Tag: advice

Dear Katie: Help! I Can't Figure Out My Dance "Performance Face"!

In our “Dear Katie” series, Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email dearkatie@dancespirit.com for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I can’t figure out my “performance face”! I’m either smiling too much or not smiling enough—and everything I do feels fake. How […]

Your Comprehensive Guide to Surviving Dance Competitions

Competitions offer dancers the opportunity to showcase their talents and gain valuable feedback from judges. But they can also be mentally and physically stressful, with demanding, long days of performances. How do you keep your mind and body in top condition to avoid injury or burnout? We spoke with experts about how to take care […]

The Most Effective Way to Remove Stage Makeup

Of all the many skin-care sins out there, not removing your makeup is probably number one. That’s doubly true after a dance competition or recital, when your face is caked in heavy stage makeup and sweat. But those thick layers of pancake, powder, and eyelash glue aren’t easy to get rid of. Here, we break […]

Are TV Dance Competitions a Key to Career Success?

In April 2015, Alyssa Allen found herself in a nearly unprecedented position. It was Vegas Week on Season 12 of “So You Think You Can Dance,” she was a clear favorite for the show’s Top 20—and she respectfully declined the opportunity. In a conversation with judge Nigel Lythgoe, Allen said she strongly believed she should […]

Dear Katie: Help! I Can't Fix My Bad Pirouette Habit!

In our “Dear Katie” series, Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email dearkatie@dancespirit.com for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I’m a pretty good turner, except for one thing: Whenever I pirouette en dehors, I turn in my front foot just before […]

Dear Katie: Did I Start Dancing Too Late to Make It Professionally?

In our “Dear Katie” series, Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email dearkatie@dancespirit.com for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I’m 17 and just discovered ballet. I’ve been taking class almost every day for about a year, and my teachers say that […]

More and More Dancers Are Attending Multiple Intensives in One Summer. Should You?

For dancers, summer is synonymous with summer intensives—weeks-long programs filled with classes, rehearsals, and cross-training. And today, many dancers are trying to cram as much as possible into their warm-weather “breaks” by enrolling in two, three, even four intensives over the course of a single summer. But while dancing literally all summer might sound like […]

Dear Katie: How Can I Get Nice-Looking Pointe Shoes That Don't Die Quickly?

In our “Dear Katie” series, Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email dearkatie@dancespirit.com for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I recently learned how to cut my pointe shoe shanks, and I love the way three-quartered shanks make my feet look and […]