LIGHTS. CAMERA. ACTION!

Who doesn’t love a good dance movie? I know I do. I am a movie fanatic and absolutely love watching all different kinds of movies, but movies that are centered around dance are something special. To help you guys get started on your dance movie binge-watching journey, here are a list of some must see dance movies.

Step Up (2006)

Step Up is the OG dance movie, in my opinion. It is the first movie out the Step Up Franchise, and there is a reason why they have made so many other movies following this one. First of all, this movie stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan (I am still upset by this break up BTW) and if this does not excite you i’m not really sure what else will. This movie combines a great story line, incredible dancing, and amazing acting which I think sets it a part from other dance movies that are being produced today. If you have not seen this one, go ahead and start watching- you wont regret it.

Flashdance (1983)

Okay so Flashdance is truly a classic. This movie has some of the most iconic dance moves and music and everyone needs to watch this movie at least once in their life. This movie follows a Alex who is a young lady who works a 9-5 job during the day, and dances in bars at night. She ends up being able to pursue her dream of having a performing career by getting accepted into a prestigious dance school. Think of the songs “Maniac” and “What a Feeling”… if you do not know what I am talking about, watch the movie and let me know what you think!

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Many people would argue that Dirty Dancing is the dance movie of the century, and I wouldn’t disagree with that. This movie follows a girl named Baby who spends the summer at a resort with her parents where she meets a dance instructor named Johny. Johny enlists Baby as his new dance partner and the rest is history. Also, If we want to talk about iconic dance moves then I have two words for you- LIFT SCENE. Oh and also “Nobody puts baby in a corner.”

You Got Served (2004)

Growing up, this was one of my favorite movies to watch. The coolest thing about this movie is that it follows the story of a street dance crew who engages in dance battles to win cash prizes. While also showing the culture of street dance, it features romance, crime, and drugs which makes it an overall entertaining movie to watch.

Oh dance conventions, you either love them or hate them

I definitely have had a love hate relationship with conventions growing up in the dance world, but honestly looking back now, they are such a good opportunity for young dancers. Being able to go take classes from highly sought after choreographers is a once in a lifetime experience that I encourage all dancers to take part in.

Well good news for all of you dancers who are considering going to a convention… I have made a list of the best dance conventions that you need to go to this year. Your welcome.

1. BuildaBEAST

The BuildaBEAST experience is a dance convention that was founded by Wildabeast Adams (who has been mentioned in my blog many times now) in 2015. As an extremely new convention compared to the rest that will be mentioned, it is CRAZY about how sought afteer this dance convention truly is. BABE (short for BuildaBEAST) always recruits the best of the best choreographers and dancers in the industry that makes every dancer super excited to attend. It is different than any other convention which is what puts it at my #1 spot.

Teachers this season: Wildabeast Adams, Janelle Ginestra, Sean Lew, Kaycee Rice, Jade Chynoweth, Taylor Hatala, Nicole Kirkland (and others not yet listed)

2. 24/7 Dance Convention

24/7 is a well-known and loved dance convention and competition that tours to over 24 states in the U.S. 24/7 always has great teachers and dancers that tours with them as well as having extremely talented dancers that attend the convention, making it very inspiring to go to and watch what happens. One of my favorite things about this convention is the closing show which includes the best of the best competition dances from the weekend which is always a pleasure to watch!

Teachers this season: tWitch, Allison Holker, Brooke Pierotti, Francisco Gella, Lauren Adams, Danny Wallace, Blake Mcgrath, Randi and Hefa, Kayla Kalbfleisch, Jess Hendricks, Jaci Royal, and Nick Young

3. Nuvo

Nuvo is another well-known dance convention that dancers can go to to get instruction from some of the most succesful dancers in the industry. Much like 24/7, the dancers that come here are RIDICULOUS and even though it can be intimidating to watch, it is very exciting to be in a room filled with crazy dancers. Nuvo is convention and a competition which makes for a busy, yet rewarding weekend. I think what sets this convention apart from the others is the level of talent that you see when here.

Teachers this season: Ray Leeper, Travis Wall, Kenny Wormald, Stacey Tookey, Mark Meismer, Jason Parsons, Tucker Barkley, Martha Nichols, Denise Wall, Dana Foglia, Will Loftis, Chantel Aguirre, Kristen Gorski, Ashly Costa, Phil Wright, Ivan Koumaev, and Anthony Morigerato

Growing up as a dancer, there were so many times that I dreamed of being able to take classes from acclaimed choreographers but never got the chance to. Although there are so many talented choreographers that I had the opportunity to work with going to different conventions throughout the years, I used to wish that I would one day get the opportunity to learn from several different choreographers who did not travel to my town. With that being said, I have come up with a list of my dream classes that I would have loved and would still love to take from.

1. Wildabeast Adams and Janelle Ginestra

I am absolutely obsessed with these two choreographers as they are always coming out with cutting edge moves and what they have done in their careers is inspiring. When I first began watching dancers on the internet, these two were some of the first that I would watch and I have not stopped watching since! Not only do I want to learn some of the choreography, but I also want to experience their energy in class as I have heard that it is electrifying.

2. Kyle Hanagami

Kyle Hanagami is the king of viral dance videos and rightfully so. His classes seem so fun because he has so many different styles that he can do and you never know what you are going to get! One thing that I love about his classes is that they are not the generic hip hop classes, they have a touch of jazz and contemporary that take it to a whole new level.

3. Tricia Miranda

Tricia Miranda has also had a lot of videos that have gone viral on the internet and it is because she comes up with the best, hard-hitting choreography. When I watch her on social media, I always wish that she would come to Atlanta so I could take her class.

4. JoJo Gomez

JoJo Gomez has the sassiest choreography and I never really got the chance to do her style of dance growing up since it was more mature. I also love her song choices when she comes up with choreography as it is always something fun and popular that makes you want to get up and dance. JoJo has also done choreography for Demi Lovato which I think is insanely cool!

Today we will be looking at three of the most beloved competition dance shows, Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and World of Dance and find out which is the best competition dance show on tv.

I love a good dance competition show and these three are some of my favorites to watch. But today I want to make one of these shows a champion my book by having a little competition between the shows. Each show will be rated 1-5 on 4 different categories and this is how I will select the winner. 

Judging Criteria:

1. Dancing
2. judges
3. contestants
4. show format 

Dancing with the Stars

First up I am looking at Dancing with the Stars. I love this show because it is so entertaining to watch celebrities learn how to dance and see who has the moves and who doesn’t. I also love the professional dancers on the show as they are incredible dancers while also being incredible people!

1. Dancing: 3/5- I am giving them a 3 out of 5 because although the professionals and some of the contestants on the show are great dancers, it is not the best dancing that I have ever seen on a television show.
2. Judges: 4/5- I LOVE the judges on the show (Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli) especially after getting to know them for many seasons. I think they have a good balance of critique between the three of them
3. Contestants: 4/5- Who doesn’t love the celebrity contestants? They are the basis of this show, and it is really fun to watch all of the celebs learn how to dance
4. Show Format: 5/5- I think the show’s format is incredible as the shows are all live, there is an elimination after every show, and the viewers at home are able to vote for their favorites.

Total score: 16/20

So You Think You Can Dance

Next, I am taking a look at So You Think You Can Dance. This show used to be my all time favorite, however, it has been a bit shaky recently. I love the idea behind the show as they are crowing America’s favorite dancer and it reminds me of American Idol, which was another favorite show of mine.

1. Dancing: 2/5- I thought the dancing for the last season was just okay. They bring in a lot of talented choreographers, however, the performances were not up to par comparing them to the other shows we are looking at.
2. Judges: 3/5- ( Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Vanessa Hudgens, and Stephen “tWitch” Boss) I really like when shows keep judges for many seasons as the viewers get to know and love them. I always enjoy critique from Nigel and Mary Murphy, however this season I hated anything that came out of Vanessa Hudgens mouth and all in all I don’t think their comments were very good.
3. Contestants: 2/5- If I would have been looking at the dancers from 5 or 6 years ago I would have easily given them 5 out of 5 stars, but I was extremely disappointed by the last season that aired. I felt that they did not pick the most talented dancers to be a part of the show and it hurt their ratings a lot.
4. Show Format: 4/5- I really like the format of this show as we get to watch the auditions, watch the live shows, and the viewers are able to vote for their favorite dancers! They way they set up this show allows you to get to know the dancers which makes it really exciting that you get to vote for the winner.

Total Score: 11/20

World of Dance

This dance show is by far the newest on the scene, which makes it really exciting. They have had 2 seasons and they are currently on their 3rd which just started last week! This show takes the best of the best dancers from around the globe and has them compete against each other to have one final World of Dance Champion

1. Dancing: 5/5- The dancing on the show is OUT OF THIS WORLD and is truly some of the best dancing I have ever seen. The dancing and the choreography is just simply amazing.
2. Judges: 4/5- With judges like Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough, and NeYo you can’t really go wrong… I think that most of the time they give great feedback and critique and have a lot of expertise in the field which makes it very exciting to watch. The only thing that I notice is that they are a little inconsistent with their scoring.
3. Contestants: 5/5- This show has the best contestants across the globe which makes this show so great to watch. Every season they find incredible dancers and I always think that they could not have found more talented people.
4. Show Format: 4/5- This is really the only thing that I don’t love about the show. America has no vote whatsoever for the contestants, which makes it less involved for the viewers. However, I love how the different divisions compete against each other and how they do different rounds of the competition.

Total score: 18/20

And the winner is…..

WORLD OF DANCE!!

Based on all of the criteria, this show kills it in every single aspect. If you are looking for a new Dance show to watch, this is it. The first 2 seasons of this show were so amazing, and now I need to catch up on a season 3!

Let me know if you guys agree!

Being a competition dancer can be extremely fun and rewarding, however there are many aspects that make it stressful. Reflecting back on my competition days, there are many things that I wish I would have known or maybe have done differently. 

1. Be confident

The most valuable thing that I learned throughout my dance career was how important it is to be confident in your self. When I was younger, I was not confident in my dance ability and I often went to the back of the room and danced in a corner because I did not think that I was a good as the others in the room. I finally realized that if I wanted to be seen or noticed, that I needed to put myself out there and go to the front of the class. This realization transformed me as a dancer, and it was all due to being confident!

2. Go to class!

Once you graduate or decide to stop dancing, it’s over and you will never be able to have the dance class experience quite like this one. Sure, you can go to other studios and take classes, but it is not going to be the same. I remember there being so many days where I was tired after school or just wanted to hang out with my friends that I dreaded having to go to dance class, and now I would give everything to be able to do that again. So my advice is, take advantage of going to class before it is gone. 

3. Don’t be afraid to stand out

As a dancer, you want to stand out above everyone else for being great at what you do, so don’t be afraid to do that! This kind of goes along with being confident but wear that flashy costume or move yourself to that front and center spot so that you can get the attention that you deserve. I think sometimes dancers get shy about not wanting to be the center of attention because they do not want others to not like them. I specifically remember a dancer who was AMAZING, and she had to ask her dance teachers to stop giving her positive critiques and to stop calling her out in class because the others in her group were not being nice to her. Honestly, this journey is about you and you deserve to be the best that you can be- so stand out!

Alright, guys, I don’t know about y’all but one of my favorite (and more stressful) parts about competing in a dance competition is that you have the opportunity to get all dolled up and do crazy stage makeup. I am currently obsessed with makeup and tend to spend WAY too much money trying out different products and spend way too much time watching beauty influencers on YouTube (If you can’t already tell by my posts- I LOVE YouTube lol). With this being said, choosing the right makeup to use for dance competitions are ticky due to the fact that you get sweaty and you have hot lights shining down on you.

To help you guys out with all of your competition makeup needs, I have compiled a list of items that I think are must-haves!

FACE MAKEUP

So I would argue that this is the most critical part of a dancers makeup routine because if you do not get this right, chances are the rest of your makeup is going to flop. Here are some items for the face I would highly recommend:

1. FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

I think that this foundation is absolutely perfect for those long competition days as this gives you a full-coverage, long-wearing formula that will not budge even after dancing all day long. I also like that it has a matte finish as it will help to cancel out the shine and sweat that dancers tend to get. Also the price of this foundation is really not terrible in comparison to other brands at only $34

2. TARTE Double Duty Beauty Shape Tape Contour Concealer

I have been OBSESSED with this concealer for a while now as it gives an amazing coverage underneath the eyes, as well as doing an amazing job highlighting the face. This formula will also be sure to last throughout the craziest day and it will make your makeup look flawless. This one is on the pricier side at $27, however, I consider it to be worth it.

EYE MAKEUP

Eye makeup is probably the most fun part about doing makeup as you can let your creativity and artistry shine. With that being said, it is also probably the most difficult part of your makeup routine as your competition makeup needs to be bold and dramatic. Here are some amazing products that I think may make your job a little bit easier:

1. ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Sultry Eyeshadow Palette

Anastasia eyeshadow palettes are definitely my favorite palettes that I own. The nice thing about this formula is that it is very easy to blend out the product which allows you to get that perfect smokey eye look that is typically essential for competition makeup. Another reason why this is the perfect palette for competitions is because of the color palette which includes that deep brown, smokey black, and a lot of different metallic shades to play around with. The cool thing about purchasing this palette is that it can also be used to everyday wear so that you can really get a lot of use out of it. This one retails for $45 which is expensive, but totally worth every penny.

So looking back at those stressful mornings trying to speed through my competition makeup routine, the most annoying part was doing winged eyeliner. I feel like it takes a professional to get a perfect winged liner, which I most definitely am not- and you could tell. I actually found out about this product in college, after I was done doing dance competitions, and I wish that I would have known about it before! It really makes the application process easy and it has a great formula that will not budge once you set it in place. This one is going to be $20 and with the amount of ease that it took to use it, I would definitely pick this one up.

Let me know if you guys love these products or have any other recommedations for me!

I have had a ton of amazing dance experiences throughout the years, so many that I could probably write a novel about them. I did competition dance for 12 years, and out of all of those years, I have 2 experiences were truly amazing. If you want to know what those 2 experiences were, keep reading!

1. Mini Muse Experience

When I was 16 years old, I was able to have the experience of a lifetime traveling to Los Angeles, California where I was selected to participate in the 2013 Mini Muse Experience hosted by Jessica Starr. 

The Mini Muse Experience is a week-long dance intensive where I had the opportunity to take class from amazing choreographers (including Kenny Wormald who starred in the remake of Foot Loose… I was shook), take an acting class, take an acrobatics class, and have a photoshoot. 

Traveling to California was a really cool experience, and it was neat to see the dance world in LA. Most working dancers will relocate there because of all of the opportunities that it has, so I was very interested in LA at the time. I was also able to meet a lot of dancers from all over the country, and it was cool to see everyone’s different styles and techniques. 

The Mini Muse experience is actually still happening today, and it is amazing to see how it has evolved. 

2. Applause Talent Nationals 2013 and 2015

Looking back at my competition days, my favorite experiences go back to both of the Nationals that I attended. Both of the Nationals were located in Charleston, South Carolina with Applause Talent, and dance studios from different parts of the country all come together to compete. 

My first Nationals was very memorable for not only the dance aspects, but for the vacation as well! My family very rarely took vacations, so this was exciting that we had a couple of days that we could dedicate to roaming around South Carolina. We were able to spend time at the beach and venture through the quaint town of Charleston. Not to mention the food is incredible there. 

Now to the dancing. My dance studio did extremely well at the competition, and one of the things that set Nationals apart from a regional competition is that they have the Best of the Best round that only the top dances are invited back to perform. This year I had one dance that I got to perform in the Best of the Best round, and I remember the feeling being electric. After performing, we waited on stage to hear the results, and you knew if your dance won if they played your song. After waiting for our category to come up, all of the other dancers and I held hands with each other, hoping that our song would play. The time came, and you guessed it, OUR SONG STARTED PLAYING! I remember it all taking us a second to realize that we had won and there was a lot of celebration. To top off the night, the Best of the Best competition has one final winner out of all of the categories combined, (Solos, duo/trios, large groups, etc.) and a dance from my studio had won it all! Although I was not in that particular dance, it had felt like our studio as a whole had won it all. That was honestly one of the craziest feelings I have ever had. There were lots of tears and hugs going on. 

My second nationals went very similar to the first, I had some time for adventuring through the city as well as another crazy dance experience. This year I was a part of the opening number for the Best of the Best showcase, (only 3 dancers from each studio can participate) and I loved being able to work with the choreographers. For the competition this year, 2 of my dances were selected to participate in the Best of the Best round- I was stoked! Not only did we win our category again, but this time my dance won the overall award! This was my last year competing and we truly ended it with a bang. 

I’m the first to say that winning isn’t everything, but man does it feel good. 

If you’re interested, check out our winning number!

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“Dance is the hidden language of the body of the soul” -Martha Graham