All of the big Las Vegas casinos put on shows to attract crowds to the casino, and instead of hiring new dancers every time the change the show, they hire full time dancers and these girls are called Showgirls.

If you have ever thought about putting elaborate costumes and dancing in front of crowds every night, then becoming a Vegas Showgirl may be the job for you.

Being a Vegas Showgirl is not an easy job. You must be in top physical condition if you expect to be a professional dancer, and it is important to remember that not everyone will make it, becoming a professional dancer is a roll of the dice, you have better odds of winning an
game then making it as a dancer.

There are several things you can do to help improve your chances of getting your carrier as a Las Vegas Casino dancer started

Dance lessons, if you want to be a professional dancer you have to learn several different styles of dance, and dance them all well. This may be the hardest part to becoming a dancer. This part will take many years and require you to spend several hours a day every day taking dancing lessons.

Physical Conditioning, dancing requires lots of endurance and stamina. Besides the workouts you will get from all the dancing lessons you will take you will also need to work out on your own regularly. These workouts should include aerobic and some weight training.

Weight training should not be done to build muscle mass only for building strength and muscle toning. The best way to do this is by doing high repetition counts of low weights. This method will make the existing muscles stronger but will not bulk you up.

To pursue a carrier in dancing in a Vegas Casinos it is important to target the leg, stomach and back muscle groups. It is from these muscle groups that a dancer moves.

Diet, Dancers are required to be tossed around and lifted into the air, not to mention the fact that most dancers are skin tight and for these reasons dancers must always watch their weight.

Many Las Vegas Showgirls have to get on the scale every week and if they gain weight they could get thrown out of the show. Always remember there are many people that dream of dancing professionally, and the casinos will not hesitate to throw a girl out and replace her for the slightest reason.

Once you feel you are good enough you can start sending in resumes. A resume should include each different style of dance that you know and how long you have been doing it, and it should also include all prior dance experience.

A good way to get experience is to get yourself in as many different things you can. Local theater groups are a great way to gain experience. Getting a job as a dance instructor Is also a good way to gain experience and practice at the same time.

By sending your resume to all the different casinos you can greatly increase your chances of getting at least one audition. Do not expect to get hired at the more popular casinos on your first audition. The bigger Las Vegas casinos usually like to hire girls with more experience, so you will probably have to work as a showgirl at a smaller casino first.

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Many girls who start on pointe are scared that they will get bunions from doing pointe work. Pointe work will not ’cause’ bunions, however if you do have a family predisposition to bunions check out your Mother and Grandmothers feet! then wearing ill fitting shoes whether they are street shoes or pointe shoes may hasten their development.

People usually say that they have a bunion if they start getting a lump out at the base of the big toe. You can get a ‘pseudo’ bunion by the rubbing of the pointe shoe if the wings are too short and do not come up to the level of the big toe joint, or wear a very narrow box. This causes the toes to be squashed together, and the ball of the foot sits above the box, rather than being supported within it. Often picking a shoe with longer wings and a wider box will help reduce pressure on the area, and the irritation will subside…

A real bunion is when the end part of the big toe begins to angle in towards the other toes, and the knuckle of the toe head of the first metatarsal drifts away from the second metatarsal. The protruding piece of bone thickens and often gets red and irritated. Sometimes it may feel hot.

Several things are often present in the physical examination of a dancer with bunions.

1 Often she has quite mobile feet but tends to overturn the feet in first and fifth positions.

2 She may have good turnout range, but may not have the strength to use it in standing and when dancing.

3 If this is the case, when she is standing the rolling in of the feet puts pressure on the inner edge of the big toe and this encourages the drift towards the second toe.
4 If she has good turnout range she often walks with the feet slightly turned out, and rolls off the inner edge of the big toe, rather than pushing off from the underneath part of it.

5 The muscles that support her arch are usually too weak to support the foot, and especially the one under her big toe Flexor Hallucis Brevis is unable to assist the movement from demi to full pointe.

6 There is often an isolated restriction in mobility between the top end of the first metatarsal and the mid foot bones Cuneiforms.

7 If there is reduced mobility of the big joint when attempting to go onto demi pointe, this often results in either sickling in, or sickling out en demi-pointe

8 The metatarsal of the big toe is often rotated in, and angled out away from the second metatarsal.

9 She may demonstrate poor pelvic stability, with the thigh, knee and foot rotating inwards with single knee bends in parallel.

Depending on how many of the above points are true for the dancer, she should commence a series of exercises based on turnout strength, arch control and control of the intrinsic muscles of the feet.

The dancer with bunions often needs mobilization of the mid foot to help re align the toe correctly, and then taping and padding in the shoe to keep the toe in alignment. There are various taping techniques that can be used to help the dancer with bunions. Many people use toe separators, and this may help prevent the big toe from crossing the second toe, however it does not solve the real problem. It is preferable to tape under the head of the first metatarsal, before drawing the tape up and over the knuckle, de-rotating the first metatarsal. The tape is then wrapped around the big toe. This often helps align the toe more correctly in the shoe. A tape can also be used to keep the head of the first metatarsal in closer to the second, to reduce the sideways drift.

Any padding should be in a donut configuration so as to distribute the pressure to the area around the bunion, rather than to increase the pressure on the already tender area. Create custom designed shapes by cutting pieces out of a simple foam rubber shoe inner sole that you can buy from the supermarket. They are cheap, comfy, and you can even get deodorizing ones. Cut a circle larger than the inflamed area, and then remove the center portion so that there is no increased pressure on the inflamed area. Adhere the padding onto the foot to keep it in place with thin hypoallergenic white tape so that it does not slide around when dancing.

Having a family history of developing bunions is not a barrier to commencing pointe work; however the dancer must take special care of her feet to avoid early development of this often painful condition.

Dance give us plenty of room for self-expression and can be powerful in helping the body and mind to be stimulated. It’s all about movement and music and you.

This is one thing everyone agrees about Dance is beneficial. It’s exercising without “feeling” like you’re exercising, it increases cardiovascular and mental health, releasing endorphins while you turn, spin, and simply MOVE.

Unfortunately, in our “modernized” society, we have lost touch with its potential. In contrast, dance has always been an integral part of many other cultures. You dont have to dance with an African tribe around a roaring fire to realize the healing benefits of dance; luckily, all you need is yourself.

The other great thing about dance is that it can be done either in the privacy of your own home, in dance classes as a recreational outlet, at a party with friends, or as you do any number of houshold tasks, fitting a little “swing” in your steps.

“Oh, I can’t dance,” you’ll say. Can’t, or won’t? Dancing is simply moving, like wayward walking. It doesn’t have to be funky-crazy or hip; you don’t have to go with a style you don’t feel comfortable with; and those of you with “dance inhibition” are free, nearly every day, to find time and a private place large enough to move around freely — again, also knwn as dancing.

Choose music you feel comfortable with. Music preferences naturally vary from person to person — and even from day to day — so it just doesn’t matter of you decide to dance to Prince, Mozart, Garth Brooks, or Billie Holiday. That’s the first rule Never put any kind of restrictions on yourself, thinking, “I like that music, but how do you dance to “Jingle Bells”?

When you are ready to begin, stand for a moment with your eyes closed. Feel the connection of your feet to the floor and just relax. If you feel completely at a loss for what to do, imagine your breath supplying your entire body with a golden fluid, making your body light and flexible.

Allow this to transition into any movements you wish, moving as the body dictates. Flow, float, stomp, jump up and down. Move fast or in slow motion. The key is to just allow the body to move, so dont think too much — just move. Dont worry about how you look; if you’re alone, no one can see you. If you’re in a dance class, everyone else is laughing, making the same mistakes you are.

When you really get into it, after a while you’ll definitely notice something You’re not worrying as much any more; you are sleeping better; you aren’t as irritable at work or at home, with your family; and you feel surprisingly “healed” in some way.

In fact, the natural bodily healing and restoration can last from a couple of minutes to a several hours. People young and old, in all states of fitness, living in all kinds of bodies can benefit from dance. Those with injuries or physical challenges can bene fit as well as any “able-bodied” person; just listen to your body and work with its limitations. Dance can be used for healing major stresses as well as “everyday life,” for it is often that these stresses build up, manifesting in extreme tension, anger, and even illness.

Remember, you’re not forcing your body to move according to someone elses steps; to truly dance is to just tune in to your own personal radio station, and move according to the rhythm of your soul. Dance slow, dance fast, dance solo, dance with others, dance with joy, even dance the sorrow out of your heart. There are no rules — just DANCE!

Good control of balance and stability of the foot and ankle are essential in any dancer. However many dancers are unaware of the many things that combine to give you good balance, and how to train the components individually. Poor balance reactions may make your supporting foot wobble and you might find it hard to stabilize en demi-pointe, or be constantly corrected for rolling arches! Poor stability in your supporting ankle is a huge barrier in increasing how high you can lift your leg en l’air, as you will be working off an unstable base.
There are so many things that can influence your balance, including; your vision; your sensation of where your foot and ankle ligaments are proprioception, and the balance sensors that actually sit inside your inner ear. It is important to train the stability of the ankle while removing one or two of the feedback systems that we use to develop all parts of the complete system. Many dancers rely far too much on their vision to maintain their balance, and this becomes a problem when turning or performing in low light situations.
Test yourself and the strength of each system by trying each of the following exercises. Try standing on a single leg in parallel or turnout, with each of the following variations
Closing your eyes.
Standing on a pillow, or soft foam mat.
Try turning your head from side to side.
Tilting the head from side to side.
Try a fondusmall knee bend on each leg.

If you are already in pointe shoes, try all of the above in bare feet and then in your pointe shoes and feel the difference!
All of these are great tests and training ideas for improving your control of your ankles. Remember to always switch on your deep turnout muscles and core stabilizing muscles when balancing in turnout, so that your hips dont twist too much!
Developing control of the small intrinsic muscles of the feet are essential to developing good balance. Many ideal exercises for this are explained in The Perfect Pointe Book, a resource developed especially for dancers to gain optimum control of their feet and ankles. It is an essential component of any dance training whether or not the dancer is en pointe.

So many girls have good flexibility when stretching, but find it hard to use this when dancing, especially with a developp. If you simply practise the step over and over, often the result is bulky thighs, with not a lot of increase in range. This will happen if you are trying to use the front of the leg to lift, rather than controlling the leg from the hip. Many girls try to improve the height of the leg by training with weights. This is not recommended, as the dancer simply learns to use the muscles that are already working more, rather than discovering the true turnout muscles, and the smaller muscles required to stabilize the leg en lair.
Here is a simple exercise to increase the range of your developp devant.
To work out all the true muscles needed to work the leg devant, lie on your back, with your legs out straight and your hands on your hips.
Slowly pull the foot up into a retire position feel your inner thighs working!.
Make sure that the hips stay square, and dont hitch or twist!
Slowly unfold the leg as for a developp devant working on controlling the turnout from the hip, and lengthening the leg.
You will not be able to cheat by tucking the pelvis in this position, but the leg will feel a lot lighter, so you can focus on correct placement!
Slowly lower the leg, making sure you use your abdominals so that your back doesnt arch!
If you can control the leg and pelvis well with a developp to 90 degrees without moving the hips, you will be able to achieve a much greater height of leg when you let the pelvis become involved it has to begin to shift a little above this. However, if you are hitching and struggling to get to 90 degrees, you will find it very hard to improve beyond this point unless you really focus on your stability.
You can also do this for a developp a la seconde lying on your side, but make sure that your hips start and end nice and square. You do need to rotate the pelvis slightly towards the end of the movement, but this should be gradual, and only as much as you really need!
If you practise developp in this position, your muscles will learn how to control the leg much easier, and you will find that your range improves quite quickly. Then, when you practise in standing, everything feels a lot more familiar.

Your ‘Gluteal Muscles’ are actually extremely important when you are dancing, and the correct use of them will help you in everything from jumps, to your work en fondu, your arabesque line, your back, and even your flexibility into the splits. It is important to work out the correct way to use these muscles, and to avoid the downside of over-using them such as tight turnout muscles, poor hip mobility, and a ‘too perky’ bum under your tutu!
The first thing you have to understand is the difference between your turnout muscles and your gluteals. In ‘The Perfect Pointe Book’ A book designed for the education of dancers. Page 54 there are great pictures to demonstrate the difference. The turnout muscles are a group of 6 deep muscles that connect from the bumpy bone on the outside of your hip greater trochanter towards your tail bone sacrum and other parts of your pelvis. They turn the top bone femur of your leg out, and there are six of them so that they can work to turn the hip out, no matter what range the leg is in helps in a Grande rond de jambe.
Your Gluteal muscles on the other hand, work to extend the hip in other words, take the leg behind you. There are some other muscles that can also do this job, so often people will have no idea that their bottom is not working properly. The hamstrings and some of the low back muscles will be overused if the gluteals are not switching on properly, especially in an arabesque. The Gluteals should also contract strongly during push off in allegro, and work to control your landing.
If you often feel tight in your low back, and struggle to keep your knee straight in an arabesque derrire, the chances are that you are using the hamstrings to lift the leg, rather than the gluteals. If you do this repeatedly, and especially if you use your hamstrings too much when walking, all the extra contracting will tighten them up, no matter how often you stretch your hamstrings.
Try this simple test to see how well the gluteals are working.
Lie on your tummy with your legs out straight, in parallel.
Turn your head to one side and place your fingertips into the middle of each of your bottom muscles.
Keeping it straight at the knee, lift one leg just off the floor.
Notice whether anything happens under your fingertips, and even better, note where in the movement it comes on.
Some people will find it hard to bring the muscle on at all; others will find that it comes on at the end of the range only.
For some people, it will come on beautifully, automatically!
To take the maximum load off your hamstrings, the gluteals should start the movement, and then continue to work throughout the movement.
Test the difference side to side, and test your friends. If you are testing other people, place one hand on the back of their hamstrings and one on their bottom.
Remember, it is okay for the hamstrings to work a little, we just want the bottom to be doing its fair share!
Once you are sure that the bottom is working, you must know when to use it. I hate hearing girls being told to grip with their bottom throughout class. This is not necessary and will build too much tension in the area. All muscles work best when they are allowed to relax and then contract to perform their specific movement.
Another tip is to see if your bottom muscles come on when you are walking. Especially up stairs or up any incline, the gluteal muscles of the supporting leg should squeeze on a little to take the strain off your hamstrings. If you can master this, you will be amazed at how quickly your flexibility will improve.
The one major time when the gluteal muscles should not be doing too much is when you are just standing in first, second or fifth positions of the feet. The turnout muscles will be gently working to maintain the position; however your gluteal muscles should be reasonably relaxed, and ready for action.
Stand in parallel, with your finger tips on your bottom.
Rock your weight back onto your heels and turn the legs out, focusing on starting the movement from your hips.
Place your toes back down on the floor you will be in a small first position and focus on what you are feeling through the hips. Can you keep the thighs turned out with your deep turnout muscles, and still have your outer bottom muscle relaxed? This may take time, and patience, to achieve, but will really improve your dancing.
Using the gluteals and turnout muscles in this way is the secret to improving the mobility of your hips and height of the leg en l’air. You must learn to use the muscles the way they were designed to be used for optimum effectiveness. Further exercises for turnout and gluteal strengthening are available in The Perfect Pointe Book.

Anatomy of a Pointe Shoe
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There are several elements involved in the anatomy of a pointe shoe, all of which contribute to its fit and performance. The ability to identify these parts is important in understanding their impact upon the dancer and her performance. The front edge of the shoe is the platform, or the flattened area upon which a dancer stands en pointe. Inside the shoe is a stiffened cup encasing the toes known as the box, or block. The area covering the toes and top of the foot is the vamp, while the opening nearest the toes is the shoes throat. The supportive insole of a pointe shoe, or shank, fits within, while an outer sole, typically made from leather, runs along the underside. The rear portion of the shoe that encases the heel and sides of the foot is known as the quarter. Running the circumference of the shoe is the binding. This is the fabric channel through which the drawstring runs. You can learn more about pointe shoes at

Beginner Pointe Shoes
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The most important aspect in selecting beginner pointe shoes is proper fit. This not only affects ones ability to dance en pointe, but safeguards proper development of the feet, ankles and legs. Bones in the feet do not fully mature until the early 20s, and improperly fitted shoes can cause damage. Look for pointe shoes that fit properly standing on and off pointe. The ends of the toes should reach the front of the shoe, and there should be no excess material at the heel. To find the best width, check that there are no wrinkles in the box and that a finger cannot fit between the box and the foot. Most often, beginner pointe shoes should feature a medium shank, unless the dancer is particularly muscular or has a high arch. No matter the shank, a properly fitted pointe shoe will allow a dancer to roll through with comfort.

Ballet Demi Pointe Shoes
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Ballet demi pointe shoes are designed to meet the needs of younger dancers until they mature and develop adequate strength for pointe work. The main difference between a demi pointe and pointe shoe is that the demi pointe is boxed and shankless. They do not provide the support and stability needed to safely go on pointe, but are ideal for working up to it. These shoes are intended to help familiarize pre-pointe students with working in a boxed shoe, as well as basic shoe care such as sewing on ribbon and elastic.

If you are looking for more information on Ballet Pointe shoes. Head on over to

Although every teacher is different, the goals of the introductory pointe class are similar no matter where you dance. These goals include strengthening the feet and ankles, breaking in the pointe shoes, and learning proper execution of skills while wearing pointe shoes.

To strengthen the feet, your teacher may instruct in a variety of methods including demi-pointe work, exercises for the feet and ankles, and basic releves at the barre. Instruction may also be given for additional work that can be done outside of class to help you gain strength and skill.

Breaking in pointe shoes is simply the wording used to describe taking the shoe from its initial factory condition to where it is conformed to the shape of your foot. This may include some work with your shoe in hand softening hard spots and bending the shank. I highly suggest waiting for a teachers instruction before bending, softening, or attempting to break in the shoes. Doing so on your own may permanently damage or improperly break in the shoes.

In addition to manually softening the shoes, your feet will serve as your greatest break in tool. Simply doing releves will do much to help the shoes mould to your feet. Again, be careful about doing too much outside of your teachers watchful eye. Doing steps incorrectly in pointe shoes may cause the shoes to break in improperly or lead to an injury.

Lastly, a basic pointe class will include barre work and eventually center work doing the steps you already know. Plies, releves, tendus, jetes, and other basic technical steps will help you learn placement, understand positioning, and gain strength as you develop your pointe skills.

In an introductory pointe class, you may find yourself spending only a few minutes actually dancing in the shoes. Do not be alarmed. It takes dedication and time over the course of many months and years to develop a strong pointe technique. You will gain strength, increase grace, and expand your dancing horizons as you begin pointe. There will be blisters, frustration, and pain, but the beauty of the dance will always make it worthwhile!

The way some muscles attaches into the growth plates of your bones can cause problems if you are doing a lot of sport involving jumping and running, which is why a lot of girls and boys who dance or do athletics get issue with their knees. This happens especially around periods of growth when the growth plates are more active.

If you have pain below the knee cap, and you think it may be the growth plates, it may be a syndrome called Osgood Schlatters Disease. This is not really a disease but is just named after the guy who discovered it.

The tendon that attaches the patella knee cap to the tibia shin bone is called the patella tendon. The tendon attaches to your tibia right on the growth plate. The muscles of the front of the thigh quadriceps attach into the top of the patella which acts as a pulley to allow you to straighten your leg without the muscle rubbing over the edges of the bone. If you bend and straighten the knee many times, the constant pulling on the growth plate can aggravate it and you can get quite a bit of pain.

Things you can do to reduce the amount of pain and pulling include

Gentle stretching of the Quadriceps
Strengthening your buttock muscles to reduce the load on the Quads
Taping techniques to redistribute the load going through the tendon
Strengthening other muscles around the hips so not as much strain goes through your knees.
Icing the tendon after exercise, on a gentle stretch, to reduce the inflammation.

If you are having more random pains, more at night, and the pain is above the knee joint, it may be purely action at the growth plate of your femur long thigh bone. Make sure that when it has been a little sore you do not do too much jumping or strong stretching. Keep the muscles around the area relaxed with gentle stretching, and heat may help relieve the pain by bringing more blood to the area.
Use Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation to settle any sudden increases in pain.

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