FROM LYCRA LEGGINGS TO SUEDE SHOES – A QUICK LOOK AT DANCEWEAR

Dancers require some of the most bare-bones functionality coupled with great aesthetics in what they wear. Let’s quickly go over two of the must-have items in every dancer’s wardrobe.

Dance Footwear

Different schools of dance utilize shoe types suited to their unique style. Ballet dancers typically wear pointe shoes which allow them to stand on their toe-tips. A glue-hardened toe box and a rigid sole secured to the ankle allow the dancer to accomplish this. They may also wear the more common ballet shoes. These are made from soft leather or canvas. The sole can be in one or two parts (the latter known as a split-sole), its thickness carefully varied to facilitate pointing the foot.

Jazz shoes also have a split-sole, but are rubberized to improve the floor grip and flexibility. Ballroom shoes are more formal, made with leather with suede soles. The soles are designed to provide an even pressure on the whole foot. Latin American shoes are similar, but have thickened soles at the heels to shift the pressure on the toes. Men’s shoes are lace-ups, while women’s shoes are strapped and open at the toes.

Other dance footwear includes light dance sneakers with rubberized toes for brief toe-standing, ‘foot thongs’ – slip-ons which cover only the balls of the feet, preventing abrasions while turning, and tap shoes, which have metal inserts at the toe and heel to create a tapping sound when dancing on a hard platform.

Dance Unitards, Leotards, Tights and Leggings

Skin-tight garments that are popular among dancers, equestrians, athletes and rock stars, unitards cover everything but the head, hands and feet, whereas tights only cover the legs and waist, and leotards cover the torso but not the legs. These garments give a streamlined, ‘aerodynamically efficient’ feel to the wearer, and are commonly used in displays of both physical strength and grace.

Leggings are very similar to tights – the only difference is that leggings have higher material thickness and are footless, allowing them to be sometimes used as pants. Stockings, on the other hand, are simply socks that extend up to the thigh.

Cotton, Lycra and nylon are the most common materials used in these garments, which are also defined by the degree of their opacity. They can therefore be classified as sheer, opaque and absolute opaque.

When used in dance and gymnastics competitions, points may be deducted if underwear is visible through these garments. This may be circumvented by wearing special, ‘invisible’ underwear or by adorning the garment with accessories like rhinestones (although these may be regulated as well).

Apart from the grace and ease in locomotion that comes with wearing these extremely light, figure-hugging clothes (calling them clothes almost seems farcical), they may have some health benefits too!

Apart from allowing a light insulating option against the cold, some sports scientists say that by wearing tights, muscle-tissue vibration could be reduced. Furthermore, the application of some medically beneficial treatments to the skin (like moisturizers and caffeine) by placing them in the pores of these garments is being researched.

Visit The Bandmans Company for a high-quality and affordable catalog of dance footwear, dance leotards, unitards, tights, leggings and dance costumes.