Fun Facts About Dance

Most ballerinas wear out multiple pairs of pointe shoes in a week; for some performers, a single pair is not enough to get through a performance! Now THAT can get expensive!

Did you know that dancers have better than average peripheral vision? Head angles are prescribed by the dance, so dancers have to use their eyes themselves if they want to look to the side, without turning their heads. Not only is this a fun fact about dance, it can be a fun and unique skill to have!

Did you know that what makes the tips of pointe shoes (where the dancer stands) so hard is actually glue? Sometimes it feels like wood or concrete, but pointe shoe makers actually harden the shoes with glue.

Every year, around 6,000 tap dancers tap dance through the streets of New York City in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Think that airport workers handling baggage do a lot of heavy lifting? One of the fun facts about dance is that a male dancer lifts about 1 1/2 tons of ballerinas, in performance only, during his career. Don't bother asking how many tons of lifting he does if all the rehearsals are included....

Making a ballerina tutu can take up to 100 yards (not feet!) of ruffle. Seeing the tutu from this angle, that is, seeing it from the underside, paints a clearer picture of all the material that makes the skirt stand up.

Costumes are expensive! A single tutu can cost $2,000...partly because of all the material and decorations, and partly because it takes about 75 hours to make a single tutu!

Most professional ballet dancers retire sometime in their mid-30's because of the physical demands of ballet. In this field, 'retirement' only means retiring from ballet performance. Most retired dancers go on to teach, choreograph, or even to continue performing, but in a less physically-demanding genre of dance.

Going out dancing for a leisurely evening out together is also good exercise. Instead of going to a movie, try going out dancing together on a Saturday night; casual social dancing is the equivalent of going for a four-mile walk. If you do high-energy salsa dancing, you'll get an even better workout!

Dancers are known to be disciplined, focused, and high achievers who tend to be successful students and hard workers. Young dancers start developing this discipline at a young age, which is just one of the good reasons to sign your son or daughter up for a children's dance class. Not only will he or she have lots of fun, but they will be reaping the benefits, both physically and mentally, for many years to come.