Congrats to this year's Outstanding Choreography Emmy nominees, announced yesterday morning in Hollywood! It's a pretty stellar list of names, with "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing with the Stars" choreographers earning four of the category's five slots. (Rockstar Mandy Moore was actually nominated for her work on both shows. 🙌 )

The complete list, with video when available, is below. Winners will be announced at the Creative Arts Emmys, September 9 and 10. Merde to all!

"Dancing with the Stars"
Routine: "Kairos"
Derek Hough, Choreographer

"Dancing with the Stars"
Routines: "On Top of the World" and "Carol of the Bells"
Mandy Moore, Choreographer

"The Real O'Neals"
Routines: "Born This Way" and "West Side Story" and "Boyfriend"
Fred Tallaksen, Choreographer

"So You Think You Can Dance"
Routines: "The Mirror " and "Send in the Clowns" and "She Used to Be Mine"
Travis Wall, Choreographer

"So You Think You Can Dance"
Routines: "Unsteady" and "This Is Not the End"
Mandy Moore, Choreographer

If you're anything like me, you've spent some serious time fantasizing about how cool it would be to become dance captain of a Broadway show. Just imagine having all of that choreography in your head, knowing every little detail of a musical's moving parts! Until today, I'd never considered what it might be like to be a fight captain, but this amazing behind-the-scenes clip from Miss Saigon really got me thinking—and dreaming.

Earlier this week, TheaterMania got access to watch a pre-show fight call at the Broadway revival, where stars Jon Jon Briones (who plays baddie The Engineer), Nick Christopher (John, an American GI), and fight captain/ensemble member Julius Sermonia ran through a few of the most chaotic-looking action sequences. "It's brutal choreography, in a sense that anything can happen," Sermonia told TheaterMania. Well, that's the magic of live musical theatre, right?!

Back in 2014, Cole Haan recruited New York City Ballet's Megan Fairchild, Sara Mearns, and Gretchen Smith to help design a pair of ballet flats , and the results were stunning. Lucky for us, this is the collaboration that keeps on giving—and this time, with more familiar NYCB faces!

For this new campaign, Cole Haan brought on NYCB principal Amar Ramasar and soloist/resident choreographer Justin Peck, who threw together some moves for his fellow dancers, resulting in some truly perfect GIFS:

Now this is a group of people we want to be at a party with. (GIF via Cole Haan)

Like the previous campaigns , the photos are beyond stunning. Check them out below!

Justin Peck and Sara Mearns (via Cole Haan)

Gretchen Smith (via Cole Haan)

(From left) Megan Fairchild, Amar Ramasar, Sara Mearns, Gretchen Smith, and Justin Peck (via Cole Haan)

Yes, Dance Spirit , there really is a Santa Claus. And we've got proof—namely, the delightfully silly stunt Boston Ballet's Nutcracker Bear pulled off last week to celebrate the start of ticket sales for BB's 2017 production of the holiday ballet classic.

For reasons that would maybe be clearer to me if I were a Bostonite, the Nutcracker Bear ziplined across the Rose Kennedy Greenway on Monday, July 12. (Boston-area DS -ers, please explain!) But it doesn't even really matter why, because the video and photos that emerged from the stunt are as merry and bright as anything I've seen since last December. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself—and have yourself a wacky little Christmas (in July) now!

Shwetali Sapte, courtesy Boston Ballet

Shwetali Sapte, courtesy Boston Ballet

Shwetali Sapte, courtesy Boston Ballet

Shwetali Sapte, courtesy Boston Ballet

Shwetali Sapte, courtesy Boston Ballet

Shwetali Sapte, courtesy Boston Ballet

Shwetali Sapte, courtesy Boston Ballet

The stage was spinning.

The whole theater was swirling before my eyes, and nothing made sense.

I forced myself to push through the familiar choreography, which by then was in my muscle memory, feeling entirely disoriented. Up was down and down was up. Something was very wrong.

The curtain closed on the final night of Odyssey Dance Theatre's 2012 Thriller season, and my nightmare started.

Kati Ellis Photography (courtesy Ellis)

Fast forward five years, 20 doctors, one Lyme disease diagnosis, and hundreds of doses of intense IV antibiotics later, and I'm an intern writing for Dance Spirit , telling you about how my dance training is getting me through the hardest experience of my life.

A crash course on Lyme: Lyme disease is a tick-born illness that wreaks havoc on the human body. It can be a difficult disease to diagnose if you don't catch the tick on your skin, or find the bullseye rash it leaves on your body—and according to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society , only 50% of patients ever catch a tick or see a rash. The longer you have the disease without treating it, the harder it is to cure. (Which made it particularly unfortunate that it took me a year and a half to get diagnosed.)

For the past five years, I've lived with near-constant migraines, brain fog, forgetfulness, and confusion. Nausea and fatigue cloud every experience, and treatment makes every symptom more intense. Sadly, dancing has been out of the question.

I've been devastated. There's really no other way to say it. But amidst that utter devastation, I've come to find an inner strength, born out of a lifetime of dance training.

Here are the lessons dance taught me that helped me get through my hardest days.

1. You're tougher than you think you are.

As a dancer, there are so many rehearsals where you're certain you can't make it through another run—times when the exhaustion hits so hard it feels like your chest might burst.

Then your director yells, "One more time!" And you're back on the dance floor pouring every part of yourself into the piece again . You always have one more run in you, even when you think you don't.

During treatment, I often find myself at this same breaking point. I've been receiving heavy doses of powerful antibiotics and other medications through a catheter in my chest, called a tunneled PICC , which stays in my body for the duration of each round of treatment. Though the antibiotics are helping me heal, they also start a chain reaction that makes all of my symptoms intensify. Sitting through treatment is a test of my endurance, and then when I leave the doctor's, getting through the day becomes a game of managing a thousand obstacles. I sometimes feel certain that I can't handle one more needle, one more IV, or one more pill.

But then I remember what I learned in dance class all those years ago. I always have one more run in me. I'm tougher than I think I am.

My tunneled PICC catheter (Taylor Jarman, courtesy Jarman)

2. Be patient and the growth will come.

As a young ballet student, I was often frustrated by how slow my progress seemed to be. I would ask my teachers why I wasn't improving, and they'd inevitably tell me to be patient. They were right. You can't always see the progress you're making in the moment. But no matter how delayed it may feel, the growth always comes.

When it comes to treating chronic illness, the timeframe for healing can be excruciating. Immediate results almost never occur. In the moments when I'm feeling my most dejected, I remember the things my dance teachers taught me. In subtle ways, I see aspects of my health improve year by year. Lyme disease is taking its time on me, but the growth is coming.

3. Art makes things better.

Since I was a little girl, dance was the one thing that could make a tough day better. If I needed to work through some tricky emotions, or deal with a hard situation, I would dance it out. My problems weren't necessarily solved, but things invariably improved.

Now, even though I can't physically dance, dance is still my saving grace on my very worst days. Whether I'm teaching younger dancers or watching other performers light up the stage, art makes things better. Dance helps us feel a little less lonely—and reminds us to believe in the good things to come.

4. The Strength Comes After the Challenge

Nobody is born a professional dancer. Every student has to go through a significant amount of pain and suffering both physically and emotionally in order to reach their own personal best. That pain is the space in which a dancer becomes an artist. After pushing through the most difficult rehearsals on the most emotionally taxing days, we blossom.

Just as my most challenging days in the studio brought forth some of my most exciting artistic breakthroughs, struggling with Lyme disease has allowed me to become a more complete person. I am more durable and capable than I ever thought possible. The strength truly does come after the challenge.

Getting an IV (Taylor Jarman, courtesy Jarman)

5. "We Stand on the Shoulders of Giants" - Bernard of Chartres

No professional dancer makes it on her own. Each one is the product of her teacher's commitment, her dance friends' loyalty, her studio owner's investment, her choreographers' passion, her parents' financial support and encouragement, and her own self love. Dancers become dancers only when many people work to make it so.

Treating Lyme disease is no different. Any progress I make in my healing comes thanks to the support of my parents, doctors, friends, faith, fellow chronic illness warriors, siblings, extended family, dance students, college professors, employers, and more. I am grateful to dance for teaching me this before my illness. I get to get out of bed every morning because I stand on the shoulders of giants.

I'm so thankful for this art form. Dance really is one of the greatest life coaches. Remember the lessons it's taught you the next time your world is turned upside down. It'll help pull you through.

To hear about another dancer's struggle with Lyme disease, and to get more information about Lyme, click here .

Happy #WorldEmojiDay, dance friends! 🎉 👯 🎉 👯

Because it's just the cutest, we thought we'd share the emoji challenge the Royal Opera House is currently hosting on Twitter. They've retold a series of ballets (and operas, for that crowd) in emoji form. If you correctly guess the name of a ballet, you'll be entered for a chance to win two tickets to a ROH production.

The prize itself is most exciting for Brits, since the Royal Opera House is in London. But the game is fun for bunheads anywhere—and surprisingly challenging! Can you guess these ballets?

Merritt Moore is a ballerina who just so happens to be graduating from Oxford University with a PhD in quantum physics. Is she even human? The jury is still out on that - but the 29-year-old, who earned her undergrad degree from Harvard, has actually found dance to be a powerful tool that assists her in her studies.

Though at times Moore (who danced with Zurich Ballet, Boston Ballet and English National Ballet) has contemplated retiring her pointe shoes, she tells the BBC she just can't quit, and actually finds that ballet helps her be a better scientist because it allows her to see things from a different perspective. She's convinced that as more scientists find ways to appreciate and get involved in the arts, they'll be able to harness that creativity in their chosen fields.

So if you need a fresh angle on that English paper or can't quite crack that tricky math problem, head to dance class! It might just be what your brain needs.

This Nationals season, Dance Spirit followed four talented dancers from The Dance Awards, NYCDA, Showstopper, and Starpower for an inside look at everything that goes into the biggest competitions of the year. First up: Isabella Torres from Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts in Baltimore, MD, who competed at New York City Dance Alliance Nationals for the first time this year. (All photos courtesy Shannon Torres.)

June 28, 2017

Today was the last day at my studio, Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts (MCPA), in Baltimore, MD, before leaving for NYCDA. I took a ballet class and rehearsed a little. It's the beginning of a great experience!

June 29, 2017

I made it to NYC! After I arrived, all the Junior Outstanding Dancers picked numbers. I got #5 out of 140, and I was hoping for a higher number but I'll make it work. After that, we had an orientation meeting—we start dancing at 7:30 AM tomorrow, so it'll be an early wakeup!

In the ballroom!

Hitting the classic NYCDA pose

June 30, 2017

Today's Junior Outstanding Dancer day! I had a 4:30 AM wakeup call, and a 7:30 AM stage time. I tried my best to not let my exhaustion show, even after make-up, hair, warming up, and even more warming up!

5 more minutes!

July 1-2, 2017

Today we had our Outstanding Dancer ballet class audition and solo presentations. I danced the Kitri variation, and was super happy to be awarded 6th out of over 150 entries. After, I had time to fit in a trip to Starbucks and shopping at Capezio—an essential stop for dancers.

Prepping my look for Kitri!

Always have to stretch!

Hanging out in the Capezio store

But first—Starbucks!

July 3, 2017

We had our group competition today. After, I had a lot of fun at M&M World in Times Square with my MCPA family.

Pre-competition huddle!

July 4, 2017

Class today was amazing—The Radio City Rockettes taught a class, and I took hip hop from Dana Wilson. (Catch me rocking my newly discovered skills during Dana's class, near the front!) Later in the day, we explored NYC more, and then ate some delicious pizza as we waited for the junior awards to be announced.

Pizza party!

July 6, 2017

Today was the junior gala, which was an unforgettable experience—I even made a great new friend, Abby Trammel. Meeting and connecting with new people is a great part of Nationals. We were lucky enough to have Andy Pellick choreograph our gala routine, and it was great to have him pushing us in rehearsals all week.

As the gala performance came to a close, it was time to announce the Junior Outstanding Dancer awards. I made it into the top 12, out of 154 dancers. I was so happy, since it was my first NYCDA Nationals and I had no idea what to expect. I loved the whole experience, from spending time with my MCPA family, making and learning from mistakes, to making new friends, and learning from incredible teachers.

Abby and me before the gala!

July 7, 2017

The Teen and Senior Outstanding Dancer gala was tonight, and the talent was amazing. The cast of the Broadway hit,

Bandstand , performed, and it only got more incredible from there. We were all tired from the week, but we didn't want the adventure to end. I'm so thankful to NYCDA for supporting my love for dance. Even though a lot is about to change, with friends going to summer camp and fellow studio members heading off to college, I can't wait to see what new dance adventures next season will bring.

They've impressed the judges, now it's time for the Top 100 dancers to enroll at The Academy—and to impress the All-Stars. Welcome to So You Think You Can Dance Academy!

The 100 dancers who made it through auditions in NYC or L.A. are now at The Academy, which is basically a beautiful building with floor-to-ceiling windows. The show opens with that Mandy Moore-choreographed Academy routine which, even after watching it 12 times and trying to learn all the choreography at home, is still delightful.

Here's how The Vanessa Hudgens-less Academy is going to work... (We miss you so much, Vanessa.)

First, the dancers perform a solo for the All-Stars.

Then, if the All-Stars are psyched about it, they'll send the dancer to the first choreography round. From there, the dancers get an hour to learn the choreography before performing it for the All-Stars. Then , the All-Stars decide who they love the most, and they'll beg them to be on their team. Ultimately, each All-Star will be paired with one dancer to form the Top 10, and those dancers will compete in the live shows. So basically, it's "SYTYCD" meets "The Voice." Got it? Good. (Oh, and if the dancers aren't good enough at any point—either performing their solos or during the choreography rounds—the All-Stars can get all "boy bye" on them. Scary!)

"It will be the hardest challenge of their lives," Cat tells the audience before introducing the All-Stars.

Adam Rose/FOX

The All-Stars! Season 14's very esteemed panel includes Robert, Gaby, Paul, Jasmine, Marko, Comfort, Cyrus, Jenna, Fik-Shun, and Allison. (Who would you choose?!) Cyrus is looking for passion! Gaby wants to see how quickly the dancers can pick up choreography under pressure! Allison loves everyone!

The good thing about these episodes is that they move fast, and we get to see a lot of dancing along the way. Here are the moments that stood out most from the first week at The Academy.

Lex Ishimoto —again

No one can get enough of this guy. The fan favorite performed another solo, much to the delight of the All-Stars. He made it through the Nappytabs hip-hop choreography round, and joined Team Gaby. (Did anyone else predict he'd either be Team Allison or Team Robert? Curveball!)

Blue-haired Kaylee Millis and Robert Green

These two teamed up to dominate the Nappytabs choreo, and both ultimately made it onto All-Star teams (Kaylee joined Team Cyrus. Cannot wait to see this dynamic duo in action!)

Everyone wants Logan Hernandez

The contemporary dancer performed his solo again, and the best part wasn't even the dancing—it was the priceless reactions from the All-Stars. They loved him. (Jenna, Robert, and Allison really loved him, and all tried to get him on their respective teams. But he opted for Team Allison.)

By the end of the night, 71 dancers had made it to the hip-hop choreography round, and a handful of them made it onto All-Star teams. ( Dassy Lee nabbed a spot on Team Fik-Shun while Kevin Davis Jr. went with Team Allison.) Next week, the cuts keep coming as the dancers head into the ballroom round. See you then!

What do you get when you invite some of America's coolest dancers to a pool party with over 5,000 water balloons? A #Splashmob, of course! 🏖☀️💃🏽🎈

That's exactly what happened when Bunch O Balloons and World of Dance threw the first-ever #Splashmob this summer in L.A. More than 50 WOD artists and crews (The Miniotics! Hall of Fame! Super Fresh!) whipped out some of their hottest dance moves for the summer's BEST flashmob routine yet.

Dance star, Fik-Shun, opens the act posing as a security guard intent on shutting down the raucous party. When he takes a water balloon to the face, a confrontational dance-off erupts, cuing the rest of the mob into action, and inspiring enthusiastic onlookers to join in.

Checkout how the sensational #Splashmob went down below - maybe you'll get a few ideas for your next pool party.

Guys, we all knew this was coming—"World of Dance" was eventually going to eliminate someone. But man, is it brutal to watch these talented dancers give their all, only to be sent home. It's the name of the game, though, and after last night's episode, only two dancers per division remain. (At least Misty Copeland guest-judging was a silver lining!) Here's what went down last night:

Eva Igo and Diana Pombo Are Repping the Junior Division

These two seasoned comp ladies truly know how to sell it. Eva's super chilling routine to "Creep" checked off all the boxes. Her technique was on point, her facials were so genuine, and her musicality is just beyond. Diana's piece, set to "Rise Up" by Andra Day, was the epitome of gumby-girl perfection—that girl can bend (and dance!). The judges agreed, awarding Eva 92.5 points and Diana 92, which meant the Mihacevich Sisters, ImmaBEAST, and the Lab were sent packing. We absolutely love all three groups and have a funny feeling we'll be seeing them around, everywhere, all the time.

Swing Latino and Super Cr3w Kicked Off the Team Competition

The cuts for teams don't commence until next week, so we have time to recover from this week's goodbyes 😭 Swing Latino and Super Cr3w got things started last night, though, both performing and impressing the judges. Swing Latino blew away the judges with their insane tricks, earning a score of 92.5 points, while Super Cr3w's clean, precise moves earned them an 88.8 (though the judges emphasized they could've executed everything just a bit better 🤔 ).

So, do you agree? Do you disagree? Do you just want everyone to win and be happy and eat cupcakes because they're all so talented? (I do! 🙋 ) The cuts continue into next week, and we'll be waiting with bated breath. Until next time!

Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's dance inducing hit, "Despacito," is so catchy it should probably come with a disclaimer that warns people of an uncontrollable itch to tap your feet or bob your head. Some might even feel inclined to go all out and break it down. Niana Guerrero is a prime example of "Despacito's" uncanny ability to unleash the red dressed emoji dancer within. 💃🏽 💃🏽

Guerrero's sassy salsa routines debut every time she hears the Spanish hit. The video of Guerrero breaking it down everywhere from the grocery store, to an elevator and even mid bite at a restaurant, has garnered more than 66 million views, turning her into an internet sensation.

So the next time you hear "Despacito" don't fight it. Take Guerrero's lead and "hit that Despacito."

There are dancers and then there are DANCERS! Whitney Jensen, soloist at Norwegian National Ballet, is the latter. The former Boston Ballet principal can do it all. From contemporary to the classics this prima has the technical talent most bunheads dream about. Need proof? Look no further.

Jensen's Instagram is filled with super human feats, but its her latest video of fouettes that has us gasping in amazement.😍 Check out this ethereal moment where Jensen dresses up her fouettes and finishes, ever so perfectly, with a controlled arabesque turn. Can anyone say #goals?!

The groundwork for Erin Carpenter's company, Nude Barre, began when she was a teenager. At 16, she earned a spot in the residency program at The Kennedy Center in partnership with Dance Theatre of Harlem. "We were required to wear nude—as in, our actual skin tone—tights and shoes," she remembers. Carpenter brought her "sun tan" tights and a pair of pink ballet shoes with her, because that was all she could find. But she wasn't allowed in class because her dancewear didn't match her skin. "I was so embarrassed," she says. "I looked unprepared. I just didn't have the right nudes." Her teacher explained that the dancers dyed their tights and pancaked their shoes.

Every week for the rest of Carpenter's dance career, she spent hours dyeing her tights and pancaking her shoes with foundation makeup. "I was getting really tired of it," she says. "There were a lot of moments where I was either embarrassed or uncomfortable. Your undergarments are your foundation, and as a performer you want to feel confident in them." So, she decided to found Nude Barre, a company offering tights in an expanded range of nude shades.

Erin Carpenter as a Knicks City Dancer (photo by David Safran, Courtesy of Erin Carpenter)

Budding Ballerina

Carpenter always knew she wanted to be a performer. She attended several schools before enrolling at performing arts school Suitland High School, in Maryland. After graduating, she attended Marymount Manhattan College in NYC, where she majored in ballet and minored in business management. "I knew I wanted to own a company one day," she says. "I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I just didn't yet know what that company was." She graduated with several offers from companies outside of NYC, but wanted to stay in the city, so she signed with an agent instead. Shortly after, she became a Knicks City Dancer for the NBA and enjoyed a successful career in commercial dance, including features in national ads for companies like American Airlines.

Carpenter, the founder of Nude Barre (photo by K. Kess, courtesy of Erin Carpenter)

A New Hue

By 2009, Carpenter had grown sick and tired of wasting her time pancaking and dyeing her dancewear, and decided she was going to try to create nude tights in shades that actually represent the skin tones of all dancers. She got pointers from a friend in the sock business about manufacturers, and produced the first samples for Nude Barre that same year. "I think I cried over those first samples," she says. "They were so bad. I wasn't sure I could do it." Each batch of samples got better, though, and by 2010 Carpenter had something she could work with.

For Nude Barre's prospective shades, Carpenter looked to the diversity in the ranks of the Knicks City Dancers. "I started by looking at what shades of foundation the dancers were wearing," she says. She also surveyed tons of women. Ultimately, she settled on 12 colors, ranging from the light Lycheetini and Peach Melody to the deeper Bohemian Princess and Mocha. Carpenter currently wears Tapioca Cream as her main shade, and Cocoa when she's tan.

A Cult Following

The first shipment of Nude Barre went out in early 2011. After talk-show host Wendy Williams became a fan, other celebrities, including Tyra Banks, Laverne Cox and the members of pop group Fifth Harmony quickly followed. These days Nude Barre tights are worn by ballet dancers (Erin Chong of BalletNext and Tracy Jones of Colorado Ballet love them, and Nude Barre is an official sponsor of The Black Iris Project), Broadway performers, dancers for Beyoncé and the Knicks City Dancers. The company has also expanded to offer fishnets, sports bras, bralettes and underwear, as well as plus sizes and children's sizes.

For Carpenter, Nude Barre is all about empowering women and young girls to love the color of their skin. "When nude is viewed as one color, and you're not that color, you wonder if your skin tone isn't attractive," she says. "We want women and girls to know they're beautiful, and that their skin color is important and represented on the market."

A version of this story appeared in the July/August 2017 issue of Dance Spirit.

Here's a five point friendly reminder to be a stellar student! Give it a read, and apply it to your classes this coming week!

1. Don't look at the clock.

It's rude. Don't do it.

When you look at the clock, you're communicating to the teacher that you're tired of class and ready for it to be over. Even if that isn't how you are feeling, that's how it translates. Stay engaged the whole class. Trust that the teacher will let you out when it's time for you to move on to your next rehearsal.

Stocksnap

2. Don't chew gum in class.

You'll choke. Plus, you'll just look ridiculous!

Imagine the most gorgeous contact improv session you can possibly imagine, and then suddenly the beauty of the moment is broken because one partner's jaw is moving up and down on a stale piece of Extra.

No. Just no.

Please observe Cindy Salgado and Jermaine Spivey as they successfully demonstrate how to do contact improv without chewing gum at the same time. It's lovely. 👇 (v ia Cindy Salgado's Facebook)

3. Don't fold your arms.

In the dance industry, dancers don't always have a say in what they wear on their bodies. This can get tricky if you're asked to wear something that compromises your own personal values. So what should you do if you find yourself in this sticky situation? We sat down for a Q&A with "Dancing with the Stars" alumn Ashly Costa to answer that very question. Here's what she had to say about the options dancers have surrounding questionable costumes.

Dance Spirit: Have you ever had experiences with costuming where you felt uncomfortable? Can you tell us about it?

Ashly Costa: Of course! When I started on "Dancing with the Stars," I knew right from the beginning what costuming would work for me and the standards that I have. I know it's kind of hard to stand up for that in the Dance World, but I had a feeling that it was the right thing for me and my career. I spoke to the costume designer at the time, and I just told her what I felt comfortable wearing and what I didn't. I said, "I don't feel very comfortable wearing something that's extremely revealing and I know I won't dance well if I am." I never wanted to be demanding. I never said, "I have to have this or I'm not going to dance." I simply said, "If it's ok with you, would you mind please putting these inserts in to my costumes?" And 100% of the time the costume designers were so accommodating!

Costa and Buzz Aldrin on "Dancing with the Stars" Season 10 (courtesy ABC)

DS : The costume designers seem so supportive, but how did the producers feel about you wearing costumes that were different from other costumes on the show?

AC: Honestly, when you don't give them a reason to question why you wore a costume, then they won't question it at all. They're so busy that they'll just look at the color and make sure everything looks great. I don't know if it would ever come into their minds that a costume is a little more modest than some of the other costumes out there because you still look amazing! If you look gorgeous, then they don't care!

Costa and Joey McIntyre on "Dancing with the Stars" season 1 (courtesy ABC)

DS: Do you have any advice for young performers who might be too intimidated to say anything?

AC: Just do it! Pull them aside and just talk to them. I promise that most of the time they'll say, "Okay let's see if we can try to fix this to make you feel more comfortable." The worst thing they can say to you is, "No you have to wear this." That's when you have a personal choice about whether or not the job is worth it for you to take. We're our own bosses when it comes to what we wear, so let your voice be heard in a way that is nice and courteous.

Costa and Harry Hamlin on "Dancing with the Stars" season 1 (courtesy ABC)

DS : Are there ways to prevent costume conflicts before dancers even book the job?

AC: Yes. First and foremost, always do your homework before you go to the audition. Know what you're getting into by asking questions. As a dancer in the industry, that is your strongest suit. Know what product or brand the gig is for, and who you're dancing for, to see if it's a perfect match for you. Don't feel like you have to jeopardize your personal standards. If you come to the audition and you didn't realize the costume choice would be briefs and pasties, and you aren't comfortable with that, you'll have a problem. (If you are comfortable with that, more power to you!) But if not, just know that there will always be another job. They're always looking for all types of dancers!

Ashly and Buzz Aldrin on "Dancing with the Stars" Season 10 (courtesy Costa)

DS : Any last words of advice for our Dance Spirit Readers?

AC: Stay true to who you are, whoever that is.

I've never tried to be who I'm not supposed to be, and it's really paid off for me. I've still had an amazing career in the dance world and choosing not to wear certain costumes hasn't stopped me from becoming the person I'm supposed to be.

Next time you're asked to wear a costume that you're uncomfortable with, try Ashly's advice and communicate your concerns. It might really pay off!

Well, this brings class videos to a whole new level! Choreographer Phil Wright and dancer Ashley Liai have been together eight-plus years, but she was still in total shock when he proposed to her mid-dance at Millennium Dance Complex earlier this week. Why? Well, the whole thing was unbelievably perfect.

John Legend's romantic "You and I" made for a super-sweet soundtrack, both Liai and Wright were absolutely nailing the choreo, and the happy couple were surrounded by enthusiastic, screaming fellow dancers. Further proof—not that we needed it, TBH—that dancers just do all of life better. Congratulations, Phil and Ashley!

It's no secret that ballet in pop culture has sparked its fair share of controversy . Which is why this video from Refinery29, featuring ABT's Isabella Boylston, is not only a super-fun watch, but a breath of fresh air.

The series, called "Lucie For Hire," follows R29 video editor and YouTuber Lucie Fink as she tries on different professions for a day. When it came time to be a professional ballerina, Fink decided to learn the ropes from Boylston, naturally. Now, the opening of the video made my heart skip a beat—and for all the wrong reasons: I saw feet in pointe shoes, and they definitely weren't Boylston's. But R29 clearly knows what's up. Fink immediately says she wouldn't be wearing them because "It takes years and years to learn how to dance on pointe properly." Boylston teaches Fink the ballet basics, from the barre to the bun, and the pair tackle some Swan Lake choreo. Check out the entire clip below (and if you're a brand planning on featuring ballet in the future, take notes!):

The biggest takeaway from this gorgeous video chronicling the road to ballroom brilliance? Even world champions sweat—a ton.

National and world champs Oskar Wojciechowski and Karolina Holody created this short film to, as they say on their Facebook page, "chronicle our journey to be the best. It captures the essence of what it's like to train on a daily basis and push ourselves both physically and mentally to strive for perfection on the dance floor."

And as far as I can judge, they're pretty darn near perfect. Pre-Monday Motivation = solved.

Happy (almost) National Dance Day, everybody! 2017's "Dance Christmas" falls on Saturday, July 29—and there are all kinds of ways for you to join the party.

If you're in or around L.A. or Washington, DC, you're especially lucky: Those cities are hosting giant NDD events. From 10 am to 2 pm on the 29th, Angelenos can boogie down to Grand Park , where Nigel Lythgoe will be hosting a bunch of classes and interactive performances led by some of your favorite "So You Think You Can Dance" stars. Over at DC's Kennedy Center , the NDD festivities will run from 2 pm to 10:30 pm, and include dance lessons, performances, and a giant swing-dance social.

But there are plenty of ways for the rest of us to get in on the fun, too. The Kennedy Center will be livestreaming its big Millennium Stage performance at 6 pm on its website , for starters. Be sure to check the national registry of events to find fun NDD activities happening in your area, too. And as always, there's an official NDD routine for you to learn, film, and enter in the annual video contest. The prize for the two winning posters this year is especially awesome: a private dance class in L.A. with none other than Jade Chynoweth .👌👌👌

Check out this year's routine (demonstrated by Jade and her fellow "Step Up: High Water" star Carlito Olivero) below, and then click over to the Dizzy Feet Foundation site for the full contest rules.