WINNER: Congratulations to bazek!
While we’re on the subject of dancing. I took tap dancing classes most of my childhood. I was a huge Gene Kelly fan and couldn’t get enough of wearing my shiny black tap shoes and doing “shuffle, ball changes” throughout our apartment. But my mom could have done without the dents and scuff marks on our floors. And I’m sure our downstairs neighbors wished I liked ballet more, but I had tap dancing in my soul.
Practice makes perfect, especially for young dancers, but tapping at home is not the most convenient. Theatrical newlyweds, Jackie Covas and Codey Girten, came up with a solution to help dancers and make parents happy—the Dance Dot.
Keep reading to learn more and for a chance to win one!
Jackie and Codey met while performing in a national tour. They ran into a frustrating problem that many dancers face while on the road—lack of areas to practice. The couple began working on an idea for a portable practice surface that was light enough for them to take on their travels and fashionable enough to carry around the streets of NYC. Jackie, a third generation tap dancer and teacher, also had her students in mind, “We wanted to create something that was colorful and fun. Something that families could easily use in their homes and on-the-go.” The couple landed on an innovative and kid-friendly design that would allow young dancers to safely practice their moves almost anywhere at anytime.
The Dance Dot is made out of tempered masonite, the same material that was used for old performance stages. The underside features a soft rubber backing which keeps the product in place while dancing. With no sharp edges or folding parts, the seamless dance surface is perfect for kids. Parents love that it protects their hardwood floors from scuff marks.
“When my students learn a new step, most of them can’t wait to get home and share it with mom or dad. Parents should be able to encourage their child’s passion for dance without having to worry about the damage it may do to their floors,” says Covas. Girten agrees, “Imagine the difference we could make in the lives of so many young dancers by finally providing them with the opportunity to keep dancing!”
Thanks to the generosity of Dance Dot, Barista Kids is giving a Dance Dot away to one lucky reader! Just tell us who you want to win the Dance Dot for in comments to enter. Does your 5 year old take tap classes? Do you have a teen dancer? Do you take adult classes at a local dance studio?
Contest starts Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 10 am EST and ends Friday, January 11, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. One person who leaves a comment by Friday, January 11, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST will be chosen at random to receive a Dance Dot (a $75 value.)
You MUST leave a comment here to be entered and you may only comment once to get an entry, but if you want another entry and up your chances of winning, here are a couple of ways:
- Follow us on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. Make sure to include @baristakids in your tweet.
- Subscribe to our newsletter here and send us a message telling us you did with your email address.
Good luck!
Related Posts:
My 12-year-old daughter has taken tap for several years. The dance dot would allow her to more easily practice her steps at home. It’s a great idea!
This looks like fun in a small space! My daughter who took tap lessons would enjoy this!
My eight-year-old fell in love with Gene Kelly’s dancing at a tender young age, and has taken tap a couple of times at Sharron Miller’s school. She’s fallen out of the habit at the moment, but this might be just the thing to get her interested in picking it back up!
My daughter who is 7 would love this..she is always trying to do some type of dance or dance routine to a song or on her own (yes.4eva.r(at)gmail(dot)com
My 4 1/2 year old started tap in the fall. She absolutely loves it and can’t wait to tell me about all the new steps she is learning! This would be a great way for her to show us and practice at home.
I would love to win this for our niece – she has recently started tap and really loves it.