So you are new to this dancing thing, and it feels like you are about to make a fool of yourself, right? Here are a few things that will help you make up your mind.
You’ve done this before!
Every time you tried learning and/or doing something new you have made a fool of yourself. But most of the time it is considered cute and accepted, mainly because the impact on yourself is not so poignant.
Dancing is more real. Its is a language that is spoken with one’s image (your body), and that is not something we like to play with in today’s society. It is a good thing to hold ourselves to high standards. But it is also bad to not become better skilled because of our higher standards.
So which is better, learning to dance and owning you body. Or, not learning and keeping safe from society’s judgement, which – by the way – is mainly comprised of “non-dancers” who would criticize something they know nothing of?
…You decide.
Dress code
When you first start dancing wear what makes you feel comfortable mentally first. When the class is happening, this is not the time to wonder about your outfit. If you pay for your class, you should make it count by learning as much as you can.
You probably are still waiting for that key suggestion… Well, wear something that you would wear to go exercise. If that scares you, dress casually for and evening at a barbecue.
Foot wear
Here we are, probably one of the most important part of social dancing, your feet.
You need to protect your feet, ankles, knees and hips at all times. And to do that, you first might want to know a secret. Any time professional dancers can train in flats, they always do. Some even teach in their socks (I know, I did that a lot! – taking my shoes off right in the middle of class). Professionals (male and female) wear heels for the show. There are some slight advantages to wearing heels but if you don’t dance up to a certain level they are more harm than good.
Regular fashion heels are highly advised against for dance training and practice. Click here to see some images of what you shouldn’t wear to class
Dancing shoes are tricky. There are so many of them and it is sometimes so hard to choose the right one for the job if you look past the design. Still here is a suggestion.
Beginners:
Dance Sneakers are different than street sneakers. They are built light and the material has low grip on the floor. They are not always the most attractive but they are built to spin while keeping the comfort with little to no compromise on foot control.
Advanced beginner – intermediate:
This post is supposed to be about beginners but let me give you an idea of maybe what to look forward to.
Moving from more comfortable shoes to specialized ones is a bit weird if you were to take my initial advise on the dance sneakers and general flat non grippy shoes. But as an advanced beginner, you are probably feeling confident and would like to look more like celebrities look on social media (TV has become obsolete by now) and that makes sense (although absurd).
Ladies, If you are buying heels, don’t go higher than 2 inches ( 2 inches is already a stretch ). I advise all my students to not wear anything past 2.5 inches no mater the level they reach. Also the heels that you buy should hold your toes well, but never should they restrict or deform their natural line. It doesn’t mater what they look like. If you ignore that rule, you will pay the price in time.
Quick thought: If people only buy good shoes for their feet that is the only kind that will exist as the shoemakers and sellers will not invest in what doesn’t sell. So if you can’t find good shoes, either you have the most unusual foot like the majority, or they only sell bad shoes. In my experience, it’s the ladder.
There are a few types of specialized shoes. Let’s start wit the safest kind for your body.
To be continued…
If That said, here is a suggested list of dance shoes by degree of dancing skills: