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Dancing has been a favorite past time for as long as there has been music. Almost every little girl dreams of one day becoming a ballerina or some kind of professional dancer. In the past several years, shows such as “Dancing with the Stars” have piqued interest in ballroom dancing as well. Every style and genre of dancing requires a special kind of shoe. The result is that dance supply stores have walls filled with different dancing shoes and it’s hard to know which one you need.

The first thing to do is to decide which style of dancing you’re going to study. The most common ones are Ballet, modern, jazz and ballroom. Each of these genres of dancing has a different style of shoe that should be worn.

The next step is to determine what level of dancer you are. Most of these types of dance have a shoe that is made for beginners and then a different shoe that is made for advanced and professional dancers. A good example is a ballet shoe. If you’re a beginning ballet student, a canvas slipper is appropriate. Once a ballet dancer reaches a certain level of strength and ability, a pointe shoe is worn. However, if you wore a pointe shoe before you reach the appropriate skill level, you could injure yourself and end your dancing career, so skill level is an important consideration.

Once you’ve decided on a style of dance, and determined your skill level, it will be time to try on your dance shoe. Shoes should be snug, but not too tight. They should not rub or chafe anywhere on the foot. While the shoe is on, try to point and flex your foot a few times. Then walk around the store and see if you can feel any problem areas. That will give you a good idea if the shoe is too tight or too loose. The sales associate should be able to tell by looking and feeling your foot in the shoe if the fit is good.

Now that you’ve found your shoe, you’re ready for dance class! No matter what style of dance you’ve chosen to study, the right shoe will help with your technique and balance. These will prove invaluable in your career as a dancer.

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15y ago

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How to Select The Right Shoe For The Right Kinds Of Dance?

Dance Shoes - Then and Now We can thank shoemakers of the 15th and 16th centuries for the art of creating dance shoes. In Baroque courtesan dance, shoes were made for comfort while imparting elegance as worn exclusively by male dancers. They wore soft leather boots or heeled shoes with large buckles. By mid-16th century, ballet dance shoes were created for female dancers who were finally allowed to perform publicly. Today, dance shoes are worn for ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, Irish step and flamenco dance. Dance shoes are also required for ballroom dance and square dance. How To Choose The Right Dance Shoes Ballet dance usually begins with training in a soft leather shoe with a pleated toe. As dancers begin to advance, they will graduate to wearing pointe shoes made of satin-covered fabric. However, the toes of pointe shoes are blocked or stiffened so that the dancer can perform ballet on her toes. In early Vaudeville days, these pointe shoes could have a metal tap attached to the toes to allow dancers to tap dance on the tips of their toes. Tap dance shoes basically have a small metal plate attached at the toe and also at the heel. There are two types of tap dance shoes: those with flat heels and those with a one or two inch chorus girl heel. Flamenco dance shoes are similar to tap dance shoes. Irish Step Dance shoes also have metal taps on the heels and toes; but these dance shoes are more flexible and allow for dancing on half toe. Jazz dancers usually prefer to wear a soft leather oxford shoe with an elk sole and pleated toe for flexibility of movement. Hip hop dance shoes are usually the same type of ballet slippers or jazz oxford, depending on the dancer’s preferences. Ballroom Dance and Square Dance Shoes Ballroom dance shoes tend to be quite glamorous. They are usually colored to match dance costumes and are most often dyed satin fabric with a mid-size heel for women. Male ballroom dancers wear black leather dance shoes. Male square dancers often choose cowboy boots while the women wear mid-size heeled dance shoes.


How to Select Dance Shoes?

There are as many styles of dance shoes as there are styles of dance. From classic ballet shoes to swing shoes to dance sneakers, dance shoes are an extension of the dancer as well as the dance. Finding the right dance shoe can be overwhelming. However, whether you are a professional dancer or a recreational dancer, finding the right footwear is critical to a safe and enjoyable dancing experience. Knowing how to select the right dance shoes is the first step to a successful dancing encounter. When trying on dance shoes, always try on the shoes with hosiery that is identical to, or as close as possible to the tights or socks that you will be wearing with the shoes. Wearing similar hosiery is essential to getting the best possible fit. When purchasing a new pair of dance shoes it is always a good idea to try out a few simple dance moves, but it is just as important to stand still and flat to the ground in a new pair of shoes. When the dancer’s foot is flat to the ground, the toes of the foot should also lay flat and should not curl up or overlap inside of the shoe. There are many styles of shoes for each type of dance. For example there are two basic types of ballet shoes for girls – a flat style ballet slipper and a pointe shoe. However, a pointe shoe is designed for a highly skilled and developed dancer. It is always important to consult a professional dancer or dance instructor about the type of shoe that should be purchased. Dance shoes can be purchased from a variety of places including local dance shops, select department and shoe stores, and online. Since dance shoe sizes vary greatly by brand, it is recommended that first time buyers purchase dance shoes locally so that the dancer can be properly fitted. Remember proper dance shoes are key to an enjoyable dancing experience as they allow dancers to “connect’ with the floor. Dance shoes are designed for specific types of dance and provide comfort and support to the foot where it’s needed most for the type of dance being performed.


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Where can one purchase salsa dance shoes?

You can purchase some shoes for salsa dancing from websites such as ExoticSalsaShoes, SalsaNewYork, Dance Shoes Store, Latin Dance Fashions, and Dance 4 Less.


Why were tap shoes invented?

To dance... I own a pair and I go to a dance school so they were invented for dance. Dance producers say that they are used to catch people's attention as the sound is very different from other shoes and dance shoes!!!


how many types of dance shoes are there?

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How do you dance with zwinky shoes on?

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What dance shoes work best?

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Do Flats or Tennis shoes for dance?

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