Why Dance Isn't A Sport
Sports and dance both require a huge degree of endurance, athleticism, and strength. However once delving deeper in understanding different representations of dance, we realize that sports and dance are far different from one another. This brings to light the question of if dance is a sport?
Why Dance Isn't A Sport
Sports and dance both require a huge degree of endurance, athleticism, and strength. However once delving deeper in understanding different representations of dance, we realize that sports and dance are far different from one another. This brings to light the question of if dance is a sport?
I remember going to see a ballet or dance performance as a young child and being so inspired that the second I got home I wanted to try to mimic the dance moves I saw. I saw the dancers execute turns and leaps so gracefully on stage. I remember struggling very hard as I attempted to lift my leg to the side. How could it be so difficult when the dancers made it look so easy and effortless?
This brings me to my first example, dance requires performance and acting. Yes, one could say that basketball players perform on the court. But they do not have to smile while doing it. Often times dancer’s have blisters all over their feet from pointe shoes or a pulled muscle, but the show must go on and their job is to perform their role. If a ballerina falls down, she gets back up pretending like nothing happened with a smile on her face, even if it really hurt or possibly caused an injury. When is the last time you saw a soccer player, football player, or tennis player hurt themselves and get up quickly with a smile? Dancers in many ballets or performances require much more than just smiling. Arguably one of the most emotionally difficult lead ballet roles is the role of Giselle in the ballet Giselle. Giselle is a beautiful white ballet in which a young girl falls in love with a prince, only to find out he is engaged to be married. As she weeps pulls out her hair from her ballet bun and falls down, dying of a broken heart. Storytelling is a big part of being a dancer.
Which brings me to my next point of artistry. Art is the creation of something in reflection of emotions or ideas. In dance, artistry is many things. Artistry can be the emotional connection a dancer is making with the movements that is translated to the audience. Artistry can also be reflected in the innovation of choreography; something so creative or a new way of approaching movement.
Next is the historical representations of dance. Ballet started with court dances, a social pastime that then formed into entertainment for the wealthy and the aristocrats. But as dance traveled through time it morphed into reflections of culture not only for the rich. As music progressed into different styles so did dance. When music wasn't available dancers created their own by use of their feet for example tap dance or classical east indian dance.
In recent years there has been a shift into making dance quantifiable through judges scoring creating a ranking system. Giving points based on technical skill, difficulty of choreography, and performance just to name a few. This has molded dance into seeming like a sport because many sports are scored by judges rather than watched over by referees. However, there is no universal scoring procedure for dance, unlike gymnastics or diving. Rather dance ranks and scores differ greatly depending on the television show or competition.
In many ways dance will always be compared to sports due to its physical nature, but will always be set apart by its performance, emotional connection to the movement and audience, artistry, and it’s history through time. Furthermore dance is more than a sport.
New Student Trial Class Offer
Now for a limited time Sunflower State Dance is offering new students a chance to try out a class on us.
We are offering all new students a complimentary class pass!
Has your child been interested in taking dance classes? Or maybe you want to instill life long lessons from dance in your child? You're in luck! Now for a limited time Sunflower State Dance is offering new students a chance to try out a class on us.
Click the link below to learn more and claim your pass!
Stay Informed About Your Local Dance Studio
Stay informed about your local dance studio! Get a monthly newsletter all about our dance studio, our dance classes for children, community events, and performances. Sunflower State Dance is proud to provide classical based dance lessons, taught by educated instructors, in a welcoming environment.
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Stay up to date about our dance classes, community events, performances, and much more!
Sunflower State Dance in the Discover Eudora Magazine
Sunflower State Dance was featured in the Discover Eudora summer/fall 2016 magazine! Community is a huge part of why we teach dance to area youth. Check out this article that features dancers from Sunflower State Dance.
Discover Eudora Magazine
Sunflower State Dance was featured in the Discover Eudora summer/fall 2016 magazine! Community is a huge part of why we teach dance to area youth. Check out this article that features dancers from Sunflower State Dance.
The arts bring together people from all different backgrounds to share and enjoy each others creativity. Even if you are not an artist, you can always be an art supporter!
check it out online at https://issuu.com/sunflower_publishing/docs/de16sufa
Are proper shoes that important?
Are proper fitting dance shoes that important when first starting dance or when a child is still growing quickly? Our answer is yes! Find out why it is essential to have good quality and a good fit when it comes to dance shoes.
At a very young age I learned about pointe shoes, immediately I knew I wanted to wear them when I grew up. Seeing older dancers graceful float across the stage on their toes had me mesmerized!
Having proper shoes for dance is one of the most essential parts of learning dance correctly... others would include a well-educated instructors to teach, music, flooring, and ballet barres. Proper fitting dance shoes are as essential to dance as a basket is to basketball or a helmet is for baseball. You can practice over and over but with out the right shoes so much can change or be learned incorrectly.
One common question parents have is that their child is still growing, can't they upsize so they will last longer? What harm can be done?
Well there are many things that can happen as a result of poorly fit shoes. For instance, to large of tap shoes can cause blistering from the shoe rubbing back and fourth throughout class. Dancers will actually begin overcompensating by modifying the step to stop the rubbing or some younger dancers will stop dancing altogether because it hurts. Improper fitting ballet slippers means that the student may not be learning to point their toes correctly or learn incorrect standing due to sagging of the shoe or not standing proper on the sole of the shoe.
Walmart and Target sell ballet shoes- what's wrong with those?
We all love Walmart and Target because these stores are convenient. They are often my one stop shop for food, makeup, clothes, and movies. But they should never be a stop for ballet or tap shoes. Walmart's and Target's goals are to provide a products at the lowest possible cost regardless of quality, especially items in children's sizes. These convenient stores carry inadequate dance shoes, none of them are actual leather or fit properly. Many of these cheap alternatives don't even have soles in ballet shoes or arch support in tap shoes.
Proper fitting ballet shoes usually cost between $15-$30 depending on child sizes or adult sizes. Brands that you can always trust as great sources for dance apparel are Capezio (which we stock at Sunflower State Dance), Bloch, BalTogs, Sansha, and other companies that specialize in dance.
Tap shoes tend to cost more money because of the metal which causes the sound. Children under 8 should be expected to have a simpler version of tap shoes which are far less expensive than advanced dancers or even professional dancers which can range between $50 and $300! These more expensive shoes are designed with sound in mind to produce great rhythm and stamps. But for beginning tappers price usually should be between $18-35 depending on size.
Leather or Canvas Ballet Shoes?
Sunflower State Dance goes by similar standards as any other studio with a firm classical ballet background. We highly suggest students under 8 years old wear leather ballet slippers. These help train young dancers feet properly with out giving them to much freedom. Once dancers get older into beginning technique classes we like them to start wearing canvas ballet slippers. Canvas ballet slippers mold more to the arch of the dancer. At this point dancers feet have developed more and focus should be on foot articulation and strengthening.
Dancers in canvas shoes are beginning to strengthen feet to eventually go en pointe after age 11 or 12 and with proper testing and training. Pointe shoes should never be worn without permission of a ballet instructor and should never be purchased without proper training and instruction (at least two intermediate to advanced ballet technique classes per week).
What Shoes Does Sunflower State Dance Carry And Recommend?
Students level 5 and below should wear pink leather ballet slippers, we recommend and carry Capezio Daisy Leather Ballet Shoes. Students should wear tan tap shoes, we carry Revolution.
Students above level 5 should wear canvas ballet shoes, we carry Fuzi and Capezio. Students at this level should have black lace up tap shoes, we carry and recommend Capezio Fluid Tap.
For more information see the following website http://www.danceadvantage.net/best-ballet-shoes/
Open House Enrollment and Shoe Fittings 2016-2017
July 23 and 30 12-3 pm and August 6 12-3 pm @Sunflower State Dance
Join us for our Open House!
Check out our studio, meet the director, and get fit for dancing shoes!
June Student of the Month #2
Name: Ashlyn J
Year In School: 3rd grade
Favorite Style of Dance: Ballet
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Food: Mac and cheese
Why do you love to Dance?: It's fun.
Favorite thing about Sunflower State Dance?: My teacher.
June Student of the Month
Name: Kayli A
Year In School: 5th
Favorite Style of Dance: Ballet and jazz.
Favorite Color: Pink and Purple
Favorite Food: Spagetti
Why do you love to Dance?: It is fun and Entertaining. Also I am a ball full of Energy.
Favorite thing about Sunflower State Dance?: All of the teachers. I also like all of the dances and costumes.
Auditions for next seasons competitive dance teams
Auditions for our competitive and performing companies coming this August!
Be sure to enroll in our Interdisciplinary Dance Explosion summer workshop to audition for our 2016-2017 competitive groups.
Auditions will take place after Theater for Dancers on August 1st!
Ballet Company auditions will take place at the same time. Ballet Company will be given more advanced roles in our upcoming Nutcracker production.
For more information contact us to set up a meeting in person!
Now Enrolling for 2016-2017 Season!
Now enrolling for 2016-2017 season classes! Classes begin August 14th.
We are now enrolling for our 2016-2017 season. This season starts August 14th and continue through mid-June, 2017. Classes begin for children ages 3 and up in various different styles of dance.
Enrollment Special: the first 75 student who enroll and pay the registration fee will receive a complimentary limited edition t-shirt!
Preparing For Performance
So many things to think about before a performance! Here's a quick list of reminders to help you be prepared for performances ahead.
So many things to think about before a performance! Here's a quick list of reminders to help you be prepared for performances ahead.
- Alway pack in advanced, never the morning of the performance. If you are getting nervous chances are you will forget something. Be prepared before to minimize stress and forgetfulness.
- Attach bobby pin to hair piece... and then bring extras! Plus hairspray!
- Have dance makeup ready to go in its own bag.
- Double check you have all the correct shoes packed.
- Bring at least one pair of extra tights- you never know when you will snag a pair.
- Make sure to bring a water bottle and to stay hydrated! Stay away from sugary drinks and overly caffeinated drinks the day of the performance. This is important to staying hydrated and you will feel less bloated than when drinking carbonated beverages.
- Pack a healthy snack. Great options include protein bars, granola bars with minimum sugar, fruit, veggies, yogurt, dried nuts. Do Not bring candy and/or junk food. You need sustainable energy, not a sugar rush. Remember the sugar can elevate your heart rate which will make you feel more nervous. A snack is perfect for breaks, however you should not be eating in costume or at least 30 minutes before going on stage. A snack should be light not excessive.
- Pack a lunch, if needed. Many venues do not have healthy options for dancers. To solve this problem, pack your own lunch! Again remember you will be dancing after so nothing heavy that will make you want to take a nap. Stay away from fried foods and fast food!
- Practice choreography the night before, this will help you be less nervous the day of.
- Practice facial expressions the night before in a mirror. Confidence is key!
- Get a goodnights rest! Make sure you are giving yourself the proper amount of sleep. The night before the competition should be relaxing and mellow.
Summer Classes Now Enrolling!
We are currently enrolling for our summer classes here at Sunflower State Dance!
We have lots of new and exciting classes to offer. From three day camps to two week workshops we sure have something for your dancer to love!
https://app.thestudiodirector.com/sunflowerstatedance/portal.sd
Bring a friend to dance day- Spring 2016
Bring a Friend February 29- March 5
Bring a friend to class day at Sunflower State Dance. Share the joy of dance with a friend.
Itty Bitty Ballet- Level 5 including HipHop and Boys Dance. (Level 6 and up by permission).
Post cards will be distributed in class to give your friend as an invitation. Have them fill the back out and bring it with.
Instruct your friend to wear socks and athletic clothing, if they don't have dance gear.
January Student of the Month #2
January Student of the Month
Name: Madison L
Year In School: 5th grade
Favorite Style of Dance: Ballet
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Food: Tamales
Why do you love to Dance?: It is fun, challenging, and beautiful.
Favorite thing about Sunflower State Dance?: How the teachers teach us.
January Student of the Month #1
Chloe L is one of our January students of the month
Name: Chloe L
Year In School: 7th Grade
Favorite Style of Dance: Contemporary
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Food: Anything Italian!
Why do you love to Dance?: I simply love to dance. I enjoy the freedom of self-expression and creativity I feel when dancing.
Favorite thing about Sunflower State Dance?: I love the teachers, fellow dancers, and the friendships I've made. The studio is like a second home to me where I love to spend my free time.
