Ever wonder what it's like to be a professional cheerleader? We're lucky enough to have been invited behind the scenes of a few NFL and NBA teams, and we've seen just how dedicated and hardworking these talented ladies are! We wanted to share their experience with you, so we're starting a new series here on the blog all about the life of a pro cheerleader! This week, we'll get an exclusive glimpse of the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders and their first day on the job.
This fall, the University of Minnesota Duluth Dance Team shared their new game day look with us, and we recently caught up with them again after they competed at NDA Championships this month! The team had an amazing performance at college nationals, finishing runner up in Division II Team Performance!
UMD Captain Melanie explained the concept behind their routine this season:
"For our dance this year our theme was queen bee, which turned into the concept of 'revolution.' We had the idea of being fierce and confident women. It was incorporated in our choreography and costumes by adding strong, sharp movements and moments where we could feed off of each other's energy. We added in a lot of team breaths to increase the intensity of our jazz section."
"The costumes have a sassy fierce look to them which completely added to our theme! The music was powerful and emphasized all the movements that we wanted to be strong, and it flowed where we wanted it to be smooth," Melanie said.
The combination of feminine lace and and bold back straps on this custom dance costume definitely portrays the fierce and confident female look they were going for!
Topics: Dance, Team Spotlight, College
A little over a week ago, one of our favorite customers, The Louisville Ladybirds, conquered the NDA College Championships with two very big wins: Division 1A Team Performance AND Division 1A Hip Hop. So what inspired this team to totally rule the NDA stage all weekend? Coach Todd Sharp from the Ladybirds gave us the scoop:
Topics: Dance, Team Spotlight, College
When it comes to synchronized skating practice wear it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Black skate dress, black jacket, embroidered logo. Looking for something new to shake things up? How about trying mix and match pieces instead!?
Use three items – a stand-alone leotard, a detachable skirt, leggings - to create 2 very different looks:
Not only was it a big weekend for college dance, but for the synchronized skating world as well! Some of the best teams from all over the world represented their country at the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championship in Budapest, Hungary. Twenty six teams entered, representing 21 nations at the highest level of synchronized skating. (Fun fact: in 2000, the first World championships was organized of 17 countries in Minneapolis, MN!) We are proud to have outfitted two teams who competed this past weekend: Team USA 2 (Miami University of Ohio) and Team Switzerland (Cool Dreams Senior). Check out their gorgeous dresses below and a few others we love too!
Are you as ready as we are to kick off the next season? We know this time often begins with camp - a whole chunk of time dedicated to team bonding and bringing everyone together! It's the first time you get to show off your team to the world, so style and passion are a must! And camp tops have become an essential for sporting team spirit. So, how can you get the most out of your campwear investment, especially when budgets are always tight? Here are a few tips that prove a little extra planning and time could potentially save yourself some money and stress later! Read on to see how to make the most out of your dance camp apparel:
Topics: Team Apparel & Warm-ups, Dance, Budget Tips
This past weekend, college dance teams from all over the country came together in Daytona, Florida to compete at the NDA Collegiate Dance Championship, and man, it was a show!
We were so proud to have outfitted many of the extraordinary teams who danced their hearts out at Peabody Auditorium and The Bandshell. The costumes were eye-catching and we loved seeing them in action!
Topics: Dance, College, Competition & Event Recaps
We had a hunch there was something special about Watertown, Wisconsin. Especially when last spring Watertown Blue Revue ordered over 140 warm up jackets for youth dancers, parents, coaches and the Varsity Dance Team! We couldn’t help but wonder what is behind that much team spirit? So when Watertown High School won the Wisconsin Division 1 High Kick Championship this year, we knew it had to be a huge accomplishment for the team and their community.
Topics: High School, Dance, Team Spotlight
When I tell people that I own a custom costume company, often the reaction is "Wow! That must be so fun!" And while there is a lot of creativity and sparkle on the surface, what lies beneath is an amazing team of people that really feel like my extended family. I've tried hard over the last 25 years to make this a genuinely great place to work - a place where each person can find a place to be successful and do work that doesn't feel like work! A place that you can continually learn and invest in yourself!
We have over 40 extraordinary individuals at our Minnesota facility, and we are always looking for more talent! One thing that makes The Line Up unique? We're like no other apparel business in that we do everything in house - from customer service to catalog creation to product design and manufacturing. There's an intimacy here that you can't always find in big business.
WANTED: Talented individuals seeking a collaborative work environment, in a growing and improving community!
If this is you, read further. Not only do we have some great new job opportunities , but our staff wants to share our company values - the 6 reasons why they love working at The Line Up:
Topics: Life at The Line Up
When it comes to the hard work and dedication found in the dance and synchronized skating world, we know that you spend the majority of your time training and practicing for only a few brief and exciting moments of performance. So why not spend that time practicing in style? Look great, feel great, and you'll perform great!
With this mantra in mind, we got to work designing some fabulous new team apparel, perfect for sporting your team pride at practice, camps, and team events throughout the season. It's practice wear that's meant to move with you, withstand numerous washings, yet still be flattering and fashionable.
In honor of our new team apparel catalog (just out today!) we're pulling together some of our favorite team apparel trends for the 2016-2017 season. Check 'em out:
Topics: Team Apparel & Warm-ups, Costume Trends
