and dance shoes can wear out pretty quickly for a few reasons, and dancers and parents are always looking for ways to prolong the life of their shoes.

Poor quality materials, overuse, growth spurts, and mistreatments are just a few of the reasons that dance and ballet shoes wear out fast! In order to get the most use out of your dance shoes, follow our tips and tricks!

In nearly every photo or video of a ballet dancer, you will notice they always wear a few key things – a leotard, tights, and their hair in a bun. The bun hairstyle is a staple of the ballet world, but you may be wondering why that is.

Ballerinas often have to wear their hair in a bun to adhere to a dress code, because of the traditional aesthetic that the ballet world follows, and to keep their hair out of their face while dancing.

Legwarmers are a classic dancewear staple in the closet of any dancer. But today there are so many different ones to choose from – especially as people wear them in mainstream fashion! So it can be hard to choose which are best for dance and ballet class.

For many of us, simply thinking of leg warmers might resurrect memories of the 80s, the movie Fame, or any number of dance class moments we experienced personally. Maybe you never experienced the 80s or have no idea what leg warmers are.

Hi I’m Karly Wood and like many mothers, I never thought one day I would be a dance mom (Abby Lee Miller definitely scared me off). But now that I’ve arrived, I can’t imagine a better way to spend my spring weekends than at a dance competition, cheering on my dancer. Taking the leap from academy dance to competition was a big step, however and I wasn’t fully financially prepared.

Dancers dream of getting their first pair of pointe shoes! The beautiful satin slippers are sturdy enough to support the beautiful pirouettes and arabesques that dancers perform, but there comes a time (and it’s sooner than you would think) that pointe shoes become unusable. 

A pointe shoe’s lifespan ranges from 2 months to one year, depending on your age, skill level, and schedule. There are some handy tips and tricks you can try to extend the life of your pointe shoes!

So you’ve signed your child up for a year of dance classes! One of the first things you’ll need to do is purchase dance shoes. Just like when purchasing school shoes, you’re probably hoping to get the most bang for your buck when you buy shoes for dance lessons. But how long can you expect your child’s dance shoes to last?

If there’s one thing that all dance parents can agree on, it’s that competitive dance is expensive. From audition fees and classes to costumes and competitions, paying for dance can be overwhelming.

Ballet shoes might look like the ideal comfort shoes – they’re sometimes called “slippers” for a reason! So it’s no wonder people want to wear them for more than just ballet class, including outside and on the street. But unfortunately, wearing ballet shoes outside is a big no-no.

If you are a new dance mom, or a new dancer yourself, you might be overwhelmed by the amount of supplies you need to buy for dance classes! You will need leotards, tights, hair accessories, and of course, the proper shoes! Is there any way to use the same pair of shoes for different styles of dance, so you don’t have to buy so many things?