Dancewear Central

As part of our Ask a Dance Teacher series, we ask Johanna Hadley how can you improve your turnout in ballet? Johanna takes you through a series of exercises to help improve your turnout. Structure of the hip V lack of strength The first thing I’m going to talk about is the difference between the turnout being limited from the structure of the hip or because of lack of strength. It’s important to identify the differences between these two problems for turnout. So in a minute I’m just going to... Read More

As part of our Ask a Dance Teacher series, we ask Johanna Hadley does ballet ruin your feet? Watch to find out what she says. Dance training from an early age We’ve all seen the horrifying pictures of dancers feet covered in blisters and heard the horror stories that go along with them. But I often think that a lot of it does depend on the training that the dancer has received when they are younger. Obviously if you haven’t been corrected on things like our feet rolling, then that’s... Read More

As part of our Ask a Dance Teacher series, dance teacher Johanna Hadley takes us through why a dance sneaker is designed specifically for dancers, and how it differs from a normal sneaker or trainer. Dance teachers V high street trainers There are many different styles of dance sneakers available. If you’re waiting for your dance sneakers to arrive and are considering whether you should use trainers in the meantime, I’m going to show you a pair of Bloch dance sneakers and hopefully you can really see the big differences... Read More

For our series Ask A Dance Teacher, we asked ballet teacher Johanna Hadley some common questions about ballet training. Our question was, “How can we make our ballet shoes less slippery?” Watch our video and find out:. Check your dance floor If you are struggling with slippery ballet shoes the first thing I would recommend that you do is to check the flooring that you’re dancing on. I’ve normally found that it’s not actually the shoes that are causing the problem but the flooring. So check for things like, is... Read More

For our series Ask A Dance Teacher, we asked ballet teacher Johanna Hadley some common questions about ballet training. Our question was, “Which leotards are best for ballet?” Watch our video and find out which leotards are best for ballet. Johanna says: Leotards are an important part of a ballet dancer’s training. Wearing a leotard allows the dancer to move freely and safely without any material restricting the movement. It also allows the teacher to see the positions of the dancer clearly and to check their alignment and posture is... Read More

For our series Ask A Dance Teacher, we asked dance teacher Johanna Hadley some common questions about ballet training. Our question was, “Which type of dance is best for a teenage beginner?” Johanna says: I think the first thing a teenage beginner needs to think about is their reason for wanting to start dancing. Dance can be a great, fun form of exercise for people of all ages, so you want to find a style and school that matches your needs. If you’re thinking about dancing as a career, then... Read More

For our series Ask A Dance Teacher, we asked dance teacher Johanna Hadley some common questions about ballet training. Our question was, “Which type of dance is best for a toddler?” Johanna says: One of the most important factors for a very young dancer is the development of basic skills. Classes for this age group should emphasise the fundamental movements (walking, running, skipping), spatial awareness, imagination, development of musical and rhythmical awareness, and motor skills and proprioception in a fun and friendly environment. Dance for toddlers shouldn’t be too formalised... Read More

For our series Ask A Dance Teacher, we asked ballet teacher Johanna Hadley some common questions about ballet training. Our question was, “What other exercises should a ballet dancer do?” Johanna says: Many year ago, it was thought that dancers should only train in ballet. Research into injuries has discovered that this is not the case, however. Dancers are now encouraged to cross train to build overall strength. I think that most dancers are scared of over-building muscles – however, strength and injury prevention must be the priority. If only... Read More

For our series Ask A Dance Teacher, we asked ballet teacher Johanna Hadley some common questions about ballet training. Our question was, “Do ballet shoes have a left and right?” Johanna says: Ballet shoes don’t have a left and right – they’re both made identically. I will admit that when you look at a brand new pair of shoes, sometimes one looks like it would fit better on the right and the other better on the left, but this is just the way the material is falling.  What the dancer... Read More