The blogsphere includes many kinds of dance blogs. Many of the newest sites I’ve encountered are written by dance students of all ages. Among the youngest of these bloggers are a few who show real promise and passion. Below I highlight two of these teenaged bloggers.

Meet Chloey and Rebecca.

They know each other, but only online. Chloey is 15 and Rebecca is 13. Both are beginners in ballet who started a bit later than many of the aspiring dancers around them. Perhaps this accounts for some of the enthusiasm with which they approach dance as an art form and blog topic.

Chloey – Survival Guide For Dancers

How long have you been dancing?

I’ve been dancing since I was about 13, and I started ballet in June.

Is Survival Guide your first blog?

This is my first and only blog, and I started it this summer.

What inspired you to start blogging about dance?

Well, it is my passion, and I wanted to be able to share my journey through dance and hopefully help some other people along the way. Dance blogs are such a great source for that extra help and insight on dancing and the dancing world.

What do you find most challenging about blogging?

Finding the time to do it! It gets pretty hectic with school and dance.

What do you find most challenging about dance?

Making it look effortless!

Funny, I might’ve said this about blogging too! What do you love most about dance?

Portraying an emotion, or a story, in ways that words can’t. It’s so rewarding.

What do you love most about blogging?

Being able to look back on how far I’ve come and the people you meet through it.

Of the posts you’ve written so far, which do you feel is your best?

I’m not sure! I do know that I enjoy doing the posts on famous dancers the most.

Tell us about one of your shining moments in dance.

I’ve gotten so far in such a short period of time! I moved to a great dance studio this summer, and in ballet I started in level 2, and I am now in pre-pointe! If you set your mind to it, you can be so successful in dance.

What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t dancing or blogging?

I’m a bit of a book nerd! Also, I enjoy playing piano when I get the chance.

Looking into the future, in what way will dance be a part of your life 5 years from now?

You know, it’s so hard to know for sure, but I am hoping to go to college for dance or be an apprentice for a company. I do know, that whatever happens, dance will be a part of my future.

What’s next, new, or coming up on your blog?

I’m working on a post on Daniil Simkin [found here], who I adore. I’m also hoping to do some sort of video blogging, but we’ll see what happens

Rebecca – From Plies to Pirouettes

How long have you been dancing?

I have just begun my second year of ballet classes.

When did you start your blog and is it your first one?

I started my blog in June, June 15 to be exact. I’ve had 4 other blogs. This was my 4th. I just kind of lost interest in the other things once I started doing From Plies to Pirouettes.

What inspired you to start blogging about dance?

I realized that there were many girls that were my age that had just recently started ballet, and had to take class with a whole room full of girls who could do over-splits, triple pirouettes, and could lift their legs to their ears. I began looking at ballet blogs, and reading ballet books, but I could never find exactly what I was looking for. I felt like I needed 10 years of ballet training within a couple of weeks. Things like class etiquette, recital how-tos, and special stretches to boost my extension. I could only imagine that there were more girls like me looking for the same things. And that’s how From Plies to Pirouettes was created!

What do you find most challenging about blogging?

Keeping up! Normally I have to sit down on the weekends and write up all of the posts. But you never can predict when you will have a break. I said that I had to take a break once, because I had a busy weekend. But everything got canceled and I ended up coming back. And then I had to take an unexpected break, and didn’t say I did. I have to be on top of things 100% of the time.

What do you find most challenging about dance?

Patience! Some skills just require muscle memory that only come with time and practice.  Waiting for those muscles to adapt is a killer wait!

What do you love most about blogging?

I love getting feedback from my readers! I enjoy getting special requests for posts, and currently I’m not working on anything so I am open for requests! I love being a part of a world-community of dancers and love that people all over the globe read my blog….it’s wonderful to be a part of a universal dance conversation!

What do you love most about dance?

I love seeing myself excel, as I get new extensions, a better pirouette, and closer to a perfect split! It makes me so happy when I do something correct, I start jumping up and down!

Of the posts you’ve written so far, which do you feel is your best?

I am very proud of my post on Taking Criticism. At that time, I was struggling with studio drama, and sometimes writing basic rules down helps me a lot.

Tell us about one of your shining moments in dance.

Recently, my teacher gave me a compliment that I will remember for the rest of my life. She said “Rebecca, I am your biggest fan. I have never seen a dancer work as hard as you do.”

What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t dancing or blogging?

I love sewing! I like making purses, headpieces, clothes, all sorts of things!  I especially love following sewing blogs and knocking off Anthropologie clothes.

Looking into the future, in what way will dance be a part of your life 5 years from now? 10 years from now?

Five years from now, I am hoping to be in my state’s ballet company, in college, and building my career as a dancer. Ten years from now, I would love to have my own studio, teaching young and old dancers!

What’s next, new, or coming up on your blog?

As the season heats up, I’ll be blogging about auditions, different aspects of a production, balancing life and dance, and anything else that may pop up! I’m also planning some great tutorials for gifts for dancers as the holidays loom ahead.  Lots of good stuff! Really soon, I am going to have a whole week of giveaways!  As always, we will have good tutorials, handy tips, product reviews, and some really awesome blogs to check out!

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I’ve highlighted Chloey and Rebecca because they display genuine love for sharing ballet via their blogs and present posts that show care and thought. As I mentioned, new blogs by young or beginning dancers appear all the time. Some offer experiences, and some advice, but the quality of both can vary. As always, it is a good idea to investigate and consider the source of any advice you might seek to follow online, especially regarding your health and dancing body.

Teachers, it may not be a bad idea to pay attention to this younger population of bloggers, yourself. One, they provide insight into the hearts and minds of your own students. Two, for better or worse, your students are looking online for information about dance. It is natural for them to go to their peers online as well as off. Invest a bit of awareness and interest in what they are learning and where they are learning it. The purpose isn’t to call into question everything they read but to know which areas in your teaching you need to reinforce, explain further, or direct their attention.

Students, please remember to be safe online. Blogs are public forums so please blog safely. Here are some tips for parents and kids. This is an older article but covers additional safety advice. And here are some more great resources on How To Set Up A Blog For Your Child.

Do you blog about dance?

Do you journal your dance training?