Tiny Tips: Dancewear with logos

You can get logo dancwear from your studio, your summer intensive, or online.  Here's a quick tip about what's appropriate to wear at certain times.  It's always cool to wear the logo of your home studio at home or while traveling.  If you pick up an item with a logo at an intensive or on a trip, you can also feel free to wear it your home studio and everywhere else. 

If you recently switched studios, it is offensive to wear logos from your former studio in your new studio, especially if the two studios are in the same town.  It's less offensive if you just moved from another city or state, but it's still not the best taste.  In this situation, make your old studio's logo-wear into pajamas or save it for scrapbooks, and replace your dancewear with items with your new studio's logo.

Auditions 101

Many local ballet companies are holding auditions for Nutcracker and other season performances in the last weeks of August or first weeks of September.  In this post, I will give some basic advice to help you do your best in your audition.  I will be discussing mostly local level ballet auditions, but the advice can easily be translated to suit other situations, like an audition for a dancer in a music video.

1.  Make sure you are prepared.  Know what you are auditioning for, including what the show is about, the name of the company you will be dancing with (it it's not your home company), and the dates of the performances.  Most auditions require you to fill out some paperwork or audition forms before the audition.  Make sure you have this form with you when you arrive at the audition.

2.  Eat well and sleep well in the days leading up to the audition.  Eat as you normally would, but make sure you are hitting the major food groups and getting enough protein to maintain energy.  Do not go on a crash diet and try to loose weight.  Do not have a sleepover with your friends the night before the audition; you will end up eating junk food and getting no sleep, which will hurt your performance.  If the audition is in the afternoon or evening, consider taking a short nap and having a healthy snack before you head to the audition location.

3.  Obey the dress code.  If there is no official dress code listed, ladies should wear a black leotard, pink tights, and pink ballet shoes, and men should wear white shirts, black tights or pants, and black ballet shoes.  If you dance en pointe, make sure you have pointe shoes prepared and broken in.  Don't necessarily go out of your way to have new dancewear, but make sure your clothing and shoes are in good repair and are not stained or torn.  Disobeying the dress code can make the people running the audition question your sense of responsibility and ability to cooperate.

4.  Stand out in a good way.  Ladies can make their looks unique with colorful hair accessories and leotards with accents like straps or lace (just make sure leotards are modest; you don't want to look too sexy for an audition).  Both ladies and men should act confident, even if they are nervous or overwhelmed.  Smile and maintain good posture with the collarbones lifted and neck held long.  This is the posture you will need to display on stage, so it is always a good move to show the judges that you can do this with ease.

It is also a good idea to take extra time grooming.  Men and ladies should make sure hair is styled neatly.  Take off any bright colored nail polish (it is ok and even good to do your nails in a neutral color).  Wear small stud earrings if you have pierced ears.  Do not wear any other jewelry except small rings that you usually wear all the time.  If you wear glasses, choose to wear contacts to the audition if you have them (if not, it's not a big deal, but it's always better if the judges can really see your face).  You can wear a small amount of makeup (concealer, mascara, brow gel, etc.) if you want, but don't wear so much that you don't look like your natural self.  If you have tattoos that are small but conspicuous (such as on the back of your neck), cover them with concealer.  If you have large tattoos that cover big areas of your body (like a sleeve), you could wear dancewear that covers the tattoos, or you could take no action to cover them and simply indicate on your audition form that you are willing to cover any exposed tattoos with makeup or clothing when it comes time to perform.

5.  Pay attention to the person teaching the audition.  Do not get caught up watching the panel of judges, and do not watch other dancers too much.  Make sure you get the combination.  If you missed something, it's ok to ask the teacher to repeat the combination one time.  If you still don't understand something, just do the best you can.  An audition is not the place to learn an new skill.  Asking too many questions holds everyone up and wastes time, but asking just one valid question shows that you care about doing things right.

6.  Do your best.  You want to do YOUR best, not someone else's.  If you are not as advanced as others in the audition, you can slightly change some of the skills in the combinations to show your skills better.  For example, if you are uncomfortable doing a pirouette en pointe, simply balance in passe at the point that everyone else turns while leaving the rest of the combination the same.  The judges will see that you are showing your best technique without risking injury.  On the other side of the coin, if you are very advanced, feel free to add elements like beats in your jumps or multiple turns in order to showcase your full ability.  If a combination is done multiple times (such as a petite allegro combination going right-left-right-left), do the combination the "simple way" the first time right and left, then add more advanced elements the second time.  Never change a combination to do a different skill.  You may ask if you can do turns or jumps on a particular side if you feel that one is much better than the other for you.

7.  Do not ask the judges how you did.  After the audition ends, thank the teacher and the judging panel.  Do not say anything else or ask how you did.  You will probably have to wait only a few days to see the cast list.

8.  When the list goes up, try to keep your emotions happy or neutral.  Whether the list leaves you happy or sad, don't make a big scene with squeals of joy or tears of anger.  Congratulate other dancers on their parts, or tell them they did a good job even if they weren't cast.  If you weren't cast but you want to still be involved with the company (and prove your interest and loyalty, which can help your chances next time),  you may ask the director to keep you informed if volunteer opportunities come up and to let you know about the next audition.

9.  Attend all of your scheduled rehearsals and do your best to learn choreography.  At the audition, the judges chose you to carry part of the show.  Doing any less than your best is disrespectful, as it shows that the judges made a poor choice putting faith in you.  It's totally ok to make small mistakes here and there, but make sure you try your best and always remain respectful.

If you were not cast (or were not cast in the role you want) and you have a good relationship with one of the audition judges and you see him or her regularly, it can be ok to casually ask what the judges were looking for in the dancers they chose for particular parts.  You can say something like, "I was hoping to dance in snow scene.  That's still my goal for next year's auditions.  What skills do you look for when choosing dancers for that role?"  Sometimes the judges will tell you exactly what you should work on (especially if they are also your teachers at your ballet school).  Asking can show your motivation and commitment to improving your dancing.  However, sometimes judges cannot answer your questions and will have to tell you so.  If this is the case, make sure you tell them that you understand that this information cannot be shared, and thank them for their time anyway.


Do you have any pre-audition rituals?  I like to go out to breakfast with my mom and paint my nails a pretty shade of light pink.

What brands of pointe shoes can be de-shanked?

De-shanked pointe shoes can be worn like flat ballet shoes to strengthen and challenge the feet during class exercises. Some schools even require advanced students to wear de-shanks instead of flat shoes. Dancers can make de-shanks by removing the shank (hard insole) of already worn out pointe shoes. However, some brands of shoes are much easier to de-shank than others, and some are impossible to de-shank altogether. In this post I will explain which popular pointe shoe brands are easy, difficult, and impossible to de-shank. (Please note that while my experience is broad, I am not intimately familiar with every brand and model of pointe shoe available around the world.)

Only advanced ballet students should de-shank their old pointe shoes. Do not attempt to de-shank new pointe shoes. If you are young or have never de-shanked shoes before, have an adult and experienced dancer help you.  Also, never rise to full pointe in de-shanks as the shoe is now too soft to support you. Going to full pointe in de-shanked shoes could easily result in you falling and getting injured. 

Grishko: difficult but possible. I usually wear Grishko pointe shoes, so I have been through the de-shanking process a few times here. You will need pliers to pull the small nails out of the shanks and outer soles, and the cardboard material in the shank usually comes out in many pieces. One of Grishko's newest models, the dream pointe, is made with a plastic shank that is not supposed to wear out and should not be de-shanked. 

Capezio: pretty easy. You will need pliers for the nails, but well-worn Capezio pointe shoes almost de-shank themselves. The shank can begin to peel away from the shoe at the toe or heel end, so all you have to do is grab one end and peel it out. Just make sure you pull out the nails completely. (Note: the new Capezio Airess has a wood shank instead of cardboard, which may behave differently.)

Bloch: pretty easy. Same as Capezio. The Eurostretch split sole shoe will behave differently, but it appears this model can be de-shanked though it may be more difficult. 

Freed: insanely easy. Same as Capezio, but shanks often peel almost completely off on their own once the shoe is dead. 

Russian Pointe: only some models can be de-shanked. Entradas and other models from the spotlight collection (the outer sole is light tan and is glued to the sole of the shoe) can be de-shanked with some difficulty. Models from the jewels collection like the Sapfir and Almaz (the outer sole is darker brown and sewn to the sole of the shoe) cannot be de-shanked. If you try to remove the shank, you will have to cut stitches that also go through the outer sole. (Note: very broken in Russians from the Jewels collection can be worn like de-shanks, and Russian Pointe manufactures demi pointe shoes of the Almaz and Rubin, two of the most popular models in the jewels collection.)

Sansha: can be de-shanked, but you will need to put some sort of lining in the shoe afterwards. Sansha uses a thin plastic shank in most models to increase durability. (The toe boxes are made of the traditional paste material.) The shanks are glued in, so they can be removed with difficulty. There are also nails in the shank that need to be pulled out, and once it is removed the inside of the shoe will be covered in rough glue. (Note: Sansha sells demi pointe shoes.)

Gaynor Minden: should not be de-shanked. That would really defeat the purpose of a Gaynor, which is supposed to be unbreakable and impossible to wear out. However, the soft lining and plastic shank and box actually peel out of the shoe with relative ease. Note that if you attempt to peel the shank out of a Gaynor, you will be removing the box as well. You will be left with a totally soft and floppy shoe. If you wear Gaynors and need a de-shanked shoe, you will probably want to purchase a demi pointe shoe from another brand. 

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any specific de-shank related questions, please comment below. I may do a de-shanking video later if you think it will be helpful. 

All about modern footwear

If it's your first time taking modern, contemporary, or lyrical dance, you may not know what kind of footwear to choose.  In general, you will have the choice of going barefoot or choosing from several types of footwear.  Wearing modern footwear is beneficial because it keeps your feet from getting too dirty or blistered while you dance.  Some schools and teachers prefer students to have a particular type of footwear, so check with your dance studio before making a purchase.

Foot Undies

One common type of footwear is a foot undie .  Many brands including Capezio and Danshuz make such items.  Dancers call these items many names such as "footies" and "paws."  They can also be called half soles, but usually this term refers to another type of modern footwear.  This type of footwear is like a half sock with holes for the toes.  Some brands have two holes, one for the big toe and one for the rest of the toes.  Other brands have a hole for each toe.  I recommend trying some on at your local dancewear store to see what style works best for you.  

The main purpose of the foot undie's design is to provide a "spin spot" on the ball of the foot while leaving the barefoot look.  Most brands have colors that match various skin tones (however sometimes darker colors are special order).  Some brands have fun designs and colors like animal prints too.

When considering sizing, these items usually have a guide created by the brand (the size chart is usually on the item's packaging or available on the brand's website).  The charts are usually accurate, but go up a size for a wide foot.  You need a very tight fit with a new set of foot undies; they usually stretch out a lot with wear.

Foot wraps

These options are similar to foot undies, but they cover the heel of the foot as well.  Foot wraps are really good if you have dry heels or are prone to blisters in that area of the foot.  They are bulkier than foot undies, so the extra protection comes at a bit of a price.  Again, the size charts are a good place to begin when choosing a size, but wide feet may need a size up.  This type of footwear usually comes in tan.

Half-shoes

A half-shoe is like a ballet shoe in the front, but it has elastic straps in the back instead of a shoe heel.  This style of footwear is good if you have blisters on your toes.  These also help you turn even better since your toes are covered and won't stick to the floor.  This option is also a little bulky like foot wraps, so if you need a total barefoot look, this one may not work.  

When considering sizing, try on the footwear and make sure the fabric front completely covers the ball of the foot so you can turn without sticking.  Some brands run wide, so be careful that the sides of the footwear follow the sides of your foot and don't gap.  This type of footwear usually comes in tan. It is sometimes also called a pirouette shoe. 

Lyrical shoes

This type of footwear completely covers the foot, but the sole is very thin and flat so you can feel the floor.  Your foot will be completely protected from blisters and floor dirt, but the shoe may show, even from a stage distance.  This type of shoe also has a tendency to be low cut on the sides and heel, so it may ride down or even slip off if your feet are very narrow.  This kind of shoe usually comes in tan and black.

I recommend trying on this type of shoe at a dancewear store because they often run small.

Jazz or ballet shoes

This type of footwear is usually appropriate if you also take jazz or ballet at the same studio.  Both of these types of shoes cover the foot and protect you from dirt and blisters, but they are thicker and can look bulky.  If you are using ballet or jazz shoes for modern or contemporary dance (and you will be using them for performance), choose a color that is close to your skin tone.

Socks

If you are a beginner in modern dance, it's ok to wear socks as your footwear.  They can be a little slippery, but they cover your feet and help you turn with ease.  Choose low cut athletic socks that match and are a subdued color (like black or gray).  It is usually not ok to wear socks for performances unless it is part of a specific costume.

Bare feet

Bare feet are usually the most aesthetically pleasing when doing modern dance.  Your dance skills seem more impressive when you are executing movements (especially turns) without the help of a shoe.  Bare feet are very vulnerable to blisters and other injuries though, so take care.  I recommend having at least one type of modern footwear in your bag, even if you only use it when your feet are sore.  You can use footwear for your regular classes and prevent injuries, then go bare when it comes time to prepare for a performance.

Do you have a favorite kind of modern footwear?  Comment below!