Blog

 

It’s World Kindness Day 2020!!

2020 has been a year — a year when dancers have longed to get back in studios and back on stage, a year where being creative and inspired takes a lot more innovation than usual, a year where health, both physical and mental, is difficult to maintain, a year that has also provided a lot of food for thought and growth in unexpected ways. 

So in what ways can we show a little extra kindness both to ourselves and others??

Take a moment and reflect.  The more we know about ourselves, both as an individual and as a dancer, the more we can continue to grow and pursue the things that are fulfilling to us, get rid of the things that are negative or harmful and find healthy ways to cope and adjust.  Remember: we are not able to control everything — so get rid of the guilt of trying.  We CAN decide how we react and respond — so let’s look at some ideas for self-care and inspiration to carry us through the end of 2020 and into 2021.

 

1. At Home Facials!

It may sound like it’s not a direct solution to everything happening around you, but taking time for relaxation and rejuvenation is important for your mental health.  A simple at-home facial is something I’ve found to be inexpensive both for your time and your budget (and a sheet mask makes it even easier!).  Find one that works best for you — whether it’s acne (mascne anyone??) treatment, skin brightening, calming or moisturizing — there are so many different relaxing options! Branch out and try under-eye masks or décolletage masks -wherever is more of a trouble spot for you!  The great thing is, you simply pull the sheet mask out of the packet, put it on, and voila!  It only takes about 10 minutes and you don’t even have to wash it off, you can just massage the remaining serum into your skin.  It’s your choice – you can put it on and sit with your eyes closed and just focus on your breathing, or you can put it on while you do a few household chores for a little pampering while you work, or you can pop it on while you’re watching a favorite show.  They make great, thoughtful gifts for those in your circle who may also be struggling with anxiety or different stressors.

 

2. Cross-train your art

Your physical training isn’t the only thing that creates beautiful art — you need inspiration from other forms of art!  Whether it’s through a film, a museum (some are open right now if you wear masks and make an appointment!), getting some good headphones and getting lost in some new music, or taking in nature with a walk or a hike or a drive (if it’s getting cold, bundle up so you’re not distracted by shivering the whole time!).  Taking that breath of fresh air, or just changing your surroundings, can do a lot for both your mental health and your inspiration.  Create a change of pace for yourself to shake things up a bit and don’t give in to feeling like everything is shut down and unavailable — art will never stop being created!  Watch some videos of your favorite dancers to remind yourself why you love what you do.  Take notes on what you love about it to help give you clear ideas of what to practice and get excited about.  Just don’t get stuck in front of the computer for too long!  See above idea about getting outside or to a museum! 🙂

 

3. Epsom salt bath + bath bomb

I don’t cook a lot, but this is one of my favorite recipes for relaxation.  You could do just the Epsom salts or just the bath bomb but I mean…why not both.  Provided you have a bath tub, there are few things that seem to relax my whole body at once as well as a good bubble bath.  Take care of your dancer’s body for the long-term and treat your muscles with some TLC.  For tight and sore muscles, the Epsom salts will help relieve both tension and pain.  For the cold months, a hot bath will shake the chill better than your five layers of sweaters and leggings.  If you’re working on increasing flexibility, a bath will help warm up your muscles so they’re willing to stretch and release either before or after activity.  You can personalize your relaxation with scented bath bombs or salts, and let’s be honest, the colors can be pretty fun too — who doesn’t want a multi-colored bath every now and then??  Look up some essential oils and find out which one fits your needs best — lavender for stress relief and sleep, rose for improving mood and reducing anxiety, bergamot for stress relief and skin care, lemon to help with mood and headaches, peppermint for energy, etc. — then either look up how to dilute it, or find a bath bomb that uses it!  Grab a book, a glass of wine, a cup of tea, light some candles, play some soft music, or just relax quietly — you owe it to yourself!

 

4. Water

You’ve hear this a million times, so I’ll keep it brief, but when my schedule gets all mixed up and I’m not taking my usual classes, it often affects me getting out of the habit of drinking water – especially if I’m around the house more.  My favorite solution?  Add a squeeze of fresh lemon to it, or get even fancier and add a splash of cranberry juice + lemon, or try sparkling water with lime!  And then put it in a tumbler to keep it at the temp you prefer and stick a straw in it — I always drink more when I can just sip on a straw!

 

5. Connect!

You have most likely been on social media — maybe more than you want to be — but don’t forget one of the benefits of a studio and being around other dancers. When I am around other dancers, whether I am practicing on my own or whether I am in a class, I always feel more motivated and inspired by seeing other people working on their art.  I love having conversations in between classes, or swapping ideas with other instructors.  These discussions always make me more excited about training and growing my art.  Find ways to connect, even if you aren’t in the same classes or interacting with the same people you were before.  It can be difficult, with limited studio capacities and social distancing even within the class.  Try starting a conversation with the dancers you DO come into contact with — they may be missing the same interactions you are.  Shoot someone a text to see how they’re doing, email some coworkers or fellow dancers about new ideas for continued training, or coordinate  a workout or practice session that you all commit to, even if it’s from your own homes.  It may give you something to discuss or explore further and keep the inspiration flowing for both of you.  Be intentional!

 

6. Create a Routine

One of the challenging things about being at home more often, or not being able to attend the same classes we did before the pandemic is that it can be difficult to feel that you have things to motivate you or look forward to.  It may be a few days before you realize you haven’t done the workouts or stretching you intended to do every day, or you haven’t signed up for the virtual classes you were interested in.  Create a routine for yourself, even if you are at home taking virtual classes or taking a few classes in studio.  Decide on a time you’ll wake up in the morning, pick a workout that works for you, and pick a time that you’ll have it done by — i.e. every morning you do a 20 min yoga practice before breakfast.  That will start your day off with a sense of purpose and accomplishment.  Then create a schedule for the classes you want to take if your studio hasn’t already done that for you.  For example, if you know you have a class scheduled at 5 pm and one at 7, you have the afternoon to get some things done and then get ready for class.  Then the day doesn’t just stretch out before you and the hours fly by before you realize what you did with them.  Then at the end of your day, you can take some down time for yourself and do whatever helps you relax and recover, knowing you accomplished what you set out to do.

 

7. Write it down

Don’t let the things you have learned from this season pass you by.  What new methods of training have you created — whether as a student or as an instructor?  How has implementing more technology actually been helpful?  What dancers have you been able to learn from and what videos did you find helpful?  What have you discovered that you could grow in that you may not have worked on in your regular studio classes?  What was it like not having a mirror for virtual classes?  What at-home routines worked for you and could be continued even as we are able to dance together more?  What self-care did you discover was most helpful for you personally?  It is never one-size-fits-all.  The more we learn about ourselves, the more we are able to maximize what we learn from others and apply it.  Write things down that have been impactful for you as well as the things you have struggled with.  This way we will come out of this season stronger and even more equipped to pursue our art and a healthy lifestyle!

One of our most popular ballroom shoes!

 

Loved for its comfort…

Designed with a cushioned lining
Lower yet fashionably tapered heel
You can even fit orthotics inside!

 

 

 

Loved for its style…

Sparkly satin upper
Suede sole
Fashionably cut at the sides and vamp
Available in Black, Silver & Gold

 

 

Loved for its versatility…

Perfect for social dancing
Perfect for an event like a wedding
— be able to match your dress and
also dance the night away in comfort
Perfect for the ballroom competitor
who needs a lower heel

 

 

 

Our goal is to serve our dancers with the best bodywear & dance shoes, so WE love hearing it when YOU love it!

—————

Emily, a professional ballet dancer in the Twin Cities, decided to try the Capezio Lifeknit Sox while continuing to train at home.

“I bought these socks and I love them!  I took barre in them and they felt wonderful.  They were really supportive, yet I could still feel the floor well.  They give you a little more traction than a regular sock, perfect for a pirouette.”

*Emily with her dog, Rosie 🙂

 

Try them out yourself, and let us know how you like them!

We know you’ve been dancing from home, dancing outside, and just itching to be back dancing in a studio class!  (Perhaps with some floors bigger than your kitchen…)  Good news!  Dance studios around the Twin Cities are holding their summer intensives!

Our aim is always to serve our dancers, both in dance wear and in resources!  So for your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of studios, dates, age groups and class times — plus each studio’s phone number and website where you can get more details.

And as you gather all your dance gear to get ready for these long-awaited intensives, don’t forget!  Grand Jeté is offering 10% off all shoe purchases (per visit) in June!  And if you need to stock up on several items, we offer 15% off a purchase of $400 or more, and 20% off a purchase of $600 or more!

All right, without further ado…here’s the list!!

 

Twin Cities Summer Intensives

 

St. Paul Ballet:  St Paul / 651-219-5741 / spballet.org

-June 15- 26  & Aug 3 – 14 Upper level  M-F   9:30-4:30  (ages 13-22)

-Aug 3-21   Lower level   M-W-F    4:30- 6:30  (ages 10-13)

 

Ballet Co. Laboratory: St. Paul / 651-313-5967 / balletcolaboratory.org

-July 21-30    T-TH  5:30-7:30  (ages 7-10)

-July  20-31    M-W-F   12:30-4:30  (ages 10-15)

-Aug 17-28     M-W-F   12:30-4:30  (ages 10-15)

-July  20-31    M-F  10:30-4:30  (ages 13-20)

-Aug  17-28    M-F  10:30-4:30  (ages 13-20)

 

Minnesota Dance Theatre: Minneapolis / 612-338-0627 / mndance.org

-June 15 – July 3     Level 1   M-TH   1:00-2:00

-June 15 – July 3      Level 2    M-W-F   11:30-1:30

-June 15 – July 3      Level 2      T-TH     11:30-12:30

-June 15 – July 3     Level 3       M-F      10:30-1:45

-June 15 – July 3     Level 4      M-F       9:30-1:00

-June 15 – July 3     Level 5/6  M-F       9:30-1:00

 

Ballet Royale Minnesota:  Lakeville / 952-898-3163 /  balletroyalemn.org

-June 6 -24  Levels  1, 2, Advanced 2, Upper

*See Website for various class options, days and times

 

Secrets of Classical Ballet:  Edina / 612-702-9096 /  info@secretsofballet.com

-July 20 – Aug 7   (ages 8-12)     M-TH   10:00-1:00

-July 20 – Aug 7   (ages 13-17)   M-TH   2:00-5:00

 

Minnesota Ballet Theatre (ARB): Eden Prairie / 612-501-9208 /  academyofrussianballet.com

-July 8 – 19  (Ages 8-22)     M-F     9:00-4:00    (Vaganova syllabus)

 

Ashley Ballet Arts Academy: Golden Valley / 763-703-3920 /  admin@ashleyballetarts.com

-June 15 –19  Level 1  (ages 9-11)

-June 15 –19  Level 2  (ages 11-13)

-June 15 -19  Level 3  (ages 14+)

-June 22-31  Pre-Professional

*See Website for various days and times

 

TU Dance:  St. Paul / 612-605-1925 / tudance.org

July 8-27   Level 1  (ages 11+)  M-F  9:30-1:00

July 8-27   Level 2 (ages 13+)   M-F  11:00-3:00

July 8-27   Level 3 (ages 14-16)  M-F  11:00-3:00

July 29 – Aug 17   Level 4  (ages 17-24)  9:30-4:30

July 29 – Aug 17   Level 5  (ages 17-24)  9:30-4:30

 

Happy Dancing!

Recital season is in full swing, with summer intensives following close behind!  At Grand Jeté, we’re here to help you go into your performances calm and collected with these tips for making sure your dance bag is stocked with all the essentials for a great show!

Keep hair and makeup accessories (like those elusive bobby pins!) in a place you can actually find ’em when you need ’em with the Ainsliewear cosmetic bag.

• Ainsliewear Cosmetic Bag
• Bunheads Bobby Pins
• Bunheads Hair Pins – great for buns and thick hair!
• Bunheads Eyelashes – available in “Lightweight” or “Heavyweight”
• Dasha Performance Earrings – available in post or clip

 

Take care of your feet!  Whether it’s taping toes or making them smell sweet, rolling out muscles or keeping them warm – we have everything you need to make sure you can dance for hours!

• Bloch Warm-up Booties
• Bunheads Toe Tape, KT Tape and more
• Body Wrappers Stirrup Legwarmers
• Sweet Feet Spray
• Foot Rubz Massage Ball and Roller
• Ripstop Shorts & Pants by Body Wrappers
• Gaynor Minden Flexibility Band

• Thera Bands
• Body Wrappers Stirrup Legwarmers
• Bullet Pointe Ripstop Shorts – Reversible!
• Suffolk Butt Glue – don’t let those costumes slip!
• Body Wrappers Romper – super cute & soft!

 

“Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”

~Marilyn Monroe

A dancer’s shoes are an extension of the feet – and we’ve got the tools to make sure they feel good and last as long as they can!

• Bunheads Stitch Kit – a compact essential kit that travels with you!
• Ballroom Heel Caps – in various sizes – protect both your favorite heels as well as the dance floor!
• Bunheads Deodorizing Pouches – absorb moisture & eliminate odor!
• Jet Glue – customize pointe shoes and make them last longer!
• Toe Pads – in various materials, sizes and brands
• Shoe Brush – use on the soles of both pointe shoes and ballroom shoes to create traction
• Bloch Spray Rosin – use it on shoes, ribbons and clothing to prevent slipping – with no mess!

That’s a wrap!

Make your life easier by keeping everything you need together and organized in a durable dance bag with plenty of multi-purpose pockets, different straps/handles and fun designs for both adults and kids!

• Danshuz Hole Punch Tote
• Horizon Kids Sequin Duffle
• Sassi Kids Quilted Tote
• Capezio Ballet Squad Duffle
• Bloch Multi-compartment Tote Bag