Expressing Yourself Through Dance...wear

 

What first attracted my little DD to dance was the costumes. She was terribly shy at school and couldn't even make it through one dance class, never mind the whole season. All of that changed when she saw her first recital. The perfectly made up faces of the dancers, plus the sequins, lace and tutus just sucked her in. She begged to try again, knowing now that the reward for 8 months of hard work was the privilege of sparkling in front of an audience. She wanted to be a princess, and ended up discovering her love of dance along the way. 

Obviously 8 months is a long time for a kid to see a payoff. She wanted at least a taste of what she was working so hard for every week. I sucked it up and started Googling Dance Mom Fashion blogs. Those ladies may be nutso, but their kids are always adorably dressed for dance class. There was one brand that always stood out in all the entries though....

  

Ohhh, California Kisses, where do I begin? Their website lacks an About Us section, so I'll tell you what I know. According to CK's blog, their website launched in 2012, which makes them relatively new in the dancewear world. They're owned by/affiliated with Beach Bunny Swimwear and are based in Irvine, California. Sophia Lucia, the world record holder for the most pirouettes, is their spokesperson. Also, the shipping charges to Canada are astronomical and so far, the line is exclusive to only one shop in Canada, Gabie's Boutique, in Newmarket, ON.

A few weeks after my research spree, while on vacation in Florida, the DD got to try on her very first California Kisses outfit, the Social Sparkler. She was hooked. It was exactly what she was looking for to make her feel as if every practice was a rectial, and every class was a competition. Her confidence level also went way up, because even if she didn't speak out a lot, her outfit did it for her.

I know a lot of studios have a uniform policy. Most schools in our area do. We are fortunate that our studio allows their dancers to dance in whatever they feel comfortable in; as it should be. Dance is a great way for a child to learn discipline and technique, but it's also a way for them to express themselves. Creative dancewear is just another facet of that expression. Without it my DD would probably have given up on dance long ago.