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Taking place in New York on 2nd Nov, join us online for our exclusive Steps on Broadway X BLOCH ballet class with former ABT Principal Maxim Beloserkovsky.
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Watch live at 2PM GMT on @blochdanceusa
A sneak peek behind the scenes as the world's most prestigious Ballet companies begin their day of rehearsals.
Polish off your ballet shoes and prepare to be captivated by your screens as World Ballet Day makes its triumphant return on Wednesday 1st November 2023! This annual celebration marks a day of recognition of one of our favourite forms of dance. Now in its tenth year, this year’s event is hosted by The Royal Ballet, The Australian Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. WBD have announced a dazzling line-up featuring over 60 companies from across the world also taking part, including: Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Australian Ballet, National Ballet of Japan, Royal Academy of Dance, Ballet de Barcelona, Dutch National Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Houston Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre and American Ballet Theatre to name a few.
*Tip: Head to World Ballet Day to set a reminder for each stream to make sure you don’t miss a moment of the action.
]]>Your hard work training as a dancer will inevitably produce some blood, sweat and tears at some point, so keeping a first aid kit with you is a must. A pesky blister from hours en pointe or a scrape on your knee from an intense floor work combo are highly likely, but no need to worry because those bandages tucked away in your dance bag will keep you safe and comfortable.
Tights rip, shoes break and the studio’s temperature could change at any moment, so having an extra stash of dance clothes (including a few spare pairs of tights!) in your bag will come in handy. As you become more experienced, investing in an extra pair of pointe shoes or screws for your tap shoes will also be beneficial for those unforeseen mishaps.
Need to top up on essentials in your dance kit? Shop the full BLOCH dancewear range now for everything you'll need.
The Shim Sham was established in the 1930s, when Leonard Reed and his partner Willie Bryant were in search of a new finale for their act. First known as the “Goofus” routine, the steps (simply heel toe, with other variations, to four eight-bar choruses) became referred to as the Shim Sham, named after a club where the duo regularly performed. The dance was considered a line dance because it was so easy to pick up and required the audience to join in with the movement. This is also a popular choice among swing dancers.
Not only was Shirley Temple a bona fide child Hollywood starlet in the 1930s, dancing alongside tap legends such as Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, but she also pioneered her own moves too. The step (flap R, heel L, heel R, pull toe L heel R, toe L, heel R) was repeated in so many of her iconic movies that it eventually became known as The Shirley Temple. It has also been referred to as the Manhattan or Broadways.
Max Ford was known as a “Buck and Wing” dancer, a dance style inspired by African and Irish influences and popularised on New York stages during the 1880s. Ford first started dancing with “The Four Fords,” along with his three siblings, and was one of the most skilled tappers of his time. The step credited to his name, Maxie Ford, is a four-part step (step R, shuffle L, leap L, toe R) and is still one of the most taught and widely recognisable tap steps today.
The Buffalo, aka Shuffle Off to Buffalo, was created by vaudevillian jig and clog dancer Pat Rooney in the 1880s. As the story goes, Rooney incorporated the travelling shuffle step — repeatedly leaping from one foot (with a bent leg) while shuffling the other (with a straight leg) — into his exit from the stage at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre in Buffalo, New York. The stage manager was supposedly known for refusing not to call a blackout when the dancer’s performance ended.
The son of Pat Rooney Sr.— who was also a vaudevillian entertainer — Rooney Jr. was also credited with making Falling Off the Log a popular tap step. W.C. Fields, an American entertainer in the early 20th century, once famously commented on Rooney’s graceful, fluid style of dancing, saying: “If you did not hear the taps, you would think he was floating over the stage.”
If these icons have inspired you to get toe-tapping, shop our full range of professional tap shoes for adults and children now.
]]>Although tutus and pointe shoes wouldn’t be introduced for several hundred years, there were some elements of choreography modified from popular court dance steps. Fast forward a couple of centuries and ballet continued to morph into a true art.
In the late 1800s ballet flourished in Russia, producing major masters and innovators. Dancer and choreographer Marius Petipa collaborated with Lev Ivanov to create such classics as The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, with scores by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky.
During this period Enrico Cecchetti pioneered his revolutionary technique, which focused more on the individuality of the dancer rather than forcing turnout or adding stylistic flourishes. Under Cecchetti’s tutelage, Anna Pavlova (born in 1881) began studying ballet at the tender age of eight at the Imperial Theatre School in Saint Petersburg. She would later go on to arguably become the very first iconic ballerina.
In the early 20th century, Russian-born Serge Diaghilev formed Ballet Russes in Paris. The groundbreaking company promoted artistic partnerships among young choreographers, composers, designers and dancers, including composers Igor Stravinsky and Claude DeBussy, artists Vasily Kandinsky and Pablo Picasso, and renowned costume designer Coco Chanel.
In 1924, a young George Balanchine left the Soviet Union to join Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes. Dighilev, renowned for spotting talent, quickly let the confident Russian create ballets for the company. Versions of productions, including Michel Fokine’s Les Sylphides and Balanchine’s Apollo and The Prodigal Son, are still widely performed today.
One of the greatest male dancers the world has ever seen, Baryshnikov’s career reached unparalleled heights. He danced professionally with American Ballet Theatre beginning in the 1970s, later becoming the company’s artistic director for ten years.
He went on to choreograph, direct and act on the stage, with star turns in memorable films such as The Turning Point with Shirley MacLaine, and White Nights with Gregory Hines. He even made a notable cameo as one of Carrie Bradshaw's boyfriends in Sex and the City. Baryshnikov is currently the artistic director of the Baryshnikov Arts Centre in New York City.
Born in England in 1919, Fonteyn began her training at the Vic-Wells Ballet School, which would later go on to become The Royal Ballet School. She went on to dance with the school’s official company, The Royal Ballet, performing principal roles in Giselle, Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty, among others.
Fonteyn was later appointed to Prima Ballerina by the Queen Elizabeth II. Aged 42, she famously defied industry norms when, instead of retiring, formed an artistic partnership with Rudolf Nureyev, who was 24 years old.
Renowned as a pioneer of modern dance, Graham didn’t start dancing until 1911 when she was aged 22. She created her own technique that produced 181 works, and trained notable dance legends including Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Alvin Ailey, and Merce Cunningham. Her eponymous company the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City, continues to influence generations today.
Born in 1878, this master hoofer broke down racial barriers with his innovative moves from vaudeville to Broadway stages. He performed his famous "stair dance" on film with child movie star Shirley Temple, as well as legendary tap duo The Nicholas Brothers. He transformed flat-footed shuffle tapping with his up-on-your-toes tapping style that presented a more swing type of rhythm.
Soviet-born ballet dancer, director and choreographer Nureyev is acclaimed for inspiring male artists in ballet and modern dance the world over – and for good reason. After training at the Vaganova Choreographic Institute in Leningrad at 17 years old, the star joined Kirov Ballet in 1958.
His career highlights include a long stint as Guest Artist with The Royal Ballet from 1962 until the mid-1970s, as well as famed performances with stars such as Margot Fonteyn — both of which garnered him international acclaim.
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]]>With its unique ability to unite, inspire and capture the imagination, it's no wonder that the essence of dance has been such a profound source of inspiration for artists throughout the ages, who would attempt to document or capture it within their famed works. Join us as we showcase some of our favourite historical works of art centred around our favourite subject of dance.
This 1862 oil portrait of the famous Spanish ballet dancer Dolores Melea (stage name Lola de Valance) was part of a series of works that Manet painted, reflecting the popular taste for Spanish themes during that time. Manet presents Dolores in the moments before performing on stage, (the theatre audience can be seen to the right of the painting) but in actual fact, he painted her at his studio in Paris and added in the audience later on!
What initially began as a commission for French opera singer Jean-Baptiste Faure (Degas actually ended up delivering a similar piece to Faure entitled The Dance Class) between 1871-1874, The Ballet Class turned out to become one of his most famous dance paintings. Degas was a prolific painter of dancers throughout his career — in fact over half of his artistic output features dancers either on stage, rehearsing or at rest.
One of the most prominent post-impressionist painters, Toulouse-Lautrec is best known for documenting 19th century theatrical life in Paris. The subject of this painting is a ballerina in delicate dancewear comprising of ballet shoes, dance tights and tutu. She appears to be tired, with her hair loose, sat in a slouched position… perhaps she has just finished class?
Completed in 1904, this oil painting by American Realist artist Robert Henri features a beautifully realised portrait of a “Sevillana” dancer (Sevillana being a folk dance from Seville in Spain). In the early part of the 20th Century, Henri was taken by a highly romanticised idea of Spain and was inspired to capture the dancer in traditional Sevillana dress, complete with castanet!
Raoul Dufy had been inspired by his exposure to Henri Matisse’s Fauvist works, resulting in him adopting the style for which he became famous with this early foray into Fauvism. Le Bal Populaire shows couples dancing outdoors, in what appears to be a French town judging by the flags!
An orchestra seated in the background is playing music to which those in the foreground are dancing to. The style, composition and colour of this oil painting combine to create a vitality that beautifully conveys the raw joy of music and dance.
In 1909, Matisse painted the first of two related oil paintings depicting four figures dancing. The arrangement of Matisse’s dancers closely resembles that of Blake’s composition of the fairies in the aforementioned Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing. Dance (I). This is a compositional study for a later painting called The Dance, which was produced for a Russian art collector.
Matisse was particularly fond of Dance (I) saying it was to him: “the overpowering climax of luminosity”. Many people adore this painting for its dreamlike quality and captivating use of heightened pale colours, and it's easy to see why.
Recognise anything here? Artist's Studio "The Dance" incorporates a painting within a painting. Here Lichtenstein recreates an aforementioned work by Matisse, featuring a view of his own studio in 1909 which includes his masterpiece “The Dance” in the background. However, one key difference in style is that Lichtenstein presents Matisse’s dancers through the lens of Pop Art, an art movement for which became his trademark.
As a pioneer of visual arts of the Romantic period, the subject of this 18th century watercolour is the last scene from Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Dancing "hand in hand with fairy grace”, the final scene of the play sees the characters in the painting blessing everyone with best wishes and good fortune, with Puck explaining that the events in the play itself are nothing more than a dream. A Midsummer Night’s Dream has become an extremely popular ballet production since the debut of George Balanchine’s interpretation of the play in 1962.
Keith Haring’s signature art style is highly recognisable across the globe, and his 1987 piece Untitled (Dance) is no exception. Featuring five dancers, Haring utilises vivid primary colours and bold lines to create a sense of movement. As with all his work, Untitled (Dance) creates a sense of fun, life and unity, and what better ways are there to describe dance, right?
Embrace your creativity in the classroom in our comprehensive range of dance apparel, footwear and accessories!
]]>While leotards are perhaps synonymous with dance in many people's mind, the two have not always been so tightly connected. Here we chart this rise and rise of this famous dance staple.
Strange but true! The leotard (or maillot as it was first known) was actually named after a 19th century French acrobat named Jules Léotard, who was renowned for pushing the boundaries of trapeze performance. In his quest to make his act more dramatic, he designed a tight-fitting, one-piece garment intended to show off his physique while giving him unrestricted movement, and so the original style of leotard was born. However, Léotard's maillot design only came to be called a leotard many years after his death in 1870.
Monsieur Léotard's maillot design was initially only intended to be worn by men. As Léotard performed his trapeze act in a circus, his maillot soon became popular among other types of male circus performers too, such as “strong men”.
Nowadays leotards have a universal appeal and are worn for many sports and exercise regimes, amended and tailored to meet the needs of the specific activity for which they are required. Consequently, this basic garment is now worn for ice skating, gymnastics, acting and performance, athletics, cycling and of course dance.
Leotards are still worn by circus performers and acrobats today, and even the modern design of a women's one-piece swimming costume can be mapped back to the leotard.
Since the maillot first appeared, the designs and use of leotards has changed and evolved substantially. In the 1950s, leotards were mostly worn by stage artistes and circus entertainers, but moving towards the 1970s, plain coloured leotards became popular as exercise wear in schools and fitness centres.
In the 1970s, brightly coloured leotards became the style to be seen in. Most leotards were crafted from polyester, however in the 1980s, technological advancement in textile fabrication saw the introduction of Spandex and Lycra —two materials which boast exceptional elastic qualities.
Nowadays, all sorts of materials may be used in the manufacturing of leotards, including cotton, velvet, velour and metallic fabrics. It's also common for them to feature ornate designs and embellishments, especially in the case of gymnastics.
Leotard styles have also evolved over the years, resulting in the configurations of unitards and singlets. Unitards — which are also known as body stockings — are a type of leotard which covers not just the upper body, but the legs as well, and so can be thought of as a leotard with inbuilt tights. Unitards are frequently used by dancers, acrobats, gymnasts, athletes and stage performers.
Singlets are also one-piece garments, but unlike leotards that are cut high above the legs, singlets cover the top part of the legs rather like tight-fitting shorts. Singlets are mostly used in wrestling. Biketards are very similar to singlets in that they are tightly fitted, with inbuilt shorts to cover up to the mid-thigh area. They may be worn by cyclists, wrestlers and rowers, but are also commonly used by dancers and gymnasts too.
Looking back at fashion from the 1970s and 1980s, it's clear that there was a huge shift in trends. An explosion in the popularity of leotards in the 1970s was fuelled by the arrival of disco and the global obsession with aerobic workouts. These designs were promoted by such celebrities as Jane Fonda – who famously put her name to a series of energetic workout videos – and as such, the leotard practically epitomises 1970s fashion.
Men's leotards commonly differ from popular women's styles in several different ways. Firstly, they usually have either lower cut fronts and legs, like the full-seated bottom style, or very high cut fronts and legs, like a thong design. The men's thong leotard is most commonly favoured for ballet and worn with ballet tights over the top, so that no line is visible underneath.
Another major difference between male and female leotards, is that women's styles can often feature sparkles, extra materials, decorations, prints, and colours that are far more feminine and ornate, whereas men's designs tend to be much simpler, usually in a muted colour palette with no decoration.
Inspired to invest in a luxe new leotard for class or performance? Shop our full range now!
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