It's not all Rhinestones and Fake Tans

We love ballroom dancing. And we hate it too.

Wait, what?

That might seem like an odd thing for a dancewear brand to say, but give us a moment to explain. We love the movement. We love the connection. We love the feeling we get out on the floor, after hours of careful practice, when everything comes together and we nail that line. We even love the feeling when we fail, when we don’t get the callback or we fall on the floor, only to be picked back up by our partners, teammates, and coaches as they convince us to keep on trying. We love the attention to detail, the crispness of a tailsuit or the sharpness of winged eyeliner.

We love the dance. We love the pursuit. We love the journey.

But it’s cruel too.

There are subtle and overt signs everywhere that tell us we’re not good enough. That we don’t have the right look. That we’re not the right height, color, shape, or age. That we’re not going to make it. That no matter how hard or long we toil, we’ve been doomed from the outset by some inexorable force that will prevent us from realizing our dance goals. That maybe dancing just isn’t for us. That we’re not progressing or not progressing fast enough, and that, at the end of the day, we’re a failure.

We want you to know, from the bottom of our hearts, that this is bullshit.

Bullshit.

And we don’t swear lightly!

No matter what Instagram or Facebook may subliminally tell you with rose-tinted views of thinly veneered lives, dance is not about a sparkly dress or a fake tan that stands out under the lights. It’s not even about hotel rooms in exotic locations, or fancy lessons with famous instructors. Sure, all of those things are nice, wonderful even, but they’re not what dance is about.

Dance is about human connection. It’s about movement. It’s about taking an emotional journey with our bodies, guided by the music.

It’s about setting out with a goal in mind, and then doing the work over hours, weeks, and months to realize some or all of that vision. It’s about exhausting yourself at practice and then getting up the next day to do it again, not because you have to, but because you want to. It’s about inspiring others with not only your body, but your emotions and heart. It’s about dancing.

And we get it: that may sound a little woo-woo and spacey. Next thing you know, we’re going to be selling you crystals and suggesting dances based on your sign. Don’t worry, we’re not really about that (although if you are, don’t worry, we’re not casting aspersions!).

We are about the long, amazing, joyful journeys that all dancers go through over time. We want to support the hours of time spent in front of a mirror, tirelessly honing your craft. We want to make you feel good about who you are and what you’re doing because, quite frankly, you deserve it.

We believe we can make the dance world just a little better, one T-shirt at a time. Let’s get out there and dance!