Derek and Julianne Hough are ballroom dancers—but they’ve had the kind of wide-ranging commercial careers that, only a couple of decades ago, would have been hard for most ballroom dancers to imagine. Today, the two might be the most recognizable dancers in popular culture. But their next project shifts the spotlight away from their own dancing and shines it on students instead: This fall, in partnership with the company DanceOne, they’re launching a dance tour called Ovation by DanceOne, which merges ballroom and commercial competition traditions into one event. 

How can students leave it all on the floor without hurting themselves? Ensuring that both teachers and dancers approach these rigorous weekends with safety in mind can go a long way toward preventing frequent convention injuries.

Winning the title of “Mr. or Miss [insert competition name here]” has long been considered the pinnacle of a competitive career. For decades, whether dancers actually identified with those gendered accolades—or the many other gender-based features of competition and convention weekends—was hardly ever questioned. Slowly, that’s beginning to change.

Over the last decade, top dancers from the convention circuit have chosen, in increasing numbers, to attend college programs after high school. As students’ pathways have shifted, competitions and conventions are increasingly creating pathways to college, as well, through scholarship and enrollment auditions.

For many, attending dance conventions is the cherry on top of their training—the boost that takes them from talented dancer to bonafide artist. But it’s not just the dance classes that make the difference. It’s opportunities like informal networking and industry seminars that give you a leg up. What’s offered, and how can you take […]

By the Sunday evening of a long convention weekend, you can expect to be thoroughly exhausted and a little sore. But you shouldn’t leave the hotel ballroom actually hurt. Although conventions can be filled with magical opportunities, the potential for injury is higher than usual. Keep your body safe: Watch out for these four common […]

As studios in South Texas begin to dig out from the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, the dance community has a message: We’re here to help. Gil Stroming , owner of Break The Floor (which produces epic conventions like JUMP and Dancer Palooza), has pledged to donate $25,000 directly to studio owners directly affected by […]