All About Dance

A waltz is a ballroom and folk dance done in 3/4 time. This dance is done primarily in a closed position with partners dancing together closely, usually holding hands.

Folk dance are dances usually put together by people or a community, as opposed to a choreographer. Different types of folk dance include: Morris, Irish and clogging.

Ballet dance is like a template for all other forms of dance. It originated from different techniques over the course of centuries. Other types of dance have derived from ballet.

Pointe is a form of ballet performed on the tips of ones toes. This is made possible by the use of specialized dance shoes. A dancer must have enough technique and strength before they dance on pointe, usually up to three years of ballet training comes first.

A dancer must also be at least 12 years old to start pointe so that the growth plates in their feet have hardened and developed first. This helps to prevent injuries.

Square Dancing is a type of country western dance style. As you may imagine, it is usually danced to country music. Country dancing usually involves partners or dancing in groups.

Tap dance is a form of dance in which a tapping sound is made when metal plates on the dancer's shoes. These sounds are heard when the taps on the shoes touch a wooden or hard surface. Because the dancers make sound, they are considered to be percussive musicians.

Salvatore Capezio from Italy started out making repairs on shoes for people who performed at the Met. He was known for his great craftsmanship, and his friendliness. After making an emergency pair of shoes for someone in need, he went from repairs to creating his own dance shoes, in particular for ballet, tap and pointe. His reputation for excellence made his company grow and by the 1930's dancers all across stages were wearing his products. Some famous people including Fred Astaire, Anna Pavlova, Gene Kelly, Bob Fosse and Eleanor Powell wore Capezio shoes.

Still popular today, Capezio dancewear has now grown to include footwear for ice skaters.