Lots of people these days are deciding to learn how to dance.
But how do you prepare for your first dance lesson?
Tango shoes, tights, pointe shoes, leotards, skirts, petticoats, shorts, culottes, etc., what dance clothes and accessories do you require to learn how to dance?
Here we answer all your questions about dance clothes and accessories.
Purchase the Correct Dance Clothes
Learning to dance means spending time and money. But don’t worry! Dancing is an activity that doesn’t always necessitate a lot of equipment.
It’s up to you to choose exactly what you will require, depending on how passionate you really are about dancing.
However, here are some tips to get you started when selecting your dance apparel to ensure you get the correct clothing.
Selecting a Top
When learning to dance, it’s essential that you wear comfortable clothing, particularly in regards to tops. Be aware that you might get hot and sweaty while dancing. In this case, you might want to wear several layers.
For this reason, many dancers choose to wear a leotard and a top they can remove if they get too hot. It should be well-fitted and enable you to practise comfortably.
When you're practising in class, you don't need to concern yourself with dance costumes. You can just wear a camisole or a top that allows your body to move freely and comfortably.
Purchase the Correct Bottoms
Selecting the right bottoms is essential as your legs need to be able to move around freely.
We often think that loose bottoms like tracksuit pants are best for learning to dance. However, if they’re too loose, they could wind up getting in the way of your movements.
Leggings and tights are often worn, or you can also get unitards. These won’t get in the way of your movements and you also won’t get too hot in them.
There are specific dance tights and dance pants you can buy which are better adapted to movement. They’ll typically feature an elastic waist. Depending on the style of dance, you might need footless tights, particularly if you're not wearing shoes to ensure that you don’t slip on the parquet.
There are various outfits for different styles. While you'll likely only wear a tutu if you're taking ballet, there are lots of different skirts dancers can wear. Like pants, you also need to be able to move in your skirt unhindered, particularly for styles like Argentinian tango.
Shorts can also be worn by both men and women. Just like with your top, you need to ensure you wear comfortable bottoms when you dance.
Knowing what to expect during your first dance class may assist you in selecting the correct dancewear!
Selecting Shoes
Depending on the style, you might be able to dance barefoot. However, shoes can assist the positioning of your feet and help prevent certain injuries. Debatably, dance shoes are the most crucial thing a dancer will purchase.
You need to ensure you have the correct shoes for the style of dance you’re taking. While women will need to wear heels for Argentinian tango, ballet dancers will require ballet slippers and possibly pointes.
As there are many different styles, you need to ensure you have the correct footwear. While a ballerina will choose pointes, if you're doing ballroom dancing, you'll require ballroom shoes.
You definitely can’t do tap dancing without tap shoes but you can certainly do rhythmic gymnastics with no shoes.
Buy a Dance Bag
No matter whether it's evening classes, private tutorials, or group classes, you will require your own dancing equipment. To carry everything, you’re going to need the correct bag.
Dance bags are typically cylindrical holdalls with handles at the top.
While this bag is popular amongst dancers, it’s not the only kind of bag you can buy. However, it is common for a reason - it’s very good at transporting dance equipment. You can carry it either by hand or on your shoulder.
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Additionally, you should carefully consider what you put in it.
To really take advantage of your dance classes, ensure you bring a bottle of water so you can stay hydrated. You could also bring some clothes to change into once you’ve finished. This can also be helpful for regulating your body temperature after the class.
Regardless, a good bag is one that doesn’t cause discomfort. You may have to carry it around all day as you don’t have time to go home before your dance class. Therefore, it should be both discreet and practical.
We recommend getting a bag dedicated solely to your dance equipment. This means you won’t have to take things in and out and risk forgetting something
Learn how dancing benefits both your mind and body!
Extra Accessories for Dance Classes
Sometimes there’s equipment that you might not usually think of. These accessories aren’t vital, but they can be really helpful.
Having a few accessories in your bag doesn’t hurt, as you never know what might happen in your class.
Hair Accessories
If you have long hair, these could be important. It can be very annoying trying to dance always having your hair in your face.
A majority of ballet dancers will put their hair in a bun. A simple ponytail can also suffice.
Ensure to bring lots of hair ties and clips. You can also purchase nets that go around a bun so that it stays in place and no loose hair strands escape during a dance performance.
Check out our different online dance classes here!
Foot Protection
If you’re learning ballet and have to wear pointes, you will need something to protect your feet.
You can purchase silicone or foam toe covers to protect your feet, and there are lambswool toe protectors too. You can also buy spacers to put between your toes to prevent bunions.
You might also require varnish and toe caps during the year. Of course, you can buy these when you need them.
You don’t need to purchase everything for your first class. It’s a good idea to wait and see what your dance teacher says you need.
It will also depend on whether you’re doing the waltz, swing, boogie-woogie, breakdancing, pilates, salsa, African dance, merengue, Bachata, cha cha cha.
Learning Materials for Dancers
It’s not always clear how much you will learn in your lesson. Sometimes you’ll require more than just weekly classes to advance as much as you want to. Investing in some extra learning materials could be worthwhile.
You can purchase books about the history of dance and dance techniques. Some books will demonstrate certain steps and offer some good tips. Of course, books can’t replace a teacher, but they don’t hurt.
Using DVDs could be more effective than a book since you can watch exactly how to learn certain steps and choreography. You may get it wrong if you simply read how to do it.
DVDs are typically sold in relation to the style of dance and the level (beginner, intermediate, expert, etc.).
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You can also complement your dance classes with free online content and paid-for content.
Platforms like YouTube provide many videos on how to dance and learn dance steps. It would be a shame to make use of this resource.
All of these learning materials can assist you in learning how to dance on your own. This is really helpful for those who, for whatever reason, cannot get dance classes.
What do you think is the best age to start dancing? Obviously, younger dancers can’t learn from YouTube, right?
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Where Can You Purchase Dance Equipment?
There are many ways you can purchase your dance equipment. You can buy clothing, accessories, DVDs, etc. in both stores and online.
Sport shops often sell dancewear. You will find dance equipment in stores like Decathlon, for example, where there is an entire aisle dedicated to dancing and performance arts.
There are dedicated dance shops too, like Bloch. You’re more likely to find these stores in larger cities. They’ll have a wider range of products and more options for you to choose from.
If you don’t live near one of these stores, remember that many of them will have an online store. These days, more and more shops are going online. The internet is great for finding lots of clothes and accessories. You can compare brands, products, and prices.
There are many different dance clothes and accessories (shoes, clothing like tutus, tights, leotards, etc.) you can buy online. However, there’s one major negative to purchasing online. You can’t try them on and you can’t really see the quality.
If you’re on a budget, you can also get second-hand clothing and accessories. You don’t have to break the bank to get everything you need.
No matter whether it's ballroom, Latin, modern, hip hop, Zumba, belly dancing, pole dancing, tap, contemporary, flamenco, or jazz, you’ll be all set!
Find out more about dancing in this complete guide for beginners!
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