What to Wear

Dancing is great exercise. You will be moving and getting hot so wear cool, comfortable clothing.

Footwear

Your feet need to be able to move. Bare feet or flat, flexible shoes are best. Try to avoid shoes which don’t let your feet bend. Shoes with heels are not suitable as they can be dangerous for you and other students.

Clothing

It can be fun to dress up for dancing, although it is entirely your choice. The most important thing is to feel comfortable in what you’re wearing. Clothing that moves when you do, like floaty material or fringing, accentuates the moves and can help you feel the part. Some scarves are available to borrow at each class, but do bring your own if you have one.

We make much of our costuming ourselves, and find charity shops, fabric shops and the sales are great places to start. You can also see our useful links guide for help on finding on-line shops selling clothes and jewellery that may appeal to you.

A note on “jingly” costumes

Many beginners like to buy a coin belt or hip scarf to make them feel like their movements are having an effect. This is great fun and certainly something that can help you develop your own style.

However, beginners are unlikely to have the control of their movements that more experienced dancers have and often the sound of the belt and the movement it creates can prevent you from seeing what your hips are actually doing.

Coins should accentuate and highlight movement rather than replace it, so it’s a good idea to wear something that shows the hips (like a contrasting scarf) for classes and keep the coins for parties – after all they are great for dressing up in!