28 Jun, 2017

Recital has now come and gone, School is out, and Nationals will soon be upon us.  With them comes the inevitability of change. The end of the season is always a time of mixed emotions for our dancers. The excitement from the culmination of months of hard work. The thrill from performing on the stage. The warmth of camaraderie. The hope of moving up next season. The sadness of dancing with a friend for the last time. The loss of a dear teacher who is moving. This year is a big one for loss and

05 Jun, 2017

Sorry – it has been a while since I posted. Honestly, life just got in the way as it sometimes does. The few times I had the time to spare I could not finish a single blog. I would start writing and suddenly I would be on a completely unrelated topic. The brain can only function so well without the proper amount of health and sleep. Bottom line was I had to just walk away with nothing post worthy. I am hoping to stay healthy and on track to keep the posts rolling out. As the competition dance

16 May, 2017

We recently attended our final regional competition of the season at StarQuest. It was our fourth year attending StarQuest. What a night and day difference from our last competition. Wow! The staff was friendly and professional. The competition ran smoothly and stayed mostly on schedule or ahead of schedule. The awards ceremonies were quick. The photos from King Shots were excellent as usual. We had two long days in which we were there from open to close. Honestly it was so well run; it was

24 Apr, 2017

So, I planned to post a review yesterday but I decided to sleep on it.  I feel it is important to be honest about my experience and yet I want to provide both the good aspects and the bad. So in the end I decided not review this competition just to share my experiences and let you be the judge. This competition is often held in two locations in our area on the same weekend. No big surprise there. A mere six days before the competition we learned it would be held in a different town and high

28 Mar, 2017

All of life is lived in stages. We are lucky enough to have children that live to be on a stage.  When they are unable to perform, it is devastating. Not just to them but also to us. It is hard to explain or understand if you are not a parent. To say we feel their pain and disappointment is an understatement. Dancers are their art. Dance could be compared to first love. To see your child have to give up dance is like watching their first heart break. There are many reasons that may prevent them

15 Mar, 2017

We just completed our second competition of the season. It was our first year attending Countdown and I enjoyed it.  My daughter had a great time. The staff was friendly and professional. The competition ran smoothly and stayed mostly on schedule or ahead of schedule. The awards ceremonies were quick. I really like the plaques shaped like gears in lieu of trophies. It is nice to mix it up every once in a while.  There were no judge’s awards at this competition and I can’t say I missed them. The

03 Mar, 2017

Three types of dance buns and how to make them. Classic Twist Bun Donut Bun Cinnamon Bun Not sure why they all have to sound so tasty. I am a bit OCD so it drives me crazy at a performance when every dancer has a different type of bun in a different location. However , a high bun is not much to go on. I am confident if we gathered five random dance moms in a room and said give your dancer a high bun we would end up with five different buns. I would much prefer a rigid requirement. Please tell

02 Mar, 2017

Here is my review of the Gel we use, our bun making “Happy Accident”. Eco Styler Olive Oil or Argan Oil Styling Gel By Ecoco Size: 32 oz. Price: $5.19 As you may or may not know a good hair gel is essential for a competitive dancer. I personally hate the feeling of gel on my hands and the smells of some of them drive me crazy. Not as crazy as watching a beautiful dance and hearing the judges comment on “whispies”. Really let’s focus people. Ok, Ok, back to work! I hate gel, never use it

23 Feb, 2017

Today we will discuss bun making ingredients. Not the delicious honey bun you had with this morning’s coffee. No dance buns.  It seems most studios require their dancers to wear buns at least to ballet. Many studios also require buns for their competition dances. So how does one go about making a dance bun and what supplies are needed? Ingredients for One Perfect Bun One Brush One Comb 3 to 4 Dozen Bobby Pins 2 to 4 Hair Bands 1 Hairnet 1 Donut (optional) Liberal amounts of Hair Gel Copious