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MoveU – Team Store!

MoveU Team Store

MoveU Spirit Wear is a great asset for your team apparel. Our unique designs promise to make you stand out in a crowd and from your opponents. We provide gear for your team, your way.

We are prided with our athletic design devoted to athletes and motivated teams everywhere. We are here to fuel your athletic drive with the latest fashion and the ability to assist you in today’s style trends. Our designs are focused around a comfortable, athletic fit with vibrant colors and customizable options to show off your team’s personality.

Even better? Our team of designers will create an online store just for you, for FREE! Our focus is on making this process as easy on you as possible so that you can focus on what matters. Move U handles all orders and payments. Click here to learn more.

If you’re looking for a way to stand out from your competitors, contact one of our designers to get your one of a kind apparel today.

Just For Kix – take a break & think summer!

2019 Summer Camp Season

            Camp is a place where dancers can grow as an individual, as well as grow and bond as a team. Just For Kix’s highly qualified staff has been studying new ideas, techniques and methods to implement into the 2019 season.

            Why Just For Kix? You and your team will become stronger in body and in spirit. Just For Kix offers classes with outstanding technique in many styles such as kick, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, street jazz, contemporary, musical theatre, pom, drill and field.

            Just For Kix holds dance camps geared towards individual dancers called the Summer Intensive. Here dancers are challenged with a full day of dancing in various styles. The curriculum goes above and beyond to motivate dancers and to help their strength, flexibility, core building and technical training.

            Just For Kix also offers high school dance team camps at seven locations across the nation throughout the summer season. Your team will bond, have fun, train hard, inspire others and be inspired.

MINNESOTA CAMP DATES

Rochester Camp #1 July 17 – 20

Rochester Camp #2 July 21 – 24

Rochester Camp #3 July 25 – 28

INTENSIVE DATES

Fargo Intensive – June 20 – 22

Medina Intensive – July 29 – 31

Brainerd Intensive – Aug 4 – 7

NEARBY STATE DATES and LOCATIONS

You can consider a road trip to another state.  

Iowa:

Council Bluffs, IA July 10 – 12

Storm Lake, IA July 13 – 16

Wisconsin:

Green Bay, WI June 27 – 30

            Just For Kix is committed to helping coaches succeed. Just For Kix camps are dedicated to coach consultation as much as they are geared towards dancers. The staff works hard to surround coaches with technical tools and leadership development.

If you are looking for an event based solely for coaches, check out Just For Kix Coaches Conference. This conference offers industry leading education and consultation. With a handful of classes, you’ll leave feeling more inspired than ever.

With over 30 years of orchestrating nationally accredited dance camps, Just For Kix is sure to be the perfect camp for you and your team this summer. To learn more about what Just For Kix has to offer during the summer season, visit www.justforkix.com/dancecamps.  

Up Next… TRYOUTS

TRYOUTS

Soon, Minnesota high school dance coaches will be moving into their first full week of practices.  Most will start off that week with a tryout of some kind – either to determine their team or to finalize their roster for Varsity, junior varsity and beyond.  Tryouts can be stressful for everyone involved, but the best way to handle this is to over-prepare.  Here are some thoughts that might be helpful!

  1. Communication

Communicating with dancers and parents is paramount and the information needs to be simple and clear – best done in writing.  If plans for tryouts can be written down and shared with everyone, it will save hours of emails and phone calls later on.  Check the plan with the AD and the coaching staff, too, so you have their support.

  • If you are able to quantify parts of tryouts, share that with dancers and parents – for example, Varsity dancers must be able to: execute a triple pirouette, have right and left splits flat, hold a two minute plank, demonstrate four sets of pre-set unlinked kicks with proper technique, show three jumps/leaps. It’s ok to say that small exceptions may be made and it’s also important to tell them that effort and attitude play a part in the selection process.
  • If kids didn’t make the cut, do you have any personal feedback you can share with them? Some tryout panels have one person dedicated to taking notes that can be shared back to students, other coaches provide a list of local alternatives like studios or other dance programs.
  • Everyone looks at Varsity as the place to be, but it’s important for dancers to understand their placement has to be appropriate – age, maturity, responsibility and attitude is just as important as skills. You may even have kids who don’t want a Varsity position because of injury or time commitment.  Does your program have ways to allow those students to continue to participate?  Be sure you’re giving the Varsity positions to the right people!
  • Prepare everyone for the possibility they may not make the team – some kids walk into your tryouts thinking they are “in” – they may not have ever had to try out for anything before.
  • Most kids participate in sports to spend time with their friends – do you consider friendships when creating your rosters?

Finally, communicate an outlet for issues so you are in control of what happens after tryouts.  Having a cooling off period – 24 hours – before contacting the coach is a good way to manage some of the initial anger.  Any process you choose will work as long as you let everyone know what the process is and then you follow through.

  1. Know your Limits

Every coach has some parameters to work within – it could be space constraints for practice – if you have a space that only accommodates 16 bodies, you cannot take on 19 dancers.  If you are the only coach, you need to be realistic on how many dancers you can serve all alone.  Do you have a veteran coaching staff or are you mentoring new coaches, too?  If you have a young team with lots of rookie dancers, you need to factor that into your decisions.  If you’re in a long-term coaching situation, you will want to think about the program as a whole.  Heavy on seniors this year?  What will your team look like next season?  Can you consider taking more underclassmen this year to plan ahead for next year?  How many “projects” can you take on?  The time and attention of the coaching staff cannot be overlooked in the plan for the season – you only have so much time!  Be realistic about what your coaching staff can take on because it can help you be more successful later.

So whether limits are space, time or coach related, you’ll know what you can handle ahead of time so you can plan accordingly.

  1. Stick to the Plan

If you have a plan for tryouts, a process for issues, a limit in mind for team size – you have to stick to the plan.  It can be difficult when you are sitting down to write out those final numbers or lists of names for teams.  Don’t change the plan.  If you tell someone you’ll respond to them after 24, be sure you follow up.  Stick to the plan – or designate some of this type of responsibility to a member of your coaching staff.  If you find yourself making decisions that are hard, it’s ok to sleep on it.  Most kids show you their very best at tryouts.  Judge them for what they are showing you.

Good luck to all teams & coaches during tryouts!

Allison Bridges

MADT Board of Directors

Choreography starts Monday! (10/8)

*This is a repeat posting of a previous topic!

allison_choreography

All of the planning you’ve been doing in your head since February (let’s be honest, since December) is about to become real. Choreography is always an exciting start to the season, but it can also be the most trying two weeks of the year. Having new coaches, captains or choreographers in the mix can be wonderful or challenging. Did you schedule enough time to complete all of the routines you want to finish? Will everyone show up? What do you do when you hit that wall and nothing seems to work? Will everyone be able to work together? How can you make progress without hurting the feelings of the contributors in the room? Here are a few tips to help you through the next 14 days…

  1. Share the Plan

Be sure to have a plan for each day of choreography and share that plan with all of the people involved. Be sure to explain that choreography teams are SET and the number of participants cannot be altered. It’s important for everyone to show up and do their part. Everyone needs to know what the expectations are – for example, you have 4 sessions to make up the JV Kick dance and each session is 2 hours long and you’ll be meeting in Gym B. The JV Kick routine is 52 sets of music, so divided by 4 sessions is 13 sets per session. Each choreography group needs a coach, a way to play music, a music map and someone to take notes/video of the progress. If everyone knows what is expected of them, they have a better chance of meeting or exceeding the goals!

  1. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Sister!)

Don’t make anything too complicated. Tackle the big pieces first and then try to fill in the blanks. Have a music map ready for every routine. (See sample here.) For Kick, start with the height line first and then work through formations & transitions. Once you have those basics in place, go back through the dance and layer on footwork, arms, heads, etc. Jazz can start with the technical sections first, formations and then layers. Don’t try to paint the Mona Lisa in one day. Just get the basics done – you will go back and make changes throughout the week and throughout the season. Don’t make things too difficult at the start!

  1. Don’t get Stuck

There is nothing worse than choreography that doesn’t work out and getting stuck puts most people in a terrible mood. DON’T let that happen! Change the focus and take a break with an ice breaker, a game or a snack. When the team gets back to work, they should have some new momentum. Last resort? It’s ok to re-use your own team’s choreography from previous years – you can use something as a placeholder and continue to tweak and change it into something new as the season progresses. If all else fails, here’s some advice from former EP Pom Coach Anna Bachman-Itman. She said when you get stuck with choreography, start at the beginning of the day and turn each of your “daily routines” into a dance move. Example – getting out of bed, washing your face, brushing your teeth, opening the fridge, making coffee, etc. She walked through the ACTUAL motions and then morphed each movement into a dance move. This simple trick has worked for times I’ve been stuck. Thanks, Coach Anna! J

  1. Never let them see you Sweat

The coaching staff and choreographers will be looking to you for leadership during this time. It’s your time to shine! Don’t get frazzled, even if you are frustrated. Keep calm, keep strong and keep moving. This is not a time to break down, skip sessions or not be present when you are there. You want to stay on task, but you can still be successful if your dances aren’t finished for Day One. Keep the big picture in mind and don’t lose your focus – you’re the captain of the ship!

  1. All the Feelings…

Choreography can be mentally challenging! There’s a strong possibility of having personality clashes or hurt feelings, so head that off by discussing the GOAL and letting everyone know that reaching the goal is the team’s focus. Let people know that input is necessary, but not all ideas will be used. Unused ideas aren’t “bad” – they might not be right or fit into the overall picture. It’s also a good idea to remind everyone what your team’s process is for choreography and who has the final say. Don’t forget to ask the group to be open-minded and flexible when it comes to trying something new. And if you have someone who gets upset, deal with it quickly and privately so it doesn’t fester and become more than it is.

Good luck to all coaches and teams this week!

Allison Bridges
MADT Board of Directors

Swarovski Be Yourself – Rhinestones Unlimited

 

When it comes to Swarovski’s innovations, our clients have always been among our biggest sources of inspiration. This season’s innovations express the desire for uniqueness. Under the motto “Be Yourself,” we have translated this desire into crystal innovations reflecting four aspects of self-discovery: “Check Yourself,” “Find Yourself,” “Excess Yourself,” and “Dress Yourself”. We now invite you to explore them with us.

 

Check Yourself: Vintage crystal and pearl designs are created in modern settings for a younger consumer.  Classics are pushed further by playing with the scale of patterns of checks and tweeds.

 

Dress Yourself: Extravagant designs in handcrafted metals embellished with crystals and pearls emerge as a key direction, highlighting the appreciation of a more sophisticated craft feel.

Excess Yourself: An extreme exaggeration of forms and layering with a focus on the oversized for standout individual style statements.

 

Find Yourself: With mass-produced goods being created at the expense of the environment, a slowdown ethic will result in a focus on heritage and authentic elements.

 

Introducing NEW Crystal LacquerPRO DeLite!  Crystal LacquerPRO DeLite’s five new colors are a beautiful reminder to slow the pace, enjoy Mother Earth’s bounty, and live sustainably. Combine them with color-matching Shimmer or Shiny LacquerPRO effects in designs for jewelry, watches, CRYSTAL LACQUERPRO DELITE FAMILY Shapes apparel and accessories – the subtly highlighted facets will give luxurious depth and opaque sparkle.

The 5 New Colors include:

Crystal Ochre DeLite

Crystal Light Grey DeLite

Crystal Cappuccino DeLite

Crystal Burgundy DeLite

Crystal Army Green DeLite

See full video by visiting Blog.rhinestonesu.com/Swarovski-be-yourself/

 

When it comes to crystal assortments, we’ve always offered the most comprehensive range of colors, effects and articles in the industry; but we’ve now come up with a simplification that will make a big difference to the everyday lives of our customers.  Core Assortment focuses on the 7 most requested colors: Aquamarine, Amethyst, Emerald, Jet, Light Colorado Topaz, Scarlet, and clear Crystal.

 

Fall season is here! Satin Stitches is ready!

 

It’s a new season for Minnesota HS dance teams! At Satin Stitches, we have new options for you and your team. If you don’t have a ‘custom costume’ budget, but still want unique team costumes that will not look the same as the other teams you will be competing against, consider Satin Stitches ‘Customizable’ team outfits. We have been adding stylish and basic dance team options to our Web Store (live link to that page).

 

Our designers have been creating beautiful, glamorous lyrical and funky jazz and kick uniform options for you to fall in love with. All of our Web Store customizable styles are available in a plethora of fabric and color options, so that your selected Web Store style will be ‘your own’. We guarantee that none of your competitor teams will be wearing the same costume.

 

An added bonus is that because all of our styles are ‘predesigned’, the patterns have been created and perfected, shaving off weeks in the delivery timeframe for you. AND you can see exactly how each style looks on a dancer.

 

Because Fall and Winter delivery for FULL CUSTOM Satin Stitches costuming is our busiest time of the year, with GUARANTEED deliveries set at up to 13-week turnaround times, eliminating the costly AND time-consuming design/sample perfecting time-frame, we can offer much faster turnaround times. So if you have procrastinated ordering new team uniforms, check out our Customizable Web Store styles to see what we can do for your team. And don’t hesitate to give us a call to confirm when you can receive delivery.

 

All of our Web Store styles are created with the same care and attention as our FULL CUSTOM with the same attention to detail with the design, the construction and the fit. And no other company offers the short or long torsos that may be needed, with unitards and biketards that are so popular right now.

 

And if you don’t see the fabric option that you are imagining, just give us a call and let us know what you would like. We have access to many more fabrics than what you might see.

5th Annual Angie Ley 5K Event!

Angie Ley (Henderson), a former Totino-Grace E’gal, wife, and mother to Hannah and Max lost her life to metastatic cervical cancer on November 19, 2013. She was an amazing dancer with a smile that radiated positive energy, dedication and strength not only to her team but to everyone she knew and loved throughout her life. Please join the Totino Grace Dance Team as we honor and celebrate Angie with our fourth annual ANGIE LEY 5K that will benefit the Angie Ley Legacy Scholarship Fund.
Race Details:
READY, SET, GLOW!  This year’s ANGIE LEY 5k is an invigorating Glow Run through the neighborhoods surrounding Totino-Grace! It is an exciting race for both the avid and the novice runner to enjoy a glowing experience and course with family and friends. Whether you are a casual walker or an avid runner the ANGIE LEY 5k invites you to be part of the FUN! All participants are encouraged to wear neon for the full glow effect!

Gopher State Events will be providing their race timing services for this event. Results will be online periodically as the event progresses. All finishers will be photographed at the finish line and a link for free picture download will be provided.

Registration Details:
Online registration until August 21th 7am – $35.00
Race Day Registration starts at 6:30pm – $35.00
Race Start Time:  8:30pm
Location: Totino-Grace High School – 1350 Gardena Ave NE, Fridley, MN
Here is the link to donate:
Please feel free to reach out to Kristen Gagnon with questions.

Become a Just For Kix Director

Have you ever considered becoming a Just For Kix Director?  If you have ever wondered what it would be like to run or manage a studio but are not sure how to go about getting started, Just For Kix may be a great match for you.  It is a great way to share your passion for dance and instruction with youth without having to worry about the business side of operating a studio.

Please view the following videos: Video 1 and Video 2

The director serves as the area manager for the program and instructs the majority of the classes.  We offer support, training, marketing materials, accounting, mentorship, special event opportunities, resources etc.  There are no upfront costs involved and our directors receive a competitive commission rate.

If you would like to find out more about what the director position entails, please contact julie@justforkix.com to set up a call and checkout our employment site at www.teamjustforkix.com. You can apply for a position at https://www.justforkix.com/danceclasses/staff/application/step/1/.

 

Tips to build your offseason training plan

Coaches, congratulations on another great season! Take a moment to reflect on all your team has accomplished, as well as taking inventory of how you’d like to build into next season.

The offseason is the time to build all of the foundations. You might wonder how to categorize “foundations.” We’re here to help you get started!

Stamina – Do you want dancers to complete routines with a greater sense of ease? Do you want dancers to look and feel more energetic toward the end of practices? There are 3 major elements that build into stamina:

  1. Cardiovascular conditioning: Include 2-3 base-building days. These are low-intensity workouts (heart rate less than 180 – age), generally 30-60 minutes in length. This can include Pilates, yoga, functional movements, barre and hiking. Also include 1-2 interval days, where activities elevate the heart rate above 180 – age for 1-3 minutes at a time.
  2. Muscle endurance: Think low loads and high repetitions. Start with 10-30 seconds of repetitions or holds, and then build from there. Try to focus on areas where dancers need great muscular endurance. Examples include the single leg bridge, bear hold, and side knee plank clam.
  3. Alignment & coordination for specific skills: Focus on how the head, shoulders, hips and standing leg align for each move. Cueing to proper skeletal alignment will help improve movement efficiency

Power – Do you want dancers to jump higher at the peak of leaping choreography? We’ll share 3 major elements for power development:

  1. Speed & Agility: The T drill serves this purpose well.
  2. Plyometrics: The National Strength & Conditioning Association suggests avoiding box jumps for youth. Instead focus on movements like squat jumps, tuck jumps and skaters. Plyometrics are designed to improve performance; this is accomplished by focusing on form over fatigue. A dancer might perform 1 set of 6-10 focusing on height and technique. This is often followed by several minutes of relative rest so the dancer can perform the best technique again on his/her next turn.
  3. Technique timing: With the dancers’ permission, film can be helpful here. Video analysis allows you and the dancer together to see where the coordination in timing between the body parts can be altered to increase leap height.

Flexibility – Do dancers want straighter knees on kicks and leaps? Flexibility needs to be the dancers’ best friend. It’s important to work on multiple types of flexibility:

  1. Self-myofascial release: Use a foam roller or ball to hold pressure on tender muscle spots for 30 seconds. Learn more: https://youtu.be/NLoiS-cvJGQ
  2. Static stretching: Get the most out of your static stretching by holding each stretch for 4 sets of 30 seconds. Be sure to warm up first!
  3. Dynamic stretching: Include dynamic stretching in your warm ups. Gradually increase range of motion, speed and coordination/direction of all body parts over the course of 10 minutes. Try this dynamic dance warm up to get started: https://youtu.be/zULQmEAH3gA
  4. Seeking a guided plan? – How can each dancer train more efficiently instead of over-training and risking injury?

Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the space between heart beats. HRV monitors are different than heart rate monitors. The HRV score allows athletes to know when to go high intensity and do low-intensity recovery workouts.

Twin Cities Orthopedics’ Dance Medicine division is currently accepting dancers into their Spring & Summer 2018 HRV Dance cohorts.

Dancers receive:

  • 12 training sessions
  • Comprehensive pre-and post-fitness testing, so they see their individual strength, improvements & opportunities
  • Use of the HRV monitors
  • Individualized training modifications within the group session
  • Training supervision

The program is sponsored by TCO, so there is no cost for enrolled teams.

E-mail SpecialtyPrograms@TCOmn.com for information.

 

This article was written by Twin Cities Orthopedics’ Dance Medicine providers for educational purposes. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any medical condition.

To learn more about Twin Cities Orthopedics and our Dance Medicine services, visit TCOmn.com/Blog and Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For questions relating to Dance Medicine, contact SpecialtyPrograms@TCOmn.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TwinCitiesOrthopedics
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/twincitiesortho/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/twincitiesortho

How to Get Started on Your Dance Costume (Even If You Don’t Have Your Team or Funding Yet)

Competition season has wrapped up, your team’s hard work has paid off, and it’s already time to begin planning for next season.

Starting early on your custom dance costume design can save you time, stress, and money, but one of the main constraints we hear is, “I don’t have my team or money yet!” 

No worries, there may be a solve for you! There are ways to get started even without your team assembled OR your funds in place for the year. Read on to find out how.

You Can Start With Your Design and Prototype, Even Without Your Team or Funding!

You can get started with a design and a sample garment, even without your team or funding!  Here’s how:

  • Design: At many custom dance costume companies, you can get your initial design for your dance costume done for FREE. You don’t need to know your quantity or team to start designing!
  • Prototype: Once your design is confirmed, a sample garment will be made. Typically, a 50% deposit for the cost of your order and prototype is required. However, some companies may be willing to let you order the prototype first and pay for the group order later. This means no big deposit is due.

Once your design and sample are done, the last step is production. For your order to move to the next phase, production, your full payment, confirmed sizes and quantities will be due. This part can be done at a later date once you have your team and funding established! 

Why get your sample garment done early? You’ll have peace of mind, sizing can be worked out at auditions, and your delivery date will be secure! 

4 Basic Things You Need to Get Started Early with Your Custom Dance Costumes

Ready to get started? Here are four things you need for design:

1. Your Theme or Concept

A theme or concept will give your costume a clear focus, and every design decision can relate back to that vision. This is essential to begin starting your dance costume design – and often the most fun part! Organize your ideas in a Pinterest board or mood board to effectively communicate with your designers what your custom dance costume vision is.

Looking for inspiration? Check out this post: How to Design a Custom Dance Costume: Finding Inspiration!

2. Your Budget

You don’t need to have your funds together yet, but a budget is essential for your designers to begin. They’ll want to know what you can afford, so your costume isn’t over designed and out of your budget!

If you don’t have your official budget set yet, you can base it off the cost of last year’s costume. As long as you and your designers know a rough estimate of what you have to work with, you can get started on design.

3. An Estimated Number of Performers

If you can provide an approximate number of dancers, this will help determine what discounts are available to you, as well as help with budgeting your estimated cost per costume. Know that you can still get your design AND your prototype finished before your team is assembled. Then once your team roster is finalized, your final order quantity and invoice can be adjusted with your confirmed numbers.

4. Your Estimated Time Frame

Knowing your time frame is the last thing you need to get started. Not only will this secure your “spot” in your costume company’s production schedule, you’ll be able to confirm that your costumes will get to you on time and avoid any rush fees! 

Why Start Designing Early?

We know it’s often difficult to plan ahead, but there are a number of benefits to getting your costume design done early:

1. It’ll Save You Time and Money

It will allow you to take advantage of Early Bird discounts, which can save you up to as much as 5-12%. These discounts don’t sound like much, but combine that with quantity discounts and the savings add up fast (up to 30%)! You’ll also save by avoiding rush fees.

2. It’ll Save You Stress

It will leave you more time to focus on your team practices, events, fundraising, and competition during the rest of the season.

3. You’ll Get Your Custom Costumes Faster

Get your costumes early and with plenty of time to spare – and secure your spot in your dance costume company’s production schedule! Most costume companies get booked fast from August through December (when everyone wants their costume!).  If you plan ahead, you may be able to shave 4-6 weeks off of your lead time!  

4. You’ll Have Time to Rhinestone

DIYing your rhinestones is a great way to save money.  If you order earlier, you’ll have plenty of time to tackle this project! 

So there you have it: starting early can save you so much stress, time, and money.  And it’s possible to do, even if you don’t have your team or funding yet!

You can begin planning as soon as your competition season comes to an end. All you need is your concept, budget, a general number of performers, and your time frame.

Once you confirm your team and secure your funds, you can confirm your final order for production!

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