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Jookin' Master Lil Buck Writes a Letter to His Teenage Self
There's a chance you've never heard of jookin', a Memphis-grown form of street dance. But if you have, chances are it's because of Charles Riley, or Lil Buck. Buck began pursuing jookin' seriously at...
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Kayla Mak is Your October Cover Model Search Editors' Choice Winner
Congratulations to the October Cover Model Search Editors' Choice video winner, Kayla Mak! Watch her solo below, and be sure to enter the Cover Model Search here.Kayla Mak, "Weeping Willow"
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How to Be a Better Ally to Your Black Dance Friends
If you are a non-Black dancer, you likely want to be an ally to Black dancers, but you might not know where to start. You might even be thinking, "What does it mean to be an ally?"Allyship, says...
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Taja Riley: On Her Own Terms
Everyone has a Taja Riley story. Janet Jackson has a Taja story. (When Taja was just 17 and was hired to perform alongside her, Janet Jackson picked Taja up in a limo and they spent a day—seven hours,...
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How a Former Rhythmic Gymnast Created a Stretching and Strengthening Program...
For most dancers, rhythmic gymnasts are revered as sort-of superheroes. Think Elastigirl, from The Incredibles: Rhythmic gymnasts are the kind of flexible you usually only see in the movies. So even...
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"DWTS" Week 9 Recap: Lowkey Iconic
Pretty much every episode of "Dancing with the Stars" is fully stocked with pop culture icons (you say b-list celebs, I say icons—tomato, tomahto). But this week, "DWTS" took it up a notch with "Icons...
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How to Reap the Benefits of Your Convention Experience—Long After the Weekend...
Between travel restrictions and the economic burdens of COVID-19, you may not find yourself able to convention-hop every weekend as per usual (or you might find yourself attending virtual, rather than...
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The Dancer's Dictionary of Medical Specialists
Podiatrists and physiatrists and pulmonologists, oh, my! There are a lot of medical subspecialists out there—and many of these professionals can make a real difference to a dancer's health and career....
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5 Standout Comp Kids You Should Be Following—Now
The competition world is filled with so many talented dancers that for one dancer to stand out, they need something special—not just legs up to their ears or seemingly never-ending turns, but...
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The Dancer's Guide to Sustainability
In many ways, the planet we live on is like a dance partner. It provides for us, inspires us, and supports us. And like in any good duet, both partners benefit when support and respect go both ways....
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"DWTS" Week 10 Recap: Double (Elimination) Trouble
We'd like to take a brief moment of silence for the fact that we made it to the semi-finals of this season of "Dancing with the Stars" without a single coronavirus case. The producers of a television...
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Building Character: What Happened to the Popularity of Character Dance?
Most full-length classical ballets feature several character dances—troupes of dancing peasants, parades of visiting princesses. Today, those dances are often seen as "filler," interludes to give the...
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7 of Our Fave Dance Moments from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Picture this: It's Thanksgiving morning, you're still all snuggly in your fave fuzzy pajamas, and you're posted up in your living room to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The kitchen already...
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How to Stay Organized in the Pandemic-Era College Dance Application Process
The college application process can be, well—let's be honest here—downright maddening (#IYKYK). But for dancers, there's an added layer of stress: College dance applicants not only have to get into a...
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4 Reasons for Dancers to be Thankful This Thanksgiving
We're finally in the last act of 2020—just a couple more numbers left before we can bow and breathe a hopeful sigh of relief that 2021 will be better. This year has been challenging in ways that we...
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"DWTS" Week 11 Recap: And the Winner Is...
Y'all, this season of "Dancing with the Stars" was truly one for the books. And not just because the "DWTS" team managed to pull off a reality TV show in the midst of a global pandemic, but because...
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The Dance Things We're Thankful for in 2020
There's a bit of a Thanksgiving tradition here at Dance Spirit: Every November, each of us editors makes a list of the danciest things we're grateful for from the past year—performances, shows,...
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All the Feels: How to Give Yourself Space to Deal With Hard Emotions
Have you ever smiled through a show even though your heart wasn't in it, or put on your game face in class despite feeling tired or out of sorts? Dancers are performers, and performing positivity is a...
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How to Build Your Professional Resumé in College
A college education offers a massive amount of opportunity—not only to further your dance training, but also to prepare for a successful career post graduation. The experiences you have throughout...
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Leap! National Dance Competition Is Back and Ready When You Are
Since its inaugural season in 2012, Leap! National Dance Competition has been all about the little things. "I wanted to have a 'boutique' competition. One where we went out to only one city every...
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