In 2012, the internet exploded over a YouTube clip featuring then–10-year-old Sophia Lucia executing 54 turns in tap shoes. Dance fans fell hard for the record breaker, who quickly rose to comp-world stardom. Fast-forward to 2016, when Sophia gave her Instagram followers déjà vu with 10 perfectly executed pirouettes—in pointe shoes. The comp queen had […]
A few years ago, 16-year-old Kayla Gonzalez found herself dancing alongside a mean-spirited girl. “She could be so rude,” says Gonzalez, who trains at The Dance Zone in Henderson, NV. “It got worse at competitions. She’d make up lies, saying my teammates and I were doing things we weren’t. She was always trying to get […]
There are so many amazing street styles that, despite requiring tons of training to master, are still dismissed by concert dancers as being non-technical or simply not difficult. That’s why a new competition hosted by the social media site Clapit is so cool: It puts street dance styles front and center, and celebrates the amazing […]
To her high school classmates, Sarah Pippin was a regular girl: a good student and a friendly face around campus. But on the weekends—at dance competitions and conventions across the country—Pippin was a bona fide celeb, adored by her fellow competitors and faculty members alike. By the time she graduated high school, Pippin had racked […]
Nina Bartell is such a complete performer that when she was crowned Teen Outstanding Dancer at the 2015 New York City Dance Alliance gala, it felt inevitable. You’d never have guessed the 16-year-old had only begun competing solos two years prior to her big win. Bartell trains at Sweatshop in Denver, CO, where she studies […]
Nationals season means tons of makeup. And even if you’ve mastered a skin-care routine to combat the hours your skin spends covered in foundation and powder, you may be overlooking one important detail: your makeup brushes. The tools of your trade need cleaning, too! Dirty makeup brushes can cause a lot of icky issues, including […]
Just announced: NBC has given the thumbs up to a new dance competition series produced by none other than Jennifer Lopez! Called “World of Dance,” this powerhouse competition is going to cover all the bases with categories for Juniors (ages 8-16, groups of 1-20 people), Uppers (ages 17 and older, groups of 1-4 people) and […]
In our “Dear Katie” series, former NYCB 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, My older sister is also a dancer, and we train at the same studio. Sometimes it’s great, but it can also be awful. […]