Watching dancers perform is an incredibly aesthetic experience that can evoke lots of different emotions for the audience. All the hours of instruction + practice, sweat, corrections, achy muscles, and fatigue pay off when a dancer executes a beautiful dance.
Besides the physicality and grace dancers exude, they usually look, well, beautiful! The costumes, hair, and makeup enhance the performance, whether the audience is aware of these factors or not.
Sometimes people can misinterpret the emphasis on appearance when it comes to performing (and even training.) Here at CVDA we stress certain requirements in order to achieve the goals of uniformity, discipline, presentation, safety, and professionalism.
CVDA PC 2012 – 2013 Season
And the ultimate goal under our “Dance Skills are Life Skills” mission is every dancer’s overall health (physical, social, mental, and emotional.)
Let’s cover four topics where common misconceptions abound.
- Clothing– CVDA’s dress code is spelled out clearly on our website. Depending on the class, particular clothing and shoes must be worn for safety and comfort. Some intermediate and advanced dancers may choose to wear shorty tops and hot pants. These are not required, but they allow for more freedom of movement. They also create a better visual for alignment when dancers critique their posture in the mirror. All dancers are required to cover up with warm-ups or street clothing upon leaving the studio.
Dancers warm up at the barre
- Hair- Long hair must be tied up in a ponytail or bun, depending on the class. See dress codefor specifics. Again, the purpose is for safety (so dancers can see) and uniformity. Must a dancer have long hair in order to participate? No. Feel free to contact CVDA with questions about hair specifics.
Steps to a great bun
- Makeup– For showcase and competitions, dancers must wear makeup and closely follow makeup rules that CVDA provides. This enhances uniformity among the class, and prevents a dancer’s face from washing out under stage lights. Makeup is never required for classes.
A Baby Snowflake gets her makeup done
- Personal care- Before the right clothing, hair, and makeup, a dancer must practice good hygiene. We absolutely believe in educating our dancers in age-appropriate habits. These include showering and washing hair regularly (especially after class), wearing deoderant, shaving, and throwing dance clothes in the washing machine more than once a week!
These four topics are all essential to success in a dancer’s life outside of the studio. For some, it may be hard to see how they translate at such a young age. But the habits developed easily transition into habits for interviews, important appointments, presentations, other performances, and their career in the long term.
Getting enough sleep, eating wholesome foods, and keeping a positive outlook are essentials that we espouse to keep our dancers strong and healthy. Our goal is be a partner with families in promoting good habits around personal care and body image. A healthy dancer is a beautiful dancer, inside and out!
Any questions? You may write them in the comments section below or contact us by email or phone (503-537-3902).