This giveaway is now closed.
Dancers are a resourceful lot. If someone hasn’t solved our problem, with MacGyver-like ingenuity, we’ll come up with our own solution.
Our second giveaway today comes to us from the Vonder Haar Center for the Performing Arts.
It was necessity that led to the creation of their product, The Barre-Tender (pdf).
Dancers need to stretch at the barre, and they need to do it without pain. If you are tired of putting pressure on your Achilles Tendon when you put your leg up on the barre, or grinding your shin or ankle bones when you change positions, The Barre-Tender is your solution.
The Barre-Tender is a small, lightweight, protective pad that is small enough to fit into your dance bag, but large enough for you to change positions without your leg falling off the barre. It is an inexpensive solution to a problem that has haunted dancers for years.
The Barre-Tender is easily secured to the barre using two Velcro straps, and is completely machine washable. Not only does it allow dancers to stretch on the barre, but it can also be used to cushion the knee when stretching on the floor, the ankle bones when stretching in the butterfly position, and any body part that needs a little protection from hard surfaces. Try it in your yoga classes too!
Designed by Jerry Kokich, former member of the Joffrey Ballet, The Barre-Tender, patent pending, was tested and is sold at the Vonder Haar Center. This California performing arts school fosters creativity from both students and faculty on many different levels – in dance, theatre, music, musical theatre, and related activities. At the helm of an impressive faculty is Tracy Vonder Haar, a former member of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and long-time dance educator.
Regarding The Barre-Tender, Ms. Vonder Haar says, “I was amazed that no one had addressed this issue with an appropriate product. There is no other product on the market like it.”
I found it hard to believe myself!
And now you can nab your own Barre-Tender
I do love that name!
Tracy and the kind folks at Vonder Haar Center want to give away ONE Barre-Tender to THREE different Dance Advantage readers.
Here’s how you enter to win:
Simply leave a comment, right here at this post, describing your favorite stretch at the barre.
Oh yes, it really is that easy!
The Barre-Tender comes in five fashionable colors (Black, Grey, Lime, Yellow, and Sky Blue). Feel free to tell us which one you’d like most, however, please keep in mind that we cannot guarantee your color choice.
This giveaway is open to readers worldwide and lasts until Saturday, November 13. Three winners will be drawn on Sunday.
Best of luck and check back tomorrow for even more giveaways!
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
My favorite stretch at the moment is the classic side stretch with ankle on the Barre. As a beginner it helps me work on staying turned out – and in just two months I am seeing progress in the stretch which is nice! I love freebies!
Oh, and I like the sound of the black, grey and blue Barre-tenders!
My favorite stretch at the barre is sliding out into the splits – either to the front or to the side.
My favorite barre stretch is a side or front stretch with the ankle on the barre…just feels amazing, especially when you pair it with a side/back bend! (Loving all the freebies, btw!!! Thanks for running an amazing giveaways contest!)
I love the classic side stretch, but my favorites are anything derriere… I love feeling the extra stretch on my lower back!!
Butterfly/Attitude stretch for sure! and this is the coolest thing for someone to invent! Wow! Dancers amaze me everyday with their creativity! I love freebies! 🙂
My favorite barre stretch is one leg on the barre and twisting my back. Can’t twist too hard but if done right it feels great. I love freebies too!
We’d love to try these at our studio – this could be very popular – especially with our Company members. What a great idea!
How ingenious!! For years I have had to put legwarmers on bunched at my ankles to keep away the pain that the barre caused to my calcaneous- which happens to have a nice bone spur on the back of it (I call it my dinosaur heel). My favorite stretch on the barre is attitude with the whole lower leg on the barre and the chest leaning forward. It is such a great stretch for my piriformis! Love it! If I could pick a color it would be sky blue… but having any color at all would be amazing! 🙂
My favorite barre stretch is sliding out into side splits! This is a fabulous creation. 🙂
What a great idea they should be in all studios!
This is a fabulous idea – what a great product! My right foot has a bone spur that seems to always hurt while doing a barre stretch and then it moves on up to my ankle bone. Both ankles crunch away and my tights usually get a run from catching on some little rough spot on the barre. 🙂 My favorite stretch is the traditional side stretch with the slide, then going up on pointe and stretching/ sliding again. I think a black Barre-Tender would be great! I love freebies!
I love the classic 2nd stretch rotated into arabesque. These will be great for the studio! I love freebies!
My favorite stretch to do on the barre is putting my leg in front of me and bending it at a 90 degree angle. I then lay over my leg and this creates a great, hip-opening stretch. This hurts my ankle sometimes and a lime barre-tender would definitely help me in this stretch and others!
My favorite is croise en avant. In that position, I can stretch in plié, releve, rotate in and out and bend forward and back. As a 47 year old, my hips don’t release like they used to and this is a nice supportive position.
I love the 2nd position split! Now that I’m up in age my hips pop every time! … and my ankle hurts. 🙁 Would love a lime one!! 🙂
The side stretch into an arabesque is my favorite barre stretch. The barre-tender looks like a fabulous invention!
My favourite stretch is when I place my leg, facing the barre, in attitude lean forward. (: helps in releasing those tight muscles to aid in turning out! (:
The Barre-Tender, what a great name for a great product. I love Dance Advantage website for this very reason it connects the dance world with dance suppliers we may never of heard of before. Favorite barre stretch would be putting my leg in attitude on the barre and bending forward. This is a great stretch for the hips and the gluteals. I love freebies and I can never get enough of them.
What a fabulous idea! We now do stretching at the barre at the end of class. This is the best time to stretch and it ensures that students stretch out then.
I like to stretch in second and slide out. As I have gotten older, I don’t go very far and part of it is discomfort. This would be a great idea for my daughter’s classes as they may actually enjoy doing more stretching at the barre if it were more comfortable.
What a fantastic concept. I usually bring a towel to put over the barre, or put my leg warmers over the barre – but they end to slip & slide & fall off. But this would offer secure padding & comfort. My favorite stretch at the barre is in attitude (both forward & back). I lay the lower portion of my leg across the barre – from toe to knee – then stretch forward, then I repeat it to the back. This is a great stretch for the hip flexors & gluts. Wow – I just love freebies!
My favorite barre stretch is one leg up in a la seconde and combre over. It always feels good!
Yay for freebies!
My favorite stretch at the barre is just the good ol’ 2nd position en l’air! I get a great stretch just by feeling that hip drop to stay level with the standing hip…I’m not very flexible!
My favorite is an attitude stretch at the barre where my back is to the barre and my lower leg, knee to toe, are resting on the barre. My arms hold the barre, and then I usually add a plié and cambré.
My favorite stretch in the side stretch with leg on the barre. Freebies are great in blue.
putting the leg up on the barre in second position and tilting the pelvis posteriorly and anteriorly, and plieing and releveing, to stretch all parts of the adducter muscles!