The One-Hand Dance Challenge
Jordan is gearing up for another dance recital. This year, she’s performing in TWO different dances: jazz and tap. The chance to dance in more than one class is something she’s looked forward to for a couple of years. Jordan loves performing and dressing up for the big show.
This year’s recitals include two VERY sparkly dresses. Our studio introduces the dresses by putting out all of the outfits from the catalogue on a poster board so each girl can see what dresses they have assigned to the song they are dancing.
Her jazz dance has the red sparkle overload and her tap dance includes that blue sparkle number. But you may notice one other thing with that blue dress: Gloves.
Gloves. Seriously. They drive me a little batty when it comes to the dance recitals. This year’s tap dance performance also includes pointing on her little arm side (which doesn’t bother Jordan at all). Jordan has no interest in performing with her helper arm because it really is more of a hinderance than a help when it comes to doing specific moves. But because there is pointing involved, Jordan tells me she’d like to try and figure out how to alter the glove so she can wear it with her little arm during the dance. She’s never asked for alterations before and I figure it’s worth a try. I wonder if there’s a glove alteration store in my town! (I know, I know, those don’t exist. But I’m going to have to find a crafty friend to help me with this challenge.)
I have a 9 year old daughter who has both hands affected by ABS. She has also been dancing since she was 4. Her very first year, she had to wear white gloves with her tap outfit. But they didn’t come with the costume, so not only did I have to alter her gloves to fit her fingers, but I had to find them first! And cut and resew each and every finger on the left glove, and two on the right! The next year, she had to wear black gloves! Again, I had to find them, then alter them! For each and every finger!
I wonder if you could convert the glove to a cuff for her little arm? Hopefully the dance teacher would be ok with that.
I hope so, Carrie! I can only imagine how aggravating it would be to not only have to alter gloves but to have to FIND them in the first place!
I would consider adding some rubber gripping (similar to the rubber that can be found around the leg holes of spandex shorts) so that the altered glove can more easily grip and stay on her little arm. I can only imagine how annoying it would be to have the little glove sliding off. Perhaps alter it by flipping it inside out, sewing all the finger and thumb holes closed, cutting them off, and then flipping it back out the right way. Just an idea!
Thanks, Olivia! Those are great ideas!
Along with Olivia’s rubber gripping idea, maybe some “hollywood tape” too? It’s clear double-sided tape that hold dresses in place onthe shoulders, around cleavage, etc.
I love it! Thanks, Kim!