Donating Dancesport Wear to College Teams
- Thread starter latingal
- Start date
UMASSshoesandcostumes
Active Member
It's okay, I hope that those who are interested in donating equipment to college teams will not fail to keep us in mind despite the fact that we are not on the master list. I also just wanted to say what a wonderful idea this is, and that I'm happy that there seem to be so many people interested in donating to college teams! 
Hello everyone!
I'd just like to update the information for Bates College Ballroom Team. My name is Regan and I am the current president. We're still located in Lewiston, ME and are working with a small budget and growing team (which we are very excited about).
We would greatly appreciate any latin/rhythm and standard/smooth costumes/shoes or books on syllabus.
You can reach me via DF
Thank you so much for your consideration! I can't say enough how much we appreciate it!
I'd just like to update the information for Bates College Ballroom Team. My name is Regan and I am the current president. We're still located in Lewiston, ME and are working with a small budget and growing team (which we are very excited about).
We would greatly appreciate any latin/rhythm and standard/smooth costumes/shoes or books on syllabus.
You can reach me via DF
Thank you so much for your consideration! I can't say enough how much we appreciate it!
Bailamosdance
Forum Master
where is the 'master list' please?
I believe that it is on the first page of the discussion
UMASSshoesandcostumes
Active Member
Hello again,
I just wanted to thank your community-- we just got 2 of the loveliest donations that we've ever received in the mail today from donors who contacted us through this list. Our team is super enthused and we could not be more thankful. I really think this is just a lovely idea whoever came up with it.
We would love to continued to be considered for donations. We really can and will use just about anything that anybody is interested in donating to us and will be extremely thankful for it, we have a growing team and in order to continue to outfit everybody we would love to continue to grow our collection in any way possible. Another thing I thought of that we can really use that I didn't include in my original post was any of the smaller necessities for ballroom dance: shoe bags, heel taps, shoe brushes, etc. Even small donations of things like that are greatly appreciated as we are always short on these items and our members either have to do without or buy their own.
I just wanted to thank your community-- we just got 2 of the loveliest donations that we've ever received in the mail today from donors who contacted us through this list. Our team is super enthused and we could not be more thankful. I really think this is just a lovely idea whoever came up with it.
We would love to continued to be considered for donations. We really can and will use just about anything that anybody is interested in donating to us and will be extremely thankful for it, we have a growing team and in order to continue to outfit everybody we would love to continue to grow our collection in any way possible. Another thing I thought of that we can really use that I didn't include in my original post was any of the smaller necessities for ballroom dance: shoe bags, heel taps, shoe brushes, etc. Even small donations of things like that are greatly appreciated as we are always short on these items and our members either have to do without or buy their own.
UMASSshoesandcostumes
Active Member
Oh, no problem at all, actually it was kind of like Christmas as I was unpacking the donations. I took a picture of everything laid out on the table in our office after it was all unpacked which has been circulating via facebook. Our team is so enthused and I have already had several people excitedly coming up to me asking when they can come in to look at the new donations. Several pairs of shoes have already been given on loan to followers who were unhappy with the team shoes they previously had and I could not believe what excellent condition everything was in. All of our team shoes are so worn out, it's such a joy to be able to offer shoes in such good condition. Everyone who has come in so far to look at all the donations cannot believe how beautiful everything is and how lovely our donors are. Admittedly our leaders felt a little left out since they didn't get any new goodies, but still, anything that benefits the team benefits everyone as we see it, so regardless they were happy about it. We rely on support like this and it just does so much for our team just seeing donations such as these come in makes everyone all the more enthusiastic about dancing and everything involved. Thank you.
UMASSshoesandcostumes
Active Member
We do have a facebook page, but the picture I'm talking about is actually on my page and has been shared by other members of our team on our personal pages, not on the team page. If you want to check us out though this is our page (remove the spaces) https: //www. facebook. com/ UMassBallroom?sid=0.5436506113037467
thanks for the link.
Admittedly I am looking at photos that are now 2 yrs old, but um... your team needs help with hair and makeup. Someone with unkempt hair and bad makeup/tan should fix that before seeking a comp-worthy costume. If you bring someone in who can teach everyone at once, it shouldn't be that expensive. Or perhaps you can put a call out to a local advanced collegiate dancer who is willing to advise your team. Sorry if that's harsh, but appearance is a huge part of competitive ballroom. You already know you need proper attire; don't do it half-@$$ed. You don't want to be known as "that scruffy team"
And do you really have a waitlist for the team?!?
Wow.
Admittedly I am looking at photos that are now 2 yrs old, but um... your team needs help with hair and makeup. Someone with unkempt hair and bad makeup/tan should fix that before seeking a comp-worthy costume. If you bring someone in who can teach everyone at once, it shouldn't be that expensive. Or perhaps you can put a call out to a local advanced collegiate dancer who is willing to advise your team. Sorry if that's harsh, but appearance is a huge part of competitive ballroom. You already know you need proper attire; don't do it half-@$$ed. You don't want to be known as "that scruffy team"
And do you really have a waitlist for the team?!?
Wow.
UMASSshoesandcostumes
Active Member
Like you said, 2 year old pictures-- most of the people in the pictures aren't even on the team anymore. I know that what I always tell our Newcomers, and what I was told as a Newcomer, was to pull the hair back so that it's off the face. For Smooth/Standard it should be really up in a bun or a braid or something so it's completely pulled back, but for Latin/Rhythm you have a little more leeway and that it can be a ponytail if you want, but either way it should be off the face. Any fly-aways should be gelled or hairsprayed down so that they are gone.
In regards to makeup I generally tell people to keep it bright-- very red lipstick, a little bit of blush and eye makeup, but keep it classy and not overdone. Does this seem like good advice? If you have anything else I should add to my makeup advice then please let me know-- as shoes and costumes coordinator this also sort of falls under my duties, anything to prepare people for competition.
Yes we do have a waitlist. We have to hold tryouts every semester because our team is really limited by the fact we only have 3 days worth of space available for practices so we just have one day of Newcomer practice, one day of Bronze Practice and one day of Silver Practice-- and if we take too many people not only will those people be crowded, but it will be difficult to teach them as we only have 2 captains, one leader and one follower, teaching the entire team. So we take vaguely 30-40 people a semester (split evenly between leaders and followers), and during the first few weeks of semester some people will drop and we'll take people off the waitlist. In the past we've had a horrible record with keeping our team together though, of those 30-40, half will drop during the first semester and half of those remaining won't come back for a second semester (so like from my semester there are maybe 10 of us left, and as time passes that number lessens, my current partner joined exactly a year before I did and from his semester there are only 3 or 4 left because people leave when their lives get busy), however this changed this year (which is why we are now short on equipment for our team). We started a mentoring program where Bronze and Silver members of the team pair up and each pair takes on 1-2 Newcomer pairs to mentor for the semester. It worked brilliantly, and of our 30-40 from last semester we maybe lost 10 people and all the rest stayed with the team and are incredibly dedicated. And because of the success last semester with our brand new program we can only expect that that success will continue, and we don't have nearly enough equipment to keep up with that kind of growth. It's also causing more problems with team budget and stuff because the school just hasn't depended on us being this large in the past-- but the increased participation is definitely good, either way, and eventually we hope to catch up with it.
In regards to makeup I generally tell people to keep it bright-- very red lipstick, a little bit of blush and eye makeup, but keep it classy and not overdone. Does this seem like good advice? If you have anything else I should add to my makeup advice then please let me know-- as shoes and costumes coordinator this also sort of falls under my duties, anything to prepare people for competition.
Yes we do have a waitlist. We have to hold tryouts every semester because our team is really limited by the fact we only have 3 days worth of space available for practices so we just have one day of Newcomer practice, one day of Bronze Practice and one day of Silver Practice-- and if we take too many people not only will those people be crowded, but it will be difficult to teach them as we only have 2 captains, one leader and one follower, teaching the entire team. So we take vaguely 30-40 people a semester (split evenly between leaders and followers), and during the first few weeks of semester some people will drop and we'll take people off the waitlist. In the past we've had a horrible record with keeping our team together though, of those 30-40, half will drop during the first semester and half of those remaining won't come back for a second semester (so like from my semester there are maybe 10 of us left, and as time passes that number lessens, my current partner joined exactly a year before I did and from his semester there are only 3 or 4 left because people leave when their lives get busy), however this changed this year (which is why we are now short on equipment for our team). We started a mentoring program where Bronze and Silver members of the team pair up and each pair takes on 1-2 Newcomer pairs to mentor for the semester. It worked brilliantly, and of our 30-40 from last semester we maybe lost 10 people and all the rest stayed with the team and are incredibly dedicated. And because of the success last semester with our brand new program we can only expect that that success will continue, and we don't have nearly enough equipment to keep up with that kind of growth. It's also causing more problems with team budget and stuff because the school just hasn't depended on us being this large in the past-- but the increased participation is definitely good, either way, and eventually we hope to catch up with it.
dancerman
Active Member
This is Brian Bercury of Take the Lead Dance Wear, Waltham Massachusetts.
I want to make a donation; some brand new shoes. I have some shoes I have been selling them down but I would rather have a team enjoy them. Reading that shoes are worn and broken just bothered me. I have 1 or 2 pair of closed toe and a small assortment of open toe. Brand is Stephanie. Someone can private message me and we can talk.
I would prefer a New England team and that it be one that REALLY needs them.
If your team is interested send me a private message including, team information, leaders of officers, membership (numbers) and a few details about the team. I would also appreciate if your team would find a like our page on facebook but that is not a condition
We'll call it a class project. No joke. This is several hundred dollars worth of new good quality stuff.
You may see our ad at the top of the page today. We just want to give back as a thank you.
No dancer should be seen without shoes or clothes. The shoes, its just not right. The clothes, downright illegal.
I want to make a donation; some brand new shoes. I have some shoes I have been selling them down but I would rather have a team enjoy them. Reading that shoes are worn and broken just bothered me. I have 1 or 2 pair of closed toe and a small assortment of open toe. Brand is Stephanie. Someone can private message me and we can talk.
I would prefer a New England team and that it be one that REALLY needs them.
If your team is interested send me a private message including, team information, leaders of officers, membership (numbers) and a few details about the team. I would also appreciate if your team would find a like our page on facebook but that is not a condition
We'll call it a class project. No joke. This is several hundred dollars worth of new good quality stuff.
You may see our ad at the top of the page today. We just want to give back as a thank you.
No dancer should be seen without shoes or clothes. The shoes, its just not right. The clothes, downright illegal.