"Meshies"—mesh tights, crop tops, and overlays—designed to layer over leotards or separates. These sheer pieces emphasize muscle definition and add playful texture without compromising performance.
Thoughtful design innovation fosters confidence and functionality, with support that you can feel through the rigors of dance.
Oh, the joyous, exciting, teensy-bit stressful season of summer intensive preparations! Summer intensives provide wonderful opportunities to grow, and the common advice that “you can only get out of something what you put in” applies in the preparation phase too, so let’s get into it!
First off - many summer intensives will email you a packet with a checklist of things to bring: a particular kind of jazz pant, Therabands for conditioning class, a yoga mat, etc. PLEASE don’t snooze on this. Coming prepared speaks volumes if you’re hoping to make a good impression to make it into a year round program at a top school; but regardless of this factor, having what you need will mean you can focus on enjoying and learning rather than scurrying through the halls begging to borrow something from a friend.
Got the school’s packing list out of the way? Good! Now I’ll share some things that I remember helping me, or that I would bring if I were to be transported back in time to my first ABT intensive!
Summer is such a special time to throw yourself wholly into your artform! Squeeze every bit of joy and learning out of it! You won't regret it!
We've made finding the best dancewear stores in or around New York City easy. Shop at our top picks for dancer favorite dancewear stores in the area.
Widely praised for their vast selection and attentive, helpful staff, this established store near Bryant Park is worth a visit.
Wonderful local shop that's been a part of the dance community for 30 years. They are acclaimed for their knowledgable shoe-fitters and selection of beautiful leotards. Many mention in reviews that it was worth driving for hours to get to this dance shop as it outclasses anything else in the area.
Here under one roof dancers have the advantage of one-stop shopping – high quality shoes and clothing by top designers. They offer the largest selection of ballet, ballroom, jazz, gymnastics and figure skating clothes in the area, as well as being known for expert pointe shoe fitters.
This iconic store, located in the heart of the city, is another wonderful shop to immerse yourself in. Capezio is an institution in the dance world, and this spacious store will remind you why!
Jule Dancewear offers a fashion-forward collection of premium ballet leotards, skirts, and warm-ups designed by dancers, for dancers. Known for their signature mesh detailing and luminous “Jule tones,” the brand blends function and elegance with a modern edge. Orders ship quickly from Austin, TX, making Jule a top online option for dancers seeking standout styles with professional-grade quality.
Picture the satisfied hum of chattering dancers after class. Clomping in new pointe shoes back to their sides of the room to finish sewing that perfect "frankenstein" pinch into the arch of their satin, letting out a few accidental groans as the foam roller hits the low back just where their muscles need it most, rustling in their bag to find that lone legwarmer that keeps going missing. And then there are the ones still in the middle of the studio. Practicing that illusive triple pirouette, drilling entrechecat's, or working out that sticky portion of a bit of choreography that never goes right in rehearsal. Can I tell you something embarrassing? As a professional dancer I was scared to be that person. So crippled by what my peers in the company might think of my efforts or my failures that it felt so much easier just to clomp back to the locker room and pick out my rehearsal leo.... or sit on the side and check my phone. I've since learned about the phrase "self-objectification". I just looked up the definition for us: "Self-objectification is the psychological process where someone views themselves as a physical object to be looked at and evaluated by others, rather than a whole person, internalizing outside pressures to focus on physical appearance." Yeah... that. It is tough to look back on and realize the growth and satisfaction in my craft I missed out on because of that. But it wasn't always that way. As a young dancer my peers and I were all trying to outwork each other. Getting a teacher's attention was the best possible thing. Receiving corrections was the prize we were all shooting for: the sign the teacher saw our efforts and believed in us. What changed?
I ask myself often, "if I could go back, what would I do differently?" The honest answer is that I don't have a perfect answer. I don't have a quick fix I want to prescribe my former self, or you, dear reader, if you find yourself in any kind of a similar pickle. I'll say this: the work IS the prize. The day you stop finding satisfaction in your own growth, the nitty-gritty, the stuff no one really is watching for... that's the day you need to hang up the boots or reassess your relationship with dance. I think joy in the work, joy in the movement, can be lost and found again. Buried under our own self-consciousness or anxiety. Buried under the pressure and the pain of the ballet life. But breakthrough can happen, and mindset shifts CAN be made to bring new confidence and delight to your life in the studio. (If I had met my amazing ballet mindset coach friend earlier in life, I just know I could've gotten a head start on this and enjoyed a bit more of my career.)
So my advice? Seek the satisfaction that comes in growth and mastery over and above the comfort in blending in. Try something tricky. Fall down. Laugh. Ask your peers or coaches for their eyes and corrections. Don't practice the stuff you're already good at for an ego boost. That will get you exactly nowhere. Practice the stuff you're bad at. Just one person bold and humble enough to do this can shift the attitude of a room or even a company. And remember what you fell in love with about dance in the first place. Harness that. Relish it. Move your body because you love to, because you can, because one day your life in the studio might change or disappear and you'll wish you had wrung out all the joy you could.
xx
Your former professional ballerina friend,
Constance
Introducing your new favorite leo, girlies! The Brilliant Leotard boasts an elegant boatneck mesh panel. It's bandeau bustline flatters as it graduates diagonally down the ribcage into a gorgeous scoop back. Other features include a ballet cut leg line and a shelf bra. Hello flattering coverage! With the support you've come to expect and love from Jule, this one will be your best friend in the studio and also pair seamlessly with the rest of the Meshie Collection!
I mean, this one almost makes me want to come out of retirement. Look how gorgeous! And the Meshie pairings are endless!
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