If you have watched any TV at all lately, you know that dancing shows have taken over as the hottest reality TV trend. America has brought about this development as ratings have soared for shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance”. It is no wonder shows like these have sparked a new fitness craze. It doesnt take long to realize the difference between those dancers bodies and your couch potato body as you watch them fly through the air and dance to incredibly fast and precise choreography. As the popularity of dance on TV has taken off, dance classes across the country have been filling up. The truth is, everyone wants to have fun, and dance is freeing and a great release for all involved. It is also the antidote to the anti-social home computer trends that have kept people locked in their homes staring at dimly lit computer screens. Humans are naturally gregarious, and the innate drive to interact is always bubbling under the surface. Dance is such a highly social activity, so it makes perfect sense that it has grown so much in popularity.

Along with TV, the internet has created widespread exposure to dance like never before. Specifically Facebook and Youtube have broadened the cultural appeal of dance across the world. Dance and fitness classes have reported an unprecedented openness to new styles and forms of dance.

From the fitness standpoint, few cardio activities rival dance in its ability to bring fast results in a very fun environment. Instead of spending hours on a treadmill staring at a TV screen with headphones on in relative isolation from the world, many prefer dancing and interacting while losing weight. Dance is an excellent way to get into shape and to stay in shape. It builds muscles that stay long and lean rather than bulky. It also helps with posture, grace, and self-confidence.

If youre looking to try dancing you may have a few concerns. Most dance teachers find the biggest concern with beginners is the fear of being judged by others. If this is something that concerns you, remember that the truth is that no one in class cares. Everyone is busy dealing with their own challenges. It is a learning environment, so everyone is there to improve. In order to really learn to dance, you need to just focus on the activity. Go with the attitude of turning off your analytical brain and just dancing for the sake of moving to the music and having fun.

As you get more into dance, youll need plenty of energy to fuel your training. In a addition to a healthy diet of whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables, a good protein supplement like Whey Protein Isolate will help you to have the energy that you need. Whey Protein contains 90% protein and will help you develop the lean muscles that you need for dance. It is an all-natural byproduct of dairy and is the most efficient way to boost branched-chain amino acids that are needed for building strong lean muscle. This has the added bonus of improving your metabolism so your body will naturally burn fat.

The main purpose of a ballet dance costume is to harmonise with the themes explored by the dance. This article gives some background information about the key elements that make up your ballet dance costume – ballet shoes, leotards, tutus and tights.

Perhaps the most important element of your ballet dance costume are your ballet shoes. If you’re a beginner, you’ll need a pair of soft ballet shoes which are available in leather, canvas or satin. Leather is slightly more expensive but recommended by most dancers due to the fact that it is harder wearing that satin or canvas. Ballet shoes are available with both a full sole and a split sole. Full sole ballet shoes have a sole which covers the length of the shoe from the ball of the foot to the heel to offer the required support for beginners. A split sole on the other hand has a break in the middle and is used by more advanced dancers who require greater flexibility of the foot.

If you’re lucky enough to advance to dancing en pointe you will require a pair of pointe shoes. These allow ballet dancers to stand on the tips of their toes and move around the performance space as though weightless. Pointe shoes have a different structure to ballet shoes which allows the ballet dancer to achieve this effect. Instead of a soft leather upper and soft sole, they have a “box” and “shank”. The box is a hard enclosed space located at the end of the shoe and designed to support the dancer’s toes. The end of the box is flattened in order to enable the dancer to stand en pointe. The shank refers to a rigid piece of material which provides much needed support for the arch of the foot when en pointe.

The dance leotard is an equally important element of your ballet dance costume. This is because the garment is designed to be formfitting in order to allow for complete freedom of movement for the dancer. It also accentuates the dancer’s physique and the architecture of their movement which is highly important for ballet, as well as many other styles of dance. An ill-fitting leotard will not achieve this so it’s important for this piece of dancewear to be a good fit for the dancer. A leotard that is too small will be too tight between the legs and will pull under the arms. It’s also likely that it will feel tight around the stomach and chest. A leotard that is too big will feel baggy in these areas.

The ballet tutu is the most recognisable and iconic of all types of dance costume. It’s a skirt made of net or tulle which often has an attached bodice. There are several types of ballet tutu. The most iconic is the pancake shaped Classical Tutu which is made of very short stiff layers of netting that extend straight out from the hips in a pancake shape. A second type of Classical Tutu is bell shaped and has a short, stiff skirt made with layers of netting with a slight bell shape. It is usually longer than a pancake tutu though both usually have a fitted bodice. Another is the Romantic Tutu. This is a three quarter length bell shaped skirt made of tulle and is currently very popular. The hemline falls between the knee and ankle and is free flowing to emphasise lightness which suits the ethereal quality of romantic ballets.

Most of the time the ballet dance costume will be accompanied by a pair of ballet tights. These are available in mainly black, pink and various flesh colours. Ballet tights are mainly footed but transition tights are also available. These have a hole beneath the foot which allows the dancer to turn them into footless tights.