What's in ABT Ballerina, Virginia Lensi's Dance Bag?

Oh, the joy of back-to school shopping! I can still smell those erasers and plastic pencil boxes… and as I grew older the excitement extended to the local dance shop; the smell of rosin and leather shoes… and the lines of leotards to choose for my next year’s uniform.

Whether you’re in the same uniform color and wanting a refresh, or needing something different for the level up (so exciting!), Jule has you covered with the most elegant and well-made basic colors(and some fun accessories to boot)!

Your new favorite tank -

The Luster leotard is a supportive ballet leotard with a classic, minimal design and a modest scoop front and back. Tailored to fit like a glove, this professional dance leotard features two layers of nylon in the bust for maximum support—no bra needed! 

The Perfect Cami - 

The Jule Amulet Leotard is the ultimate base layer for dancers who love to mix, match, and layer with our signature Jule-Tone Meshies. Crafted from premium sheen fabric with elegant matte trim, this ballet leotard combines style and functionality in one versatile piece!

For a little sporty-spice - 

The new Gem Leotard features our first ever high-cut ballet leg line. This tank style has dramatic edgy scoops and pairs perfectly with our Free People Movement collaboration tights, (or whatever your studio allows for the rest of your uniform!)

A little something extra - 

These ballet socks in the happiest colors will make your warmup, cooldown, or contemporary class just a wee bit more fun! I mean... butter yellow and strawberry? The cutest!

You really can't go wrong with a Meshie Skirt to finish off the most elegant look in our leos. Made from Jule’s signature soft power mesh, this ballet skirt drapes effortlessly and moves beautifully with the body, highlighting your lines with every step!

You don't have to be a ballerina to benefit from this post, by any means, but all those hours in pointe shoes are brutal on the feet, so this one is targeted for my pointe-girlies!

I'm going to share some of the odd habits, hacks, and drugstore finds that kept me up on those toe-boxes for 14 years. 

1. A good toe-tape. We're looking for hold here. Nexcare has many great options as far as a drugstore brand goes, however many self-adhesive mesh tape or pointe shoe specific options have come on the market since I hung up my boots. Individual preferences vary widely on this kind of thing, so trial-and-error it until you find the perfect tape. Then buy 20 rolls! 
2. Finding the right toe pads for your feet is crucial! I swore by this Capezio Pro Pad during most of my dancing years. It has thin fabric underneath the toes so you can feel the floor but a thin layer of gel protection over the top part of the foot. 
3. Air out those feet!! As soon as the shoes came off at the end of the studio day, my toes were in sandals always. Letting the skin dry out is paramount to prevent fungal infection and unnecessary blistering!
4. Feet up the wall. In between rehearsals - feet up the wall  immediately! It's magic for reviving achy feet. 
5. Many of my friends swore by 2nd Skin Squares on any sore parts of the feet. Inside the pointe shoe. If you have a re-occurring hotspot or blister area, give these a shot! 
6. Baby powder. This one's for my fellow sweaty-feet people. I have extra sweaty feet. More moisture = more friction. (*disclaimer - Do this over carpet...DON'T apply baby powder over a marley floor!  It will become so slippery and everyone will be mad at you. Ask me how I know?!) Ok, so, after taping what needs to be taped, powder those puppies up anywhere there's normally friction or sweat. The powder will absorb extra moisture! Then slip on your toe-pads, tights, and pointe shoes. This really was a life-saver for me.

What did I miss? Share your toe-saving-techniques in the comments!!

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!

• A good water bottle - hydration is KEYYYY. Maybe bring something a little unique so you’re not mixing things up at the back of the room.

• Hairpins that will hold your bun or twist in all day.  Summer intensives bring long days in the studio and you won’t want to be fussing with your hair when you could be going over choreography with friends or jotting down corrections! (These particular ones I linked are known for their phenomenal hold!)
• A solid pair of legwarmers. There may very well be breaks between classes where your body will thank you soooo much if you can keep it warm and loose. Always have those legwarmers at the ready to toss on your legs as soon as class is over and they will really help your body.
• A portable notebook - my home-studio teachers always held us accountable to write down our corrections weekly. This served me SO well during summer intensives too when I had a flood of information and feedback. I’d revisit those corrections during the year too and continue to work on them. Don’t let an ounce of your summer opportunities be wasted… write it all down in the evening (with your feet in an ice-bath perhaps?) and thank yourself later!
• Plastic container for ice-baths - I wasn’t kidding about the ice-baths! You will likely come home or back to the dorm with aching, exhausted feet every evening. If you think you’ll have ice easily available after studio hours, fill up a plastic container (even a trashcan will work in a pinch) with water and as much ice as you can handle. Set a 15 minute timer, grab a magazine and a snack. Your feet will come out feeling 10x better than before, I promise!
  

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.