What don't you skimp on that's related to (or pretty closely peripheral to) your dancing? What would you tell others in your postion NOT to ever skimp on?
1. Dance shoes. They have to fit just right, they have to be well-made and built to last, or the parts have to be replaceable enough that they can be fixed and carried on until the next pair comes along, because that might be every four to six months. If I can find this for forty bucks, I'm happy. If I have to go higher, I do that.
2. Dance slacks. They have to be that stretchy lycra/nylon "department store separates" style blend (open to other suggestions PLEASE) that is easy to hand wash, the black doesn't fade to really really purple, and they have to move and stretch and give every which way without pilling, snagging, or taking on ugly quickly.
3. Cosmetics that don't melt, cake, run, or otherwise fail when I sweat. The essentials are eye/face primer, eyeliner, mascara, a foundation of some kind (I can't make my mind up between cream and powder).
4. Hair product that doesn't melt and run when I sweat, and withstands frizzy/staticky situations. I use a cream, then a finishing spray, and a giant Goody bear-trap clamp so that it doesn't fall down or frizz if I'm active.
5. Shoe brush. There are some that are cheap, but they're also made cheaply- the bristles are too thin and flimsy and straighten and dull very quickly. They also do more to pull the nap/suede out of the shoe than to just keep it roughed up right.
6. Mints. I know that seems stupid, but have you noticed some of them freshen your breath until they're gone, then they leave a really foul after-taste that you think you can smell? Gross.
7. Hand sanitizer. Purell. The dollar stuff smells like really cheap tequila, and I personally don't want my dance people to think I'm a souse.
Upon what criteria are my picks based?
I dance at least five days a week, usually seven days a week, my time on the floor is either dancing or teaching/demonstrating dance. I also spend a good deal of my time in a car traveling to and from class, so my clothes have to not reflect that. I'm a chubby, sweaty person with red cheeks so my makeup has to hide the red and stay on during the waterworks. I dance on both good hardwood dance floors and really crappy concrete tile floors, so my shoes need not fail me.
Clarification- When I say "skimp", I don't necessarily mean "I will pay the absolute most for this item at all costs, regardless of other options available." I mean that I will take my time researching, trying, and finding the right one- if I have to pay more, so be it, but it'd be much nicer to come across it on sale. When I find it, I stick with it until I can't get it anymore (which usually happens, and that is SO frustrating!).
1. Dance shoes. They have to fit just right, they have to be well-made and built to last, or the parts have to be replaceable enough that they can be fixed and carried on until the next pair comes along, because that might be every four to six months. If I can find this for forty bucks, I'm happy. If I have to go higher, I do that.
2. Dance slacks. They have to be that stretchy lycra/nylon "department store separates" style blend (open to other suggestions PLEASE) that is easy to hand wash, the black doesn't fade to really really purple, and they have to move and stretch and give every which way without pilling, snagging, or taking on ugly quickly.
3. Cosmetics that don't melt, cake, run, or otherwise fail when I sweat. The essentials are eye/face primer, eyeliner, mascara, a foundation of some kind (I can't make my mind up between cream and powder).
4. Hair product that doesn't melt and run when I sweat, and withstands frizzy/staticky situations. I use a cream, then a finishing spray, and a giant Goody bear-trap clamp so that it doesn't fall down or frizz if I'm active.
5. Shoe brush. There are some that are cheap, but they're also made cheaply- the bristles are too thin and flimsy and straighten and dull very quickly. They also do more to pull the nap/suede out of the shoe than to just keep it roughed up right.
6. Mints. I know that seems stupid, but have you noticed some of them freshen your breath until they're gone, then they leave a really foul after-taste that you think you can smell? Gross.
7. Hand sanitizer. Purell. The dollar stuff smells like really cheap tequila, and I personally don't want my dance people to think I'm a souse.
Upon what criteria are my picks based?
I dance at least five days a week, usually seven days a week, my time on the floor is either dancing or teaching/demonstrating dance. I also spend a good deal of my time in a car traveling to and from class, so my clothes have to not reflect that. I'm a chubby, sweaty person with red cheeks so my makeup has to hide the red and stay on during the waterworks. I dance on both good hardwood dance floors and really crappy concrete tile floors, so my shoes need not fail me.
Clarification- When I say "skimp", I don't necessarily mean "I will pay the absolute most for this item at all costs, regardless of other options available." I mean that I will take my time researching, trying, and finding the right one- if I have to pay more, so be it, but it'd be much nicer to come across it on sale. When I find it, I stick with it until I can't get it anymore (which usually happens, and that is SO frustrating!).
I have seen those stones before and they are a much better alternative than acrylic Korean stones.
