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Social Dance Instruction |
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Social
Dance Instruction
Please dress in social appropriate clothing. You are going out dancing in public. Dressing up can make it a fun night, casual clothing is fine also. Men - wife beater T-shirts are not appropriate they expose your hairy armpits this is not appealing and even less so when you start sweating. T-shirts are fine but please wear one with short sleeves, if you wear one. The ladies prefer long sleeves on men when weather permits. Both - Also shirt with large or low pits can cause the hand to get trapped when dancing, avoid these also please.
The less jewelry the better. Jewelry can get caught on clothing and scratch your partner. Bracelets and watches can be hazards to your partner and can be damaged. Hooped earrings and long dangling necklaces can get caught in your partners hands and can be damaged so wear smaller earrings and short close-to-the-body necklaces if you wear them. I have seen a diamond tennis bracelet broken and propelled across the dance floor, to the horror of its owner. The less rings the better. We use our hands a lot in connecting with our partner during dancing. Protect yourself, your partner and your jewelry by wearing less.
Keys and wallets and pockets full of hard things. As you dance you will learn many interesting figures and positions. Some will bring your partner close to your hip. Avoid hurting her hips by minimizing your hardware. If you don't need it leave it home, or put them in your glove box. If you must have items on your person put them in your Left Pocket.
Shoes light and flexible, leather or Suede soled are best and closed heeled shoes are a must. The more flexible the shoe the better. Different parts of your foot are used during dance. Toe, Ball, Heel, Flat. If your shoes are thick soled or wooden platform your dancing will appear choppy. Soles that grip the floor like athletic shoes give you too much traction and make it hard for you to spin, turn and glide smoothly, they may even damage your ankles and knees as your body turns and your shoes grip and remain in place. Ladies for your back's health and for foot comfort it is perferrable that your shoes have a heel no higher than 2 inches.. Save the 3-5 inche spikes for a dinner date.
As you become a more experieced dancer you will likely always have a good pair of dance shoes in your car for those spontaneous dance adventures.
DO NOT WEAR open heeled shoes. Thongs, slides, clogs and sandal type shoes are not appropriate for dancing do not wear them for class. You can fall off them, or dance out of them when moving backward.
At public dance halls and lounges you are required to wear shoes. No Shirt No Shoes No Service. You've seen those signs I am sure. Wear something like simple dress shoes that you would wear out to a semi formal venue or to a wedding. Keep your soles dry. If it is raining out carry your dance shoes in and change so that the soles don't get wet. Leather soles that are wet are going to grip the floor and cause you discomfort while dancing. Many dancers purchase special dance shoes. These can be an investment in your hobby/sport, so they take great care of them. You will see students and dancers with their shoe bag and brush, to brush up the nap as needed by floor condition. But any leather soled shoe is fine for the beginner dancer as long as they are closed heeled and not of the heavy traction type. If you are learning for you wedding I suggest you bring your wedding shoes along to one of your privates and try them out. You can tape them up with Scotch Tape to protect them from getting dirty or scratched before he big event.
You can find a simple leather jazz shoe with leather or suede soles at many Ballet shops for about $40.00 these have very thin soles so do not wear them outside or they will not last long. The Leotard shop at Lloyd Center in Portland has this type of shoe available. At many Goodwill shops you can find a pair of dress shoes that will work for about $5.00-$ 7.00.
Here is a sample of approriate Dance shoes. These are great general shoes. They lots of elegant shoes also.
Lady's Practice 
Man's Practice 
for the Lady 
for the Man
Perfume/Cologne and Hygiene - Some students are allergic to fragrances so please do not wear any or very little. Avoid getting perfume on your hands where it can be transferred to others. These items never replace good hygiene, please shower and use a deodorant . Wear clean clothes. You will be dancing very close to others - cheek to cheek almost. Be clean and you will smell great.
"There is nothing better than a clean smelling man."
Of course, that goes for the ladies also.
No one will ever complain that you smell too clean.
Teeth/Breath please brush your teeth. Dance class night is not the night to eat the garlic and onion meal prior to class. Mints just don't cut it. Be kind and be popular on the dance floor. Brush those pearly whites and smile.
Bring a Hanky if you sweat easily. This is for your comfort. Dancing is exercise and many students sweat during class, bring a hanky in your pocket to use as needed. As long as it is clean sweat you will be fine. Don't worry about it, just bring something to wipe off with for your comfort as you dance.
Bring a small personal fan if you like, there are the good old paper fans you open up and operate manually, and the small battier operated ones. Drink lot of fluid.
For Social Dances men may find it useful to have an extra shirt in their car. During a break you can go get it to change. During breaks fill free to go and wipe off in the restroom.
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER YOU GO INTO THE RESTROOM FOR ANY REASON! We hold hands WHEN WE DANCE, remember?
DO NOT WEAR THONGS, SANDALS, or OPEN HEELED SHOES PLEASE!
Copyright 2007 Miss Lori
www.delightfuldance.com
DelightfulDance@yahoo.com
360-887-2141
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Warning: You are advised to consult your physician before beginning this or any other dance program or activity. The author, producers, performers, instructors and/or distributors disclaim any liability for losses or injuries sustained in connection with any advice, activity or demonstration contained herein or at any event, party, dance, workshop, class, or demonstration. |