What to Wear

We all know (hopefully) that for dance lessons, one must wear loose and comfortable clothing. This allows the body to move with minimal restriction, which encourages the buildup of muscles and endurance, and the increase of flexibility. Ballet, of course, is an obvious exception, due to the fact that ballerinas are generally required to wear leotards, tights, and specialized shoes (soft, demi-pointe, or pointe). Most dance studios are fairly relaxed in terms of their dress code; the majority of hip hop, jazz, and modern dancers are allowed to wear comfortable, loose clothing. Some jazz and modern dancers are told to wear shorts (booty shorts) in the place of sweatpants or P.E. shorts. Also, when I took hip hop classes, the studio did not allow students to wear shorts that rose above the knee level, because many floor stunts involved the use of the knees, which needed to be protected. Most jazz or hip hop or modern classes do not require their dancers to tie their hair back, but it is important to remember that loose hair is distracting to both others and yourself, therefore, putting hair back in a ponytail, braids, or a bun is always a good idea. For ballerinas at most dance studios, the standard uniform is a black leotard, pink tights, and soft/demi-pointe/pointe shoes. However, some studios are far more relaxed with their dress code. For example, when I take ballet, I wear a black leotard, tan leggings, black booty shorts, and, of course, my ballet shoes. Many dancers at my studio choose to wear the traditional uniform, while others opt for a more alternative style of dress. After ballet classes, I typically slip on a jacket over my leotard and swap my ballet shoes for flip flops (where I live is fairly warm year round). However, no matter what classes you plan upon taking, it is always a good idea to CHECK beforehand with your studio about the dancer dress code.