The new school year is fast approaching, and as a dancer there are many things you can do to feel confident for the new opportunities and challenges that brings – but we believe the very best way to feel empowered is to be prepared.

As such, it was exactly this premise which inspired our Back to School 2019 campaign ‘Dance with Confidence’, a tagline born out of the BLOCH ethos that confidence comes from within!

We are — and always have been — firm advocates that only when you’re fully equipped with all the elements needed to succeed in your field of dance, then can you truly excel, and this is something our campaign totally embodies. With our wide range of BLOCH essentials for every genre of dance, dancers can feel fully prepared for the new school year ahead.

A star collaboration

Back to School is one of the most notable periods within the dance calendar and so we wanted to mark the occasion by creating something truly unique. We collaborated with famed street photographer Jordan Matter – renowned for his playful, adventurous shoots that propel dancers out of their comfort zone – on a bold campaign that symbolises all the excitement, energy and fun a new dance year brings.

Thanks to BLOCH, eight young dancers joined Jordan on a crazy adventure through the legendary streets of New York City. Each dancer was fully prepared for the event, dressed head to toe in BLOCH Back to School essentials. Our squad pointed and leaped through such famed landmarks as Central Park, Times Square and the Subway, as well as the city’s flagship BLOCH store, taking on Jordan’s signature dance challenges along the way.

The result? A series of stunning snapshots that perfectly capture the buzz, creativity and eclectic vibe that New York City has to offer – representing the energy, excitement and fun of a new dance year.

“Even before I ever worked with BLOCH, I was starting to utilise their products in my photos. I know they have a great reputation,” said Matter, talking exclusively to Dance Spirit Magazine about the campaign.

"In order to go along with this process, there needed to be a lot of confidence from the dancers," he revealed. "They're going to be engaging with traffic or weather or passersby. It's kind of like, 'dance like nobody's watching,' but everybody's watching."

"The colours really pop, the design is unique, they are creative and visually interesting to look at, and they move well on the dancers' bodies. I would say things like, 'Climb up to the top of that statue,' or 'Run into the middle of the street,' or 'Jump in a fountain’."

"BLOCH gave me the complete freedom to be creative," Matter added. "I think they had a lot of confidence in their own brand — they're living their own slogan!" 

Tips for the top

As part of our campaign, we’re championing three top tips for dancers to follow in order to feel empowered, confident and inspired as they continue to perfect their craft this back to school.

1. BE PREPARED

A key element to excelling in your new school year is to be prepared. Take time to go through your dance school uniform checklist to discover which new dance essentials you will need. Before you go shopping, research into the features and benefits of each piece, that way you’ll understand which are right for you. Tip: Make sure you have a high-quality dance bag filled with all the accessories to see you through each occasion too!

2. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Being comfortable in your own skin starts long before you reach the stage, it begins in the classroom, so practice truly does make perfect. Just like when you fall out of your fouetté turns; when you're doubting your abilities, simply stand up and brush them off. Constructively working through insecurities is how you'll start trusting your skills, which will in turn build confidence.

3. DANCE WITH CONFIDENCE

Our most important piece of advice is to ‘Dance with Confidence’. High jetés or pulling off five pirouettes is an impressive feat for any ballet dancer, but even more extraordinary than perfect technique, is when a dancer beams with pure confidence. You know it when you see it — a light radiates from his or her presence, through every extension and every pore, in an almost unexplainable way. So, this year we encourage you to impress your teachers, friends and classmates by beaming confidence and fully immersing yourself in every new challenge. You’ve got this!

Stock up on BLOCH essentials

But just how can you make sure you’re as prepared and organised as you can be? By stocking up on BLOCH essentials of course! Drafting a checklist of everything you need, making sure to note down all those extra accessories too, will help you on your way to feeling empowered and confident.

We have everything you could possibly need to succeed in the new dance year — from apparel including leotards, Contoursoft tights and skirts, to mix and match separates such as shorts, tops and briefs.

Our renowned footwear range caters to every style of dance, from ballet to tap to contemporary. We offer ballet flats such as the bestselling Performa, available in four shades to suit many skin tones, as well as revolutionary jazz shoes including Phantom, fit with a mouldable suede front sole for feel-the-floor action. Other high-performance favourites include our exclusive Jason Samuels Smith Tap Shoe and super lightweight lifestyle sneaker OMNIA.

For warming up, our Multi-function Bootie is the one to beat, unsurpassed at keeping feet warm and prepared for class and protecting dance shoes en route to the studio. Built with a durable outsole to transport you effortlessly from studio to street, take your pick from black or our new City Map prints.

WATCH: Discover the range and follow the adventure in our exclusive behind the scenes video