Dance To EvOLvE
Most dance classes require a ton of energy, focus, and strength. Dancers and teachers need to be fuelling their bodies in a healthy way so as to be able to…
Welcome to Dance to Evolve
What eat and drink before and after dance classes
Most dance classes require a ton of energy, focus, and strength. Dancers and teachers need to be fuelling their bodies in a healthy way so as to be able to bust a move.
Having a good snack before and after can really help with muscle soreness, cramps, energy levels, attention span, and comfort. You may want to adjust how much or little is consumed depending on how many classes are taken in a row and how physically demanding they are. This applies to little ones taking dance classes as well.
What to avoid before dance classes:
Candy:
Sugar highs or crashes make focusing very difficult on anyone. (Be nice to your dance teacher too!)
Processed foods:
Food that is difficult to digest and low in protein sucks up energy.
Big meals:
When dancers are too full it can make them lethargic, nauseous, or cramp easily.
Soda:
Soda is just bad in general because it can cause dehydration and add unnecessary sugar to the body.
Fried/fast foods:
These types of foods can easily cause an upset stomach, bloating, or gas while dancing.
Not eating at all before Dance classes:
Feeling hungry in the middle of dance class is distracting, hard on the body, and can cause fatigue. You want your dancer to pay attention in class to get your money’s worth, right?
Cigarettes:
Do we need to say more? Smoking or second hand smoke makes it that much more difficult to breathe properly and is terrible for dancers in general. One’s endurance and overall health will suffer greatly from smoking or being exposed to it regularly.
One more thing:
Be careful with energy drinks, sports bars and sport drinks. There is a huge stereotype that these are needed for exercise but they are completely overused and not usually necessary. Many of them are highly processed, difficult for the body to digest, and loaded with sugar. Check the nutrition labels to find the healthy and natural options.
What dancers should eat and drink before classes:
Protein:
Protein provides the body with energy that it needs and can be filling in small amounts without making the dancer feel too full.
Fruit and vegetables:
These can be light, healthy snacks to give you just what you need to get through dance class. Try mixing them with a little dairy or protein for more energy.
Whole grains:
Good carbs help fuel the body for long periods of time.
Water:
Drink plain old water before, during and after class to avoid dehydration and fatigue.
Potassium:
Plenty of potassium can help with cramping and muscle soreness if the dancer is really pushing their body hard. Good examples include peanut butter and banana, apple with cheese, half of a tuna sandwich, veggies with a yogurt dip, avocado on wheat toast or a small smoothie.
What to eat or drink after dance classes:
Water:
Hydrating after class flushes out toxins, helps with muscle soreness, and prevents dehydration.
Fruit:
Fresh fruits are good to eat after you dance because your body uses so much glucose during high levels of exercise. Fresh fruit will help replace that and aid in muscle development. Not to mention, fresh fruit juice is refreshing, light, and yummy!
Potassium:
Avoid muscle cramping and soreness by eating raisins, potatoes, bananas, tomato products, cooked spinach and yogurt, all of which are high in potassium.
Protein:
Refuel the body after expending so much energy by consuming meats, nuts, cheese or beans.
Last word:
If we treat our bodies right, we can expect better results during dance class. It is important to encourage healthy eating habits in dancers so we help prevent harmful eating disorders. When dancers are unhealthy, they are more prone to injury, fatigue, soreness, stress and stagnation with their development. If you see unhealthy habits at your studio, please speak up. Stay fit, focused and strong the healthy way.
“Thank you for all that you and your team have done for the community. My young dancer was a member for almost 2 years with Dance To EvOLvE San Diego and loved every single moment.”
Parent of a 5-Year Old in Star Shiners
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“Just want to say that Ms. Shirley is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. She is great…so full of energy and there is not one dull moment in class. Ms. Shirley keeps them engaged the whole time and my daughter can get quite bored and distracted quickly and she stays involved the entire class with Ms. Shirley…so I just wanted to say thank you!”
Parent of a 5-Year Old in Star Shiners
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“We first discovered Dance to EvOLvE through a free dance program they put on at the local library. Since then, my daughter has been taking a Tiny Movers class for almost a year now (tap/ballet combo) and she absolutely loves it! Miss Amy is an AWESOME teacher! She is very knowledgeable about dance and makes the classes fun, age-appropriate, and encouraging for the kids. We’ve done a few makeup classes also and all the other teachers we encountered were so friendly, professional, and great with the kids. The company makeup policy is very flexible, which was so helpful when we had to miss class due to illness or travel. My daughter recently participated in her first recital and it was SO GREAT! The teachers did an incredible job preparing for a quality show. The dances were eclectic, the costumes were top-notch, the price was reasonable, and the kids seemed to have a great time! Overall, we have LOVED our experience with Dance to EvOLvE and plan to continue classes this summer and fall and beyond. We highly recommend this company if you’re looking for dance classes for your child!”
Parent Of A 3-Year Old in Tiny Movers
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“Brittany White is a consummate professional who has created a unique and outstanding dance instruction enterprise with Dance to EvOLvE. From the moment I met Brittany and she presented her teaching concept to me, I was sold! I was fortunate to have Brittany and her staff teach dance to my middle school students at a large and successful after school program for several years. EvOLvE staff did not just instruct dance, but showed the students how to choreograph their own dances, a skill and talent that will last them their lifetimes. The EvOLvE student dancers loved their dance classes and teachers very much! I watched students transform from shy and reserved to outgoing and adventurous dancers and choreographers under EvOLvE’s tutelage. Both the dance classes and all student performances were truly first class. Brittany is also an excellent and well organized event planner on top of her knowledge of dance and teaching. I highly recommend Brittany White and Dance to EvOLvE!”
Parent of a 5-Year Old in Star Shiners
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“My daughter is constantly playing ‘I’m Ms. Sara and you’re taking my dance class.’ She uses all the terms she has learned– passé, arabesque, heel-toe, etc. and leads her little sister, her dad and myself in a class, helping us out if we are doing a move incorrectly. She even gives us a sticker on our hand and a hug when ‘class’ is over. :-)”
Parent of a 5-Year Old in Star Shiners
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“I enrolled my daughter in a tap/ballet class through our community rec center. The instructors with Dance to EvOLvE provided age-appropriate direction for the children, and kept it fun and engaging for the hour-long class! My daughter absolutely loved class. I’ll definitely be signing her up for the next semester!”
Parent of a 2-year old in Magical Munchkins
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“Thank you so much! I know that my daughter will enjoy this season. EvOLvE has been a great experience for her! We were so surprised and pleased when we saw her get up in front of an audience and introduce a dance number and more than one! That is something she would never have done before EvOLvE.”
Parent Of A 3-Year Old in Tiny Movers
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“Miss Dianna…All your dance classes are wonderful! You do amazing things with the kids!”
A Parent of a Superhero Summer Dance Camper:
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“We have only just started dance classes with our 2 year old but my daughter loves it so far and cannot wait to go to her next class. Miss Megan is a great teacher, very patient and positively reinforcing with the little kiddos. I highly recommend both Miss Megan and the organization as a whole.”
Parent of a 2-year old in Magical Munchkins
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“You guys are so great! I am always surprised what you can bring together in a week!”
A Parent of a Camper at our Summer Dance Camp:
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“I wanted to let you know how much we absolutely loved the recital. It was so well done and so much fun. Having the teachers dance at the end was a fun surprise and we really enjoyed that! My daughter started taking classes with EvOLvE in April and this is her first experience with dance. We adore her teacher, she is so wonderful with the girls. Thank you for making her first dance recital such a wonderful experience for her. She’s still doing her tap dance all over the house!”
Parent Of A 3-Year Old in Tiny Movers
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“I saw a review of EvOLvE come up in my Yelp feed and decided to give it a try. My daughter is 2.5 and the ballet/tap class was exactly what I was looking for! Short (45min), simply and fun! Her teacher was absolutely wonderful! She is bright, sweet, encouraging yet strict. All the girls were having a great time! If you’re looking for a hard core competitive dance class for your child this is not for you but if you want something easy and fun then sign up! Prices are very reasonable too!”
Parent of a 2-year old in Magical Munchkins
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“We enrolled the girls on Saturday and they loved the class! They’re also really excited to be doing tap for the recital this year! My husband and I were just talking about how much we appreciate the high quality program you run at EvOLvE. Thanks to all of you for the wonderful job you do with our children!”
Parent of a 2-year old in Magical Munchkins
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“My daughter is currently enrolled in the Saturday class and I plan to sign her up again for the fall session. She really loves the teacher, Miss Andrea.”
“So happy to see the progress in the parent observation class today. Just wanted to share how extremely happy we are with our experience here. Miss Andrea has done an AMAZING job with my daughter and helping her develop a love for dance! Thank you for an excellent experience!”
“Ms Andrea has developed such a wonderful rapport with all the students. My daughter is extremely shy and following a year of instruction at another ballet school we decided to try Dance To EvOLvE. My daughter has since blossomed and has really developed a love for dance and I think that is attributed to the great job Miss Andrea has done.”
Parent of a 5-Year Old in Star Shiners
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“Our daughter is loving the Tap/Ballet class in Orange with Ms. Brittany. I am so impressed with the quality of this program. Ms. Brittany and the team have made it such a wonderful experience for her!.”
Parent Of A 3-Year Old in Tiny Movers
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“My daughter attended tap/ballet dance class [at the rec center] on Saturdays. She told her teacher that she’d see her next Saturday. That’s a glowing review from a 4 year-old.”
Parent of a 5-Year Old in Star Shiners
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“We started with Dance To EvOLvE a few months ago, and my daughter loves it! Miss Megan is so patient with the girls and does such a good job on keeping them focused! We will continue to attend the tap and ballet combo class and I would recommend it to anyone with kids boys or girls!”
Parent of a 2-year old in Magical Munchkins
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“We love Dance to EvOLvE! We started in the Magical Munchkins class when my daughter was two. It was so hard to find a class for that age, and this one was perfect. Super fun and quick pace to keep their attention, my daughter loved it. She has now been going non-stop (just took 2 months off for summer) and she looks forward to it every week (as do I)! She has now moved up to the Star Shiners class, and is learning a lot. She loves practicing her moves at home. If you are looking for a non-competitive and fun environment to learn dance, this is a great option.”
Parent of a 2-year old in Magical Munchkins and a 5-Year Old in Star Shiners
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“I love what dance class is doing for my daughter. She’s a really shy little girl. Since taking these classes, she’s really come out of her shell. She’s created new friendships as well. Ms. Andrea is amazing with all the little girls. My daughter talks about what Ms. Andrea taught her as soon as we get home.”
Parent Of A 3-Year Old in Tiny Movers
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“We were not going to have Liliana in the recital and changed our minds. I thought she would just stand there on stage but she really enjoyed herself today. I want to thank you guys, especially Andrea, for helping my little shy girl come out of her shell a bit more. She is really loving dance and pretty much spends the whole day moving and singing.”
Parent of a 5-Year Old in Star Shiners
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“Miss B, you are just the best teacher. I feel like I have found Juilliard for my 4-year old.🙂I am telling all my friends as EvOLvE is the best program.”
Parent Of A 3-Year Old in Tiny Movers
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“Joy walks around singing the song she learned in dance class and it’s adorable! Thank you for bringing so much happiness to all of us! This is Joy’s first dance class and she is hooked.”
Parent of a 6-Year Old In Ballet Dance Classes
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“This was our first recital and a fantastic experience for our daughter (4 yr). We had a terrific time!”
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“I just wanted to let you know howimpressed we all were with the showcase. It was obvious that you and thevolunteersput enormous effort into it. We were also pleased withCielo’sperformance. She looked likeshe was really having fun andenjoying being on stage. I think that is one of the most important things.”
A Parent of a 6-Year Old In Ballet Dance Classes
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“Thanks for a great show and for making dance class so funfor Maddie.”
A Tiny Mover's Mom
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“You did an amazing job today at the showcase! Thank you so much for being an inspiration and for being so patient and kind with your students. Your volunteers were very organized and had a smile on their face the entire time they were working.”
Parent of a 5-Year Old in Star Shiners
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“Sarah is WONDERFUL. She is so sweet and good to the kids in dance class. Ilsa really likes her. She’s a great dance instructor!”
Parent of a 5-Year Old in Star Shiners
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“I also wanted to let you know how much we absolutely loved the recital. It was so well done and so much fun. Having the teachers dance at the end was a fun surprise and we really enjoyed that! My daughter started taking classes with EvOLvE in April and this is her first experience with dance. We adore Miss Jenny and she is so wonderful with the girls. Thank you for making her first dance recital such a wonderful experience for her. She’s still doing her tap dance all over the house!”
Parent Of A 3-Year Old in Tiny Movers
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