Pointe shoes are notorious for having big price tags and short lifespans. What do you do to make your pointe shoes last longer? Do you have any tips or suggestions for extending the lives of your pointes?

Please share your tips!

All About Pointe Shoes

• What Are Pointe Shoes?
• How To Break In Pointe Shoes
• Is It Time for New Pointes?

_{Photo © Tom Grill / Getty Images}

Veronika Part of the American Ballet Theatre is going to be a guest on the "Late Show With David Letterman" tonight....woohoo! When was the last time that a ballet dancer was a guest on one of the late night talk shows?

I'm not sure if she will be a sit-down guest or if we will have the extraordinary chance to see her perform...just in case, I'm setting my DVR to record. Tell us, have you ever seen Veronika perform?

Learn all about Veronika Part

Do you like jazz? Head for the Windy City for Gus Giordano's Jazz Dance World Congress. Experience five spectacular days of jazz dance classes and concerts in Chicago. Jazz Dance World Congress 2009 will gather dancers from all over the world for dance classes taught by renowned jazz dance faculty. Registration includes the Jazz Dance World Festival nightly concerts by some of the world's best dance companies.

Jazz Dance World Festival: July 22-25, 2009

Related:

• Jazz 101
• Dressing for Jazz Dance
• Jazz Warm-Up Routine

It's official...Katie Holmes will grace the stage for the 100th episode of "So You Think You Can Dance." The July 23rd episode will be a tribute to the late, great Judy Garland, best known as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz." Holmes will strut her stuff to the song "Get Happy," which Garland sang in the film "Summer Stock."

Will you be watching?

_{Source: Lussier, Germain. Katie Holmes to Appear on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. TwirlIt, 3 July 2009.}

_{Photo © Frederick M Brown / Getty Images}

Where do you purchase leotards and tights? Do you have a great dance supply store nearby, or do you shop online like I do? Discount Dance Supply is a leading online dancewear retailer with good prices and excellent customer service.

Review of Discount Dance Supply

_{Photo © Richard Kolker / Getty Images}

Michael Jackson, remembered as the "King of Pop," died after suffering cardiac arrest in Los Angeles. Jackson's sensational music career began in 1969. Many people contribute much of Michael's ultimate success to his amazing ability to dance. In 1983, Jackson performed live on a Motown television special, debuting his signature dance move, the moonwalk.

Related:

• Profile of Michael Jackson
• Thriller
• Top 10 Michael Jackson Songs

_{Photo © Frank Micelotta / Stringer / Getty Images}

Many ballets are called "ballet d'action," meaning that the dancing tells a story. Ballet dancers tell stories by using different facial expressions. Instead of using words, ballet dancers use their bodies and movement to express themeselves. By practicing different positions of your head, eyes and mouth, you can learn to convey your feelings to the audience.

Suggested Reading:

• Tips for Enjoying a Ballet
• Ballet Audience Etiquette
• Must-See Classical Ballets

_{Photo © Tracy Wicklund}

The Fantanas are back and performing their catchy song once again, and now the three new members are looking for a fourth to join their group! If you think you have what it takes, submit a one minute video and short essay now until June 30th showcasing your singing/dancing ability and explain why you want to be a Fantana.

The grand prize winner will receive $5,000 and the opportunity to sign an agreement to become the fourth Fantana, which includes appearing in Fanta's advertising campaign. Contestants must be at least 18 years of age and follow all contest rules. Good luck!

_{Source: Hirsch, Matt. Fanta, Fanta.com.}

Eithne Walls, a young doctor and talented Irish dancer from County Down, was among 228 people onboard the Air France airliner which disappeared last month. Eithne Walls, 28, from Ballygowan, worked in the Dublin Eye and Ear Hospital. Eithne had spent a year with Riverdance on Broadway, New York, before studying medicine at Trinity College, Dublin.

Aine Rooney, a dancing school teacher who began dancing with Eithne as a child at the Armstrong School in west Belfast said, "She was also a world standard dancer. At the Riverdance Flying Squad gigs, the books were always with her, she would investigate us and we always tortured her with our aches and pains."

_{Source: BBCNews. Riverdance star on lost airliner. 2 June 2009.}

According to Life & Style, Katie Holmes has recently been spotted at LA-area dance studios several times a week...it seems that Mrs. Tom Cruise is in "serious talks to make a special performance on So You Think You Can Dance." Reporters say that Katie has secretly met with producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe about the possibility of a special dance performance, either this season or in the 6th Season of the show which is scheduled to start in the fall.

So, who thinks Katie can dance? Would you tune in to check out her moves?

_{Source: Simmons, Abbey. . BuddyTV, 10 Jun 2009.}