Recently I was lucky enough to work with Ilya Rezin (Rhythm champion and judge!). I had never worked with him before, and I was excited for my session with him, especially after watching him win with numerous students at past competitions I’ve attended. After a challenging, but invigorating, hour-and-a-half session, he was kind enough to sit down with me and answer some questions around competing.

Leading up to a competition, what advice do you have for people to prepare whether it’s mentally or what to focus on?
“Just do rounds. Rounds and rounds and rounds and rounds, because most of the time the problem at the competition is that with the increase of stress you lose stamina. Once you lose stamina, you can’t keep going. There are a few problems. Number one is floor craft. People are not used to it, so you need to train floor craft. If you don’t have a crowded floor when you do rounds, you can put 20 balloons on it and turn the fan on, and then avoid the balloons. That’s problem number one, so you can train to that. Number two is stamina. You need to do rounds and rounds and rounds. The week before I wouldn’t suggest changing anything. I would just suggest running through your choreography. Make sure it’s in your muscle memory, and make sure you can do it whether you’re tired, early, late, regardless. If you don’t like to be in front of people, then make sure you invite people to watch you do rounds.”

What do you look for when you’re judging?
“I’m a technician, so for me the most important thing is your ability to fill up the music. You’re dancing to the music, so you should be able to dance to the music not with the music or next to it. I will look at your ability to use the legs to transform it and your ability to bind yourself within the two counts. You should show exactly how much it takes you to get from one foot to another, rather than just doing the foot action and walking through it. I look at musicality; then I look at footwork and your ability to go off the standing leg versus just slapping the feet around. The third thing I will look at is your isolation and body movement. If you’re a female, I will look at how your back is moving, because for me, it’s a clear indicator whether you know how to use your sides or not. If the back stays flat while you’re dancing, then that tells me you’re not really sure how to use your center.”

With regards to what you should wear at a competition, in your opinion, what do the best students in this country look like?
“Well they look like pros.”

And what does that include?

“It should include your hair style, your makeup, your tanning, your shoes, and your dress. It’s a visual sport, so you get judged by the way you look more than by the way you dance. You can dance like a pro, but if you’re going to look like a beginner then you’re not going to get marked or you’re not going to be able to present everything as a package. It’s a package deal, so the way you look is just as important as the way you move. I think that the best way for the beginner dancer to place well is to wear an expensive dress, because the point of the dress is to hide all the imperfection and reinforce your assets. You want to show off more of your assets and hide your liabilities. That’s the point of a dress that’s done well. If you don’t move somewhere (on your body), then a little fringe here, a little fringe there, and oh my gosh you’re moving. I think you need to invest. I think it’s just as important as investing in lessons.”

So there you have it! Some expert advice from one of the top rhythm dancers, and excellent insight into what judges look for in students. Tune back in for my advice on how to look professional without breaking the bank and for a different perspective on judging from the one and only Johnathan Roberts! Until then, happy competing and happy dancing!

As promised, I’m excited to share with you another coach interview! I recently had the joy of working with an amazing coach, Mikolay Czarnecki. He had a great perspective to share on some of my rhythm routines, and while he was in the studio I asked him to share his perspective on how to make the most out of coaching.
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What advice do you have for someone to make the most of their coaching? How would you recommend preparing for a coaching?

The Basics
“I don’t think, generally, you need to prepare. You cannot be scared of taking the coaching. You should be excited for learning something new, and you cannot be afraid of making a mistake on a coaching. You’re getting some information that is new, and one suggestion that I have is to not overthink. When you hear information, you actually have to take it and understand what the coach says. Like if he says, ‘Take 3 steps forward,’ then you take it in your head and say, ‘OK he said 3 steps and he said forward.’ So, just physically try to execute the 3 steps forward. No matter how it feels, just take 3 steps and physically feel it. Some problems with the step or how you do it may be very complex, so there are stages of learning it. So in the 1 coaching lesson, you can get through the 3 concepts of 1 movement, but you have to try to physically execute the information you hear. So let’s say you do the 3 steps, and then the next concept is do the 3 steps, but do them all on the toes. Then the next concept is: the first step is on the heel then the next 2 steps are toes. I don’t care how you actually execute it, meaning if you wobble or not, but you still do that heel and then toe, toe - even if you stumble. That’s what I would generally say. You cannot prepare yourself generally, but let’s say you’re going to take a lesson with a coach. You need to practice what you’re going to work on before, so when you come to the lesson you don’t have problems with the routine or some stuff because that’s an additional stress. If you don’t practice, you’ll be focused on what it [your routine] was supposed to be, so then you don’t think about how to execute the step and what the coach wants you to do. That doesn’t work. Especially if you’re working with coaches you’ve never worked with before, you don’t know what to expect, so in the back of your head there is sometimes coaching that you’re not satisfied with in the end. That doesn’t have to be the student’s fault, but it can actually be the fault of the coach. The coach could be an amazing dancer, but he doesn’t explain or teach clearly. He asks you to copy the movement, but you still don’t understand the concept of how to do that step - how to copy the step. So it’s not being scared and have expectations of the coach, but not of yourself. Just go there and basically do your best. That is my suggestion.”

For Advanced Dancers
“For advanced dancers, the explanations are more detailed, so if I work with you, and come back in 3 months, I expect that you’re going to work hard in between the coaching and try to execute whatever you heard the best you can. If not, then of course nobody’s going to yell at you, but deep inside the heart of the coach there’s a disappointment. I haven’t felt that many times, but that happens even with my own students. I know when they practice and when they didn’t. Even when they practice wrong, I can see that they tried to do something about it and then I can always fix it more easily. If you don’t do anything then I need to start from the beginning.”

In Summary
“So that’s just my suggestion; don’t be scared, whether you’re a beginner or more advanced. There’s no difference between the two; it’s basically the same. If you’re taking a coaching, you want to improve your dancing, so you should be excited about it. If it’s a good coach, and they explain enough, then you should feel really good. Sometimes you have a bad day, but [if you] still take the coaching with your teacher, then the teacher will remember. Even if you are falling off your feet and it’s a bad day, still try to do your best. I’ve had a situation where I go to a coaching and nothing comes out, and I get pissed off and it just goes downhill. My coach will stop me and say, ‘Listen, OK you have a bad day. That’s OK, it’s your decision.’ I just told a student it’s your decision. Either you can make it worse, or you can make the best out of it. So that’s my view.”

Bonus: Physical Preparation!

“It’s important to physically prepare, too. Stretch. Go through the motions of the dances you’re going to do. Go through the basic motions of the dance you’re doing and the routine if you’re working on that. Make sure your body is warmed up whether you do stretches or some cardio or go through your dance.”

Dreamtime Creations is an online retailer for both Swarovski and Preciosca rhinestones (two of our favorite brands!). They're currently having a take a break from politics sale, so now's a great time to stock up on some rhinestones if you're in need. The sale is 10% off site-wide now through Friday, 11/4.  Don't forget to use the coupon code RELAX10 at checkout to get the discount! You can visit their site here. Happy shopping!

Last month I had the pleasure of coaching with Alexandra Perzhu (Smooth and 9 Dance Champion if you aren’t familiar with the Pros yet). Coaching with her reminded me of my very first coaching experience and how terrified I was to work with a Pro I had never met before. Fortunately, my instructor pushed me to get over my fear, and I discovered how wonderful it is to work with amazing coaches. Before I jump into why working with coaches is so wonderful, let me first explain what coaching is.

Coaching Defined
A coach is someone, other than your instructor, who works with you on your dancing. Typically this person joins you and your instructor during your lesson, and can help you with technique, provide another perspective on areas you may be struggling with, or give you some new choreography. Sometimes coaches can be other instructors at your studio, or your studio may bring in professional dancers or judges to do coaching sessions.


Benefits of Coaching
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing coaches who have given me exciting, new routines, demystified some steps that just wouldn’t click in my head, and introduced me to new techniques that magically fixed areas I had been struggling with. Rather than going on about my personal experiences though, Alexandra was kind enough to give me an interview about why she thinks coaching is so important. So here, in her own words, are the benefits of coaching as explained by Alexandra Perzhu!

Why is coaching important for a student?

1. To have a mediator: “I used to be a student, and I’m still a student, and I know how much it means to me and why I believe in coaching. So from a student perspective, my answer would be to have a mediator between my partner and myself. To hear a common knowledge about something and a common explanation, because when you work with each other for a long time you tend to have tension about how you understand things. So when you have someone experienced come in to coach you, first of all, you have a certain respect and certain open mind because it’s new information, and you start to see a different point of view. Every coach has a very different way of explaining the same concepts - with different words, different images, and different personality types. So any coaching lesson you have to be smart and see, ‘OK that coaching really didn’t mean that much to me or didn’t do very much to me, [so] maybe that’s not my type of information that I need to do. Basically it’s all about that 3rd eye who is a mediator for me.”
2. To have an outside perspective: “A coach sees something from the outside…that you cannot see yourself. You have to be open about it, and realize, ‘Ok I didn’t do that,’ and then sometimes you will think, ‘Oh I did it!’ and then they are like, ‘No you didn’t.’”
3. To hear different viewpoints: “I think every coach has something to offer. I’ve had numerous coaches, and one coach was very good about footwork. The other one was good about connection. The other one was such a beautiful dancer that when I would watch it would give me such a full picture. I would be like ‘Oh I want to do that.’ It would inspire me. Some people are very good about telling the story behind the dance or behind certain concepts, so you get inspired by thinking about all these things [and] how they come together. Every person teaches you something different, so I think everybody should take coaching lessons. Not only for the sake of learning something new, but actually to have a healthy process and have that mediator between you and your partner.”

Do you have any advice for somebody who’s never taken a coaching and doesn’t know what to expect?
“I think coaching lessons should be done at any level of dancing. For example, I had a student who was dancing with me for a couple of years and then I took him to a competition. We started doing mambo, and I didn’t prepare him very much, so…[he] stumble[d] through the steps. Then we had a coach come to the studio, very famous name, Rufus Dustin. He worked for a Fred Astaire chain studio for many, many years, plus he’s been a champion in so many styles and divisions. He actually gave him (my student) a story about mambo, and gave him that whole (full) explanation, so by the end of his explanation my student had a much better understanding. Even without drilling all the actions, even though he wasn’t that experienced in the body movement, the story helped him to understand much more about the dance. So try it. It never hurts to try. Be open minded; let it happen. It’s an extra investment, but you realize that it pays off.”
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Hopefully I’ve convinced you to take advantage of the great opportunity it is to work with a coach! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or contact us, and stay tuned for more exciting coach perspectives over the next few weeks!

Thanks to Heather, one of our fabulous readers, we have our first requested topic: nails! Getting your nails done before a performance or competition is a great way to finish your look. I’ve experimented with both DIY glue-on nails and having my nails done professionally. If you’re one of those lucky people who has nice, long, natural nails that never break, then I simply suggest getting a manicure with a gel color to make sure it lasts through the competition. If you’re like me and need a little added length then I recommend the DIY glue-on nails.
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Why glue-on nails?
A few reasons: they’re fast, they can be put on anywhere, they’re inexpensive (usually $7 or $8), and they’re always consistent. Being a very last-minute person, I’ve often found myself doing my nails the night before I start dancing (sometimes even the morning of), in the hotel room. I can put them on in about 10 minutes, and they’re dry and ready to go about 3 minutes after that. I’m also a bit of a picky person and find that I’m not always satisfied with the shape, the length, or the color when I have my nails done professionally. The beauty of glue-on nails is you can see exactly what they look like before you buy them, and know that they will all be the exact same shape and length. As an added bonus, when you take off the nails, I’ve found my natural nails are less damaged than when I have my nails professionally done.

Tips for applying the nails:
When it comes to putting them on, my biggest advice is follow the instructions in the kit!

• Pick out which nails fit each finger before you start gluing anything! Each kit usually comes with about 40 nails. Despite the fact that you only have 10 fingers, you will only get one use out of the kit. The nails all differ in size, so hold each nail up to your fingers and find the ones that fit snuggly. Once I’ve found a nail that fits my natural nail well, I place it to the side (left or right depending on which hand it’s going on). Then as I find another nail that fits, I place it once again on the corresponding side to the hand it’s going on and in relation to the nail(s) I’ve already picked out. So for example, if I found a nail to fit my middle finger on my left hand and then I find a nail to fit my ring finger also on my left hand, I’ll put the nail for my ring finger to the left of the nail for my middle finger. In the end you should have a complete set of nails lined up in the order of your fingers. Sometimes you may have to switch a nail that you already picked for one finger to another finger, if there isn’t a nail that fits that finger. That’s why it’s important not to glue as you go!
• Buff your nails before placing any glue on them so the surface is prepped and will hold the glue well.
• Place glue on both your nail and the fake nail. This helps ensure complete coverage so the bond is strong.
• Don’t be stingy with the glue! Even though the tube it comes with looks tiny, it’s more than enough to cover all your fingers.
• Place the glue in the center of your nail and the fake nail, and start spreading it out with the tip of the glue bottle. This makes sure that you don’t end up with tons of glue oozing out the side of your nails when you place the fake nail down.
• Glue one nail at a time! The glue dries quickly and once it’s dry you cannot move the nail, so make sure you only work with one nail at a time.
• Use the sides of your natural nail to guide your placement of the nail so it’s straight.

Professionally done nails:
If doing your own nails seems too stressful, or you’d rather have a little pampering while you’re at it, then I recommend going to a salon. When I opt for the salon, I get an acrylic nail with a gel color (gel polish lasts longer). I usually go with a bright color to complement my dresses, which are both darker, but I know plenty of people who prefer more of a neutral or light pink color and it still looks good. As for length, I usually go for a little longer than I would typically wear my nails since you want them to be visible on the floor. Depending on how quickly your nails grow, you may want to have them done only a few days out from your performance/competition so they don’t end up being too long when it comes time to dance. While salon prices vary, I’ve found you can expect to spend about $40-$50 to get your nails done.

Bonus tip: blinging out your nails!
If you want to add a little extra sparkle to your look, you can add some rhinestones to your nails! I would only add a stone or two to a few accent nails, so your nails don’t look too out of control—but it’s a fun way to spice up your nails, especially if you’ve gone with a French manicure or neutral/lighter color.

• Use small stones! I wouldn’t use anything bigger than a size 10ss (more on how to buy rhinestones and a guide to their sizes in a later post). While you don’t need to spend a ton of money on Swarovski stones for your nails, I would purchase something a little more substantial than your average nail-kit accessories. Preciosa is a good, less expensive, stone that will look great on the floor. As for color, I would stick to crystal or crystal AB.
• Use strong glue! I recommend E6000 (link at the bottom). While it’s not super easy to work with, it has the best hold; you need a lot of hold when you think about how many times you wash your hands and hit your nails against things. Do NOT use this glue to adhere the nails to your natural nails.

​Hopefully this answers lots of your nail questions, and please feel free to contact us with any topics you’d like to see discussed! Good luck on you nail prep and happy dancing!

I asked myself this very question right before my first competition. As a notorious procrastinator, I started packing the evening before the competition around midnight. The result of waiting until the last minute, and having no idea what exactly I would need, was 3 suitcases, 2 tote bags, and 4 garment bags for 2 ½  days of competition. A couple of weeks ago I competed in Killick Klassick (2 days of competing for me), and despite once again waiting until the last minute (30 minutes before I had to leave to be exact), I managed to pack everything in 1 suitcase and 2 garment bags and still left on time. How did I manage this? My competition-packing check list! I’ve uploaded my lists (women’s and men’s versions) to save you the time of compiling your own. Feel free to download a copy and customize it as you need to depending on your personal preferences, and don’t hesitate to comment with any of your must-have items that aren’t on the list! I’ve refined this list several times over the years, but I’m sure it will continue to evolve. Happy packing and happy dancing!

• Women's Packing List
• Men's Packing List

Happy Labor Day Weekend! In addition to the extra time off this weekend, you can also enjoy great sales at some of our favorite dance shops. I've rounded up a few of the deals and posted them below. If you see any of your favorite dance shops having sales, please add them to the comments section!

• DanceShopper.com - 10% off sitewide! Great for practice wear, accessories, tanning makeup, and more!
• Dreamtime Creations - $5 off $50, $15 off $100, $100 off $500! Great for rhinestones for costumes, jewelry, and shoes!
• Dancewear Solutions - Buy 2 select items get 10% off, buy 3+ select items get 15% off! Great for practice wear!
• Dancewear Works - 20% off practice wear (Use code laborday)! Great for practice wear!
• Sally's Beauty Supply - Up to 75% off original prices on all clearance! Great for hair and tanning products!
• South Beach Tanning - $10 spray tans (buy up to 5 at this price)! Great for spray tanning before a performance or competition! *They also have sales on regular tanning but for a variety of health reasons I don't recommend this.

Ulta is currently having a sale on one of my favorite body scrubs, which is perfect for exfoliating before sunless tanning (and removing your tan once it starts giving you that splotchy-half-rubbed-off look)! Right now the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub is on sale for $6.15. It's available in a whole bunch of fun scents, but my personal preference is the Brazilian Nut! If you want to stock up and buy a few, you can also use their $3.50 off $15 coupon--found on their site. Plus, if you’re an Ultamate Rewards member (their free loyalty program) you can get 2x the points right now (3x if you’re platinum)! Those points can later be used for dollars off your next purchase.

​On top of that, you can check your email; I found I had a coupon for a free Too Faced bronzer with any purchase. I ended up getting 3 containers of body scrub and the bronzer for $14.95 + tax!! A great deal and each container of body scrub will last you for several performances/competitions/whatever you may be tanning for. I usually use the scrub with the Earth Therapeutics Bath Mitt (link at the bottom) a day before and the day of tanning to ensure my skin will absorb the tanner well. I’ll provide more information on different tanning options and post a more detailed how-to on self-tanning later, but I wanted to share this deal while it lasts! 

Happy shopping and happy tanning!

As I thought about all the things I want to write about, and tried to figure out where I should start, I remembered the very first question I had when I started dancing: what the heck do I wear? When I first walked into the dance studio on July 22nd 2009 (yes, I’m crazy enough that I remember the date), I was a bit apprehensive and had no idea what to expect. I was greeted by Richard, the friendly receptionist at the time, and he asked me what brought me in. After chitchatting a bit, he asked me if I wanted to get started—since they had an instructor available in about 15 minutes. PANIC! I had not mentally prepared myself for dancing right away, and I looked for any excuse to schedule my first lesson at a later time. “Oh, I’m not dressed to dance” is what I blurted out. I had come right from work and was wearing some khakis, a tank top with a pink cardigan over it, and some ballet flats (again, I’m kind of a crazy details person). Thankfully, Richard accepted that excuse (maybe he saw the fear in my eyes) and scheduled my lesson for the next day. When I got home that night, I realized I had absolutely no idea what to wear—even though I had given my outfit as a reason not to dance. Flash forward to now and I can give you some advice that I wish I had received before my first lesson. Simply wear something that you’re comfortable in! I’ve seen people take lessons in jeans, skirts, dresses, work clothes, workout clothes, casual wear, and (my personal favorite) leggings with a flowy top. I’ve seen girls in crazy-high stilettos and guys in running sneakers. As long as you’re comfortable, and not self-conscious about the outfit, you should wear what you’d like. Now as you start progressing, and depending on your goals, I might recommend switching over to practice wear or more athletic clothing—but more on that in a later post. Now, there are a few recommendations I have for your first lesson no matter what your clothes:

• Make sure your shoes are comfortable; if you opt for high heels, make sure you aren’t wobbly in them. Aside from making it harder to learn, if you’re constantly thinking about how smooshed your pinky toe is or worrying if you’re ankles are going to buckle, you could actually injure yourself or at the least give yourself some unpleasant blisters. Now, sneakers may also be a little hard to dance in since they grip the floor too much to allow for super-easy rotation, but for the first few lessons you should be fine. I’ll post later on what shoes to invest in if you plan on dancing for a while.
• Make sure you’re covered. Ladies, there is a good chance you’ll do a few turns and maybe even be dipped. Super fun, but also potentially super revealing! If you’re wearing a skirt or dress, I recommend some shorts underneath for modesty’s sake. My personal favorites are by Capezio (link at the bottom of the post). I’ve had a few pairs for several years now and they still have their shape and stretch. They come in a variety of lengths and colors, so you can choose some that are long enough for you to feel comfortable and match your dress (not necessary unless you’re doing a performance, but certainly fun).
• If you’re self-conscious about your legs, you can always wear tights or stockings. If you plan on dancing for a while, and maybe even performing or competing, I recommend investing in some fishnets. I don’t mean your normal fishnets from Macy’s, or even the more risqué burlesque-ish fishnets you may be picturing (that was my first mental image when I was told to get some fishnets). I’m referring to dance fishnets. I personally love my fishnets from Capezio (I promise they’re not paying me to write this; they just make really good dance clothing). They’re made for dance, so they’re both super stretchy and durable. I’ve had mine for 3 years, and despite quite a few snags during quick changes, they’ve never ripped. I got mine in Caramel, which is a slightly darker tone than my natural skin color—to better match my legs when I tan for competitions.

To finish my story, I ended up wearing business casual clothes to my first lesson with some strappy kitten heels. I was a bit self-conscious until I looked around and noticed several people had also clearly come from work. After that, I was able to focus completely on my lesson and proceeded to be swept off my feet by the joy of ballroom dancing. I hope you are as well!