Have you hugged your dance partner today?
I think the hardest part about partner dancing is the “partner” part, not the “dancing” part. Not to say that dancesport isn’t physically challenging – the sport continues to get faster and tougher in the physical sense. Ballroom dancers have to be strong, flexible, fit, sensual, expressive, tough, balanced, and in great cardiovascular shape. They are challenged to the max in every physical sense.
But I still think the hardest part of ballroom / social partner dancing is maintaining a working relationship with a partner. This seems like it should be relatively easy compared to the gymnastics you have to do, but it has several common pitfalls…
1. What it feels like to you is not what it feels like to your partner. Certain physical actions that might feel fine to you (raising or lowering your arm early, leaning backwards, stiffening your shoulders) but might feel awful to your partner. Many times people are inadvertantely affecting their partner without realizing it. This becomes a source of argument as people start to blame each other for doing it “wrong” without realizing that they are part of the problem.
Easy Solution: Avoid the words “You’re doing it wrong”. I think there is no sentence out there that is less helpful. If you want to try to fix what’s going wrong, try the words instead, “How can I help you to…” For example, if you feel like your partner is too far away from you, “How can I help you to end the pattern closer to me?” There is probably something you are doing that is blocking your partner from coming closer – by phrasing it this way you two can work together to find a solution.
Mention what you are feeling so the other person can become aware of how it feels to you. As I said, what it feels like on one side of the partnership can feel entirely different on the other side of the partnership. If you use the words, “When you do X, I feel Y. Instead, if you could do P then I would feel Q.” I know this sounds like cheezy relationship therapy talk (cause it is). But trust me, ballroom dancing is just like couples therapy – or couples therapy gone wrong if people don’t communicate clearly!
If you really must say that they are doing something “wrong”, be specific and kind. Give a compliment first, and then say, “if you could not lower my arm until beat three, that would help me to finish my turn first”. People can accomplish specific items, and this can keep the critique from turning into an argument.
2. Take positive action and assume the best. Your dance partner, 99% of the time, is trying their best (if they aren’t… then maybe consider a new partner). You have to remember that they are not *trying* to make mistakes, forget the pattern, lead you into walls, or do that annoying thing that you’ve told them not to do. Why would they try to mess up? No really, most people are trying to get it right, but just can’t be perfect at everything all at once.
Easy solution: Try to practice only one thing at a time. Say one of you has a hand squeezing problem. Try practicing one whole hour focusing only on not squeezing each other’s hands to death. Neither of you is allowed to comment, complain, or focus on anything else. Do not allow yourself to point out the other mistakes they are making – unimportant! They are trying to fix one thing at a time. Be patient.
This brings us to a very important point – you can only fix yourself. And there is always more to fix about yourself, so focus on that, and allow your partner the space and time to fix themselves. For the most part, having one’s partner constantly pointing out the various things one is doing wrong only makes one defensive. Defensive people do not learn or improve very quickly. Avoid making your partner feel attacked! Their dancing will get *worse* not better. If you really feel the need to point something out, it should be phrased with the above communication tips.
For the most part, I allow my teacher / coach to offer my partner criticism. That is why we pay them to do so. We do this for two reasons – the teacher is more experienced and can offer corrections in the right sequence. Imagine that you were learning French, and you knew some words but could barely string together a sentence. Since you were just starting, your grammar and conjugation is very limited. However, your French partner, when trying to listen to you, keeps cutting in and correcting your pronunciation of “r”s and the particulars and the past tense. All of this further frustrates you and confuses you, because you can barely put a sentence together in the first place, let alone think of all these little details! On the other hand, an experienced French teacher would ignore the mistakes that are normal for the level, and correct the most important things that need to be fixed first. You cannot fix everything at once, and a good teacher chooses wisely the most important thing to be corrected so that future progress will be smoother. When a nagging dance partner cuts in with lots of other corrections, it can derail the student from focusing on what’s important.
Further, the dance teacher is an impartial judge. By allowing the judge to make the corrections, it helps to keep the partners united. This seems like a sort of trivial detail, but human nature is not always kind. When the partners start to critique each other, it is difficult for them to feel safe around each other. They cannot safely lead and follow with trust, and they feel judged by the other person. It is usually best to leave the judging to the judges and teachers, and make your partner just that, your partner.
3. Don’t imitate the big boys and girls! Believe it or not, many “pros” demonstrate very bad examples of how to care for your partner. You will frequently see pros fighting on the dance floor during practice, storming out of a room, screaming at each other, etc. Or the less dramatic examples, but equally insidious – in the middle of a step one partner will disdainfully shrug the other partner away and just walk off.
I must say, it is incredibly hard to live the professional ballroom competitor’s lifestyle. They are physically, mentally, and financially stressed constantly. There is a lot of pressure to perform well and win with all your students watching. All this stress means that many pros practice poorly by letting their egos interfere with their progress. Pro partnerships mix business with social life (and sometimes romantic life!) This mixing can create a lot of pressure, and when the two aren’t getting along after hours / days/ months / years of traveling, practicing, and performing together, they can treat each other quite poorly. Many pro partnerships stick together for years after the partners hate each other because it is too important to continue financially / business-wise together. This means that pro partnerships frequently set a bad example for students on how to treat your dance partner.
In short, do not imitate the big boys and girls. I see younger couples sometimes directly quoting their teacher’s rants to each other. You don’t need to do this to be cool! You don’t need to treat your partner badly to be a top competitor!
Instead, proper care of your dance partnership can result in a much longer partnership, which can mean greater success on the dance floor and a lot more learning.
Take positive action – bring your partner flowers. Or a cookie. Or a hug. Or just remind them how much you appreciate dancing with them. This sounds cheezy, but a good dance partner is your most precious possession. It might be easier to find someone to marry than someone to be a full-time dance partner with. If you have a good one, take care of them the way you would take care of your most prized possessions. Because of all those possessions are much more easily replacable than that person who allows you to take them in your arms, who trusts you to lead / follow and dance with them.
So, have you hugged your dance partner today?
Be kind to each other and see you on the dance floor.
Dance Resource Books
Dance is generally not taught.
It is demonstrated, so that the student can imitate. Teachers assume that over the course of time students will imitate better and better, and thus they learn.
Teachers sometimes add in little “corrections” that are phrased they were told when they were learning, like “use your legs” or “hold your center”! Although these phrases may be accurate and instructive to those who understand what they mean, they are completely useless for a student who does not understand, or worse, misunderstands the meaning.
Many teachers teach this way because it is how they were taught, completely ignoring the student’s forebrain and trying to rely exclusively on “monkey see monkey do”.
You can probably already tell my bias against this kind of teaching and towards the kind of teaching that engages student’s minds as well as their bodies.
Because of this predisposition in the dance discipline to non-intellectual teaching and learning, it can be difficult to find good writings on the topic of dance. The fact that it is difficult to know all the anatomy and physiology, physics, and dance technique involved makes it even harder to find a writer who can really explain what is going inside the body when a dancer dances.
But there are a few brave writers who broach this subject, my favorite of which is Eric Franklin. This Swiss-German author and ballet dancer approaches a wide range of topics in his series of books. Some focus on anatomy for dancers, while others focus on performance techniques or physical training. I have found ALL of his books to be chock full of great advice and information. In fact, some of his books are so densely packed with great information and exercises they are difficult to read. It’s a bit like trying to swallow an encyclopedia. But taken in small pieces or used as a resource manual on topics as needed, his books are priceless.
Also good to check out are:
Inside Ballet Technique: Separating Anatomical Fact from Fiction in Ballet Class by Valerie Grieg
The Ballet Companion: A Dancer’s Guide by Eliza Gaynor Minden
Anatomy of Movement by Blandine Calais-Germain
The New Rules of Posture by Mary Bond
If you know any particularly good dance books, please let me know – I am always looking for new writings on the subject!
What kind of shoes should I wear to dance class?
At many of my dance fitness classes, students ask me what kind of shoes they should be wearing. The first question, of course, is what kind of dance class are you going to?
Zumba / Cardio Latin / Latin Jazz – These latin dance fitness classes involves a fair amount of twisting, swiveling, and turning. This means you want some shoes that are not too sticky on the bottom. Many new Zumba dancers wear gym shoes that are too sticky and twist a knee or ankle. I would recommend investing in some dance shoes sooner than later! I think that dance sneakers are the best bet for Zumba – they provide cushioning for the more high impact movements and swivel easily for the latin style moves. Other options are jazz slippers or cheaper gym sneakers that don’t have a lot of tread on the bottom.
Hip Hop – Many hip hop dancers prefer a shoe that looks like a street sneaker, yet isn’t too sticky to spin. Others prefer jazz sneakers. I find as long as you can spin without twisting a knee, and it looks cool, anything goes in hip hop.
Around the World – Like any cardio dance class, we do a far amount of jumping and bouncing movements (especially with Irish and Scottish dancing!) So it is good to have a dance sneaker that gives some cushioning for this movement. At the same time we do some dances, like samba and salsa, that use a lot of twisting and swiveling. It is good for these dances to be able to swivel your foot easily on the ground. I think dance sneakers are great for this class, but jazz slippers or cheaper gym sneakers that are not sticky on the bottom are also options. As well, if you are used to dancing barefoot for belly dancing or Bollywood dancing, you can try the class barefoot. However we do a lot of other styles that might not be comfortable barefoot, so it’s good to have some dance sneakers you can slip into if you feel like it.
General Dance Technique Class – For this class we will be going over many different dance movements, kicks, spins, jumps, isolations, etc. Because of this, it is very useful to have dance shoes that allow for spinning but are not too slippery, provide support and cushion, etc. I think the best choices would be a jazz slipper, ballet slipper, or dance sneaker. All of these choices are fairly inexpensive ($20-$50) and will greatly increase your ability to participate in class. Particularly when we are discussing the action of the foot joints, you cannot wear normal gym sneakers, as they do not allow you to move the various parts of your foot. Dance shoes are specifically designed to allow you to articulate the joints in the toes, foot, and ankle for maximum balance and power when dancing. Barefoot or socks would be a better option than sneakers, especially for the weeks are discussing foot and leg action and spinning.
Bollywood – If you are used to dancing barefoot, be my guest! Dancing barefoot can be great exercise for the feet as it allows you to really work all the joints and muscles in the foot and ankle. However, if your feet and ankles are not feeling strong, sometimes this can be too much for them. Especially as we do more bouncing and jumping in some of the routines, barefoot can be very hard on your joints as you don’t have any extra cushion. You might consider getting dance sneakers as they allow you to swivel and provide extra cushion for jumping or bouncing.
Ballet – For ballet class dancers wear ballet slippers or pointe shoes. If you are just starting, you will be starting with ballet slippers. You can buy some online or at a local store likeVictoria’s. You can check my other posting for full list of local dance stores.
Jazz – Similar to ballet class, dancers will wear jazz slippers for most classes. If you are doing a particularly high impact routine dancers might choose jazz sneakers instead.
Tap – You can buy tap shoes locally at Victoria’s in San Jose or Dancer de Jour in Menlo Park. You can also buy them online here.
Modern – Most modern / contemporary dance is done barefoot or in half soles. Make sure you pick a pair of half soles that are soft and flexible – some of the more stubborn ones cut into your foot! I highly recommend trying these on carefully in person before buying.
For partner dancing / ballroom / social dancing, check my other posting on dance shoes.
Do you know of another great brand of shoe? Or a store here in town that I’ve missed? Please add it below to the comments field! Thank you!
Why Study Dance Technique?
So I’m beginning a little class at Google – a 6 week class on “Dance Technique”. It’s a little overwhelming trying to boil all of dance technique down to just 6 hours, so I put together these thoughts for those who are going to attend the class.
Why Dance Technique?
So what is dance technique? And why should we study it?
What, for that matter, is dance?
Some might say that dance is an artistic form of nonverbal communication.
Which sounds very nice, but doesn’t really pin it down.
Dance is a difficult thing to define, since it overlaps the boundaries of sport, art, social activity, and spiritual activity. For some people, dance is only about one of these four, for others, any combination of these four categories.
Dance technique improves a dancer’s ability to exceed their goals in any of these four dimensions of dance.
If you dance for sport, dance technique can help you jump higher, stretch further, run faster, and spin more times without falling over.
If you dance for art, dance technique can help you to express yourself more fully and look better while you do it. With better balance, and a wider range of movement available to you, you can express a wider range of concepts and emotions. Since dance is a visual art, how you look while you dance is important to the aspiring artist, and can be improved by studying technique.
If you dance as a social activity, dance technique can help you improve your movement efficiency so you can dance for longer, more comfortably, and without injury.
If you dance as a spiritual activity, dance technique can improve the way you feel as you dance. By improving the efficiency of the body, technique can free you to move in a way that feels good and fulfills your spiritual needs.
No matter why you dance, dance technique can help you improve how you look and feel, and what you are capable of doing without injuring yourself. For this reason, many dancers study technique their whole lives.
In this short course I am hoping to give you a brief glimpse of what dance technique is, and how it can be helpful to you. We will be studying 6 basic components of technique: posture, balance, spins, use of core, use of legs, and jumps. Each week we will talk about one of these main topics, however they all overlap so there will be lots of review.
Hopefully you will learn some exercises that you can continue to practice during and after the class. If you practice these exercises and apply the concepts during other dance classes, your technique will slowly improve. Just like learning a language, learning technique takes time and practice. I hope that you will use the other dance classes (Hip Hop, Around the World, Zumba) that we have here at Google as an opportunity to practice what you are learning in technique class. The improvements you make will be well worth the effort!
Dance is a very special activity – what other “hobby” encompasses: music, expression, community, movement, exercise, creativity, spontaneity, memory, culture, flirting, spiritual expression, ecstatic trance, fine art, communication, and partnering?
I hope that you use this class as a way to not only improve your physical dance technique, but to think a little about the role of dance in your life – what it is, and what it could be. And please share with us – why do you dance? What are you improving in your technique, and how? Please comment below!
What kind of ballroom dance shoes do I need?
Various folks have asked me what kind of ballroom dance shoes they should be wearing.
It all depends on what kind of dancing you’re going to be doing!
So here are a few common varieties, and what they are good for:
Latin Heels (for women and men): These shoes are specially built for dancing latin dances. They have suede on the bottom for the proper amount of slickness (for turning) and stickiness (so you don’t slip). The shank (the part under the arch of your foot) is particularly constructed to keep your posture upright and forward instead of falling back away from your partner. The heel cup is designed to help support your ankle and stay fixed to your foot during quick rotations. Overall, these shoes may be expensive, but they are custom built to keep your feet and ankles safe during latin dancing and improve your posture and technique. If you are going to be performing or competing in latin dancing, they are a must. If you are only dancing for fun or taking beginning lessons, these shoes will make your life more difficult (it is an extra challenge to balance and use your ankles properly when in high heels). I would only move into heels if you know you are going to be dancing in a performance setting, or if you know you are going to wear them at parties, etc. If you are going to wear them, you might as well get used to them sooner than later. For the ladies there are many styles and many heights of heel. Try them all on and pick the one that is most comfortable – it’s no good having a particular look to your shoe if you’re too uncomfortable to wear it! Generally, more straps or mesh inbetween the straps will give more stability for beginning dancers. Fewer straps might look better to some people, but takes more precision to stay balanced. A one or two inch heel is good for beginning dancers. Serious competitors usually wear a 2.5 or 3 inch heel, but this is not necessary for parties or social dancing! If the store you are at doesn’t have exactly what you want, ask them to order it. Many shoes can be ordered in a variety of colors. Many dancers choose a “nude” color so that it goes will different costumes, and also so it lengthens the leg line (black or color on your foot shortens the appearance of the leg line). However, many social dancers prefer a pretty color or sparkly shoes. Make sure when purchasing sparkly shoes that they are actual dance shoes with the correct angle in the shank and flexibility in the ball of the foot. Some people sell “normal” shoes with suede attached to the bottom and call them dance shoes. These shoes might be pretty with lots of sparkles, but they were not constructed on the inside to support your foot and ankle. Many top brands of latin heels sell for $115-125. There are some newer brands that are selling for $60-70 (these might be actual dance shoes, but sometimes these don’t last as long). If the shoe is much cheaper than that, I would question why!
Yes men, you get to wear heels! This will feel incredibly weird at first (and hey, your heels are only 1 inch!) Just like for the ladies, these cuban heels will help you dance your Latin dances with the correct poise, posture, and partnering. You certainly don’t need to wear them just for a party or social dance, especially since they are impractical for smooth / standard dancing. I would recommend them only for competitive Latin / Rhythm dancers.
Standard / Smooth shoes (also called court shoes or pumps for ladies, or Standard shoes for men): These shoes are specially built for the traveling dances – waltz, foxtrot, tango, quickstep, and viennese waltz. They have suede on the bottom for the proper amount of slickness (for turning) and stickiness (so you don’t slip). The shank (the part under the arch of your foot) is not as extremely angled as a latin shoe, allowing you to roll smoothly through the foot. The heel cup is designed to help support your ankle and stay fixed to your foot during quick rotations. Overall, these shoes may be expensive, but they are custom built to keep your feet and ankles safe during smooth and standard dancing and improve your smoothness and technique – especially when moving backwards for the lady! If you are going to be performing or competing in standard dancing, they are a must. If you are only dancing for fun or taking beginning lessons, these shoes will make your life more difficult (it is an extra challenge to balance and stride properly when in high heels). I would only move into heels if you know you are going to be dancing in a performance setting, or if you know you are going to wear them at parties, etc. If you are going to wear them, you might as well get used to them sooner than later. These heels can make walking forward more tricky for the lady, but walking backwards much easier. Considering what you do most of the time, some ladies find it easier to dance in pumps than in flats. There are a few varieties of smooth / standard shoes. There are some that I call “elf shoes” that have elastic around front. When they are left on their own they curl upwards like elf shoes. They are quite useful for helping you roll backwards, but are considered practice shoes, not performance shoes. For performance most ladies choose pumps like those pictured that have a smooth contour instead of the wrinkled look of the elf shoes. Some have straps and some do not, that’s entirely up to you. If you choose a pair that do not have straps I would recommend getting clear plastic straps to wear with them – there is nothing worse than kicking your shoe off halfway through a performance and needing to finish your routine with one shoe on and one shoe off (I’ve seen it happen – don’t try it!).
Men – if you are going to buy a patent leather pair of standard shoes, buy a little vaseline as well. The patent leather shoes tend to stick to each other – really annoying when you’re trying to brush your feet in foxtrot! So grease up the outside of the shoe where it might rub against the other (inside edge of ball of foot) so you don’t get stuck and trip! Some smooth / standard shoes are as little as $60-70, but most of the good quality shoes are imported from Germany, Italy, or England and cost $110-130.
Ballroom Dance practice shoes (for men or women): These shoes are pretty darn ugly but really comfortable. They are great for learning / practicing all partner dances – whether latin, smooth, salsa, or swing. I like these shoes because they allow you to use your foot properly – there is a lot of flexibility through the ball of the foot. At the same time you have a little heel to keep your poise forward. They are super comfortable so you can practice for hours. And they are not specific to the style, so if you’re going to be dancing lots of different styles you won’t have to keep changing your shoes! Because they are suede on the bottom they are easy to slide in for the smooth dances. These are a good all around shoe for practicing and they last a long time. Some practice shoes are only $70 or so, the imported ones can add up to $120 but last forever.
Dance Sneakers (or jazz sneakers for men or women): These shoes are super comfortable (I’m wearing a pair right now). They are not suede bottom, so they can be worn outside without damaging them. As they can be washed, they can also be worn in bars were there might be alcohol spilled on the floor, or parks were there might be mud or dirt. This makes them a great shoe for going out on the town dancing in salsa club or lindy in the park. They are also great for cardio dance classes or other classes that have high impact dancing – as they have a little more structure and cushion than a ballroom shoe. However, they are not good for smooth /standard dancing as they tend to stick instead of slide. They are okay for practicing latin / rhythm, however they do not allow you to articulate the joints in the ball of your foot. This can lead to lazy foot action that will be a problem later in your ballroom dancing. If you are seriously practicing your latin or standard dancing, this is not a good shoe. But if you have a great night out on the town or enjoying a dance class at the gym, these are great.
Some stores sell “swing shoes” that are cute shoes based on Blyers. 
I think these can look great on guys, and I hear they’re very comfortable for guys who are dancing swing. But some of the versions they sell for ladies I think are a bit of a stretch. I don’t see a lot of ladies wearing shoes like this unless they are doing a swing performance piece.
For West Coast swing I see most ladies wearing a sort of low open toe sandal. Sort of half way inbetween a practice shoe and a latin heel. A low heel works well for west coast swing, as it keeps you slightly forward poised, looks good in performance, is comfortable for lots of dancing, and doesn’t disrupt your ability to walk!
You don’t want super high heels for any swing – but especially not for Lindy Hop Swing – the heels really mess up where your balance is and your ability to do any bouncing, jumping, or kicking. For lindy hop swing I recommend flats of some variety – either cute little keds or dance sneakers.
Tango shoes (for Argentine Tango) are yet their own category. They tend to have *very* high heels and are quite stiff through the ball of the foot and shank. They are quite solid and feel a little heavier than latin heels. And sexy. Really sexy. I don’t find them all that easy to dance in – but they are useful for the style – they are quite easy to swivel in, keep your very pitched forward towards your partner, and encourage the playful styling of feet and legs that is so important to Argentine Tango dancing.
In short, each dance style has developed the tools that suit it best. If you are just beginning it can be good to get an all purpose shoe (like a ballroom dance practice shoe or dance sneaker) until you have a better idea of exactly what dances you are going to be doing. Go for comfort over looks, at least until you are experience enough to handle those 3 inch heels! Even an experienced dancer needs to pick the brand and style of shoe that is going to enhance their dancing instead of just look pretty. Get the proper tool for the job.
Do you have a favorite brand of shoes? Or found a new great store in the area? Please comment below so we can all learn from your expertise!
Where to buy dance shoes?
I frequently get asked where to purchase dance shoes of various types.
So here’s a little run down…
Ballroom Connection in Sunnyvale specializes in ballroom dance shoes for men and women (including practice shoes that are great for day to day ballroom and social dancing, and performance heels for Latin and Standard dancing). They also carry dance sneakers / jazz sneakers that are great for higher impact dance classes (like Zumba or Bollywood Aerobics). Although they have a lot of shoes on hand, Stephanie will also be happy to order any kind of shoe you need if she doesn’t have it in stock. This store might be more slightly more expensive than ordering on-line, but you do get to try the shoes on, the staff is very helpful, and it’s good to support small local businesses.
Another great option that just opened here in Mountain View is the Capezio store located at El Monte and El Camino. It’s actually on El Monte, in the tiny little row of stores across the street from the Long’s Drugs. Capezio stores tend to specialize in ballet / jazz / modern / tap. However they do carry dance sneakers, and can order things like ballroom dance shoes if they don’t already have them. They have a nice variety of dance clothes (mostly for ladies). The only down side is they mostly carry their own brand, Capezio, which is a little limiting.
There is another store in Campbell, Ballroom Dance Supply, that some people love and some people hate. The owner of the store has very strong political beliefs (many of which I happen to agree with, such as unnecessary war is bad). However, since he uses his store’s website to graphically promote his political agenda, some people are very turned off by him. As well, he can be a bit abrasive in person, but as long as you are polite and don’t put any wear and tear on his shoes while trying them on, the experience can be just fine. I sometimes frequent his store when I need an unusual design (all white latin shoes, or red sequined salsa shoes).
One of my favorite stores for dance supplies is Victoria’s dance and theatrical in San Jose (note – they have moved from Willow Glen to 1921 San Carlos – closer to Valley Fair Mall). I mostly go there for the dance clothes – everything from warm ups to performance outfits to halloween costumes. I have to make sure I put my credit cards under lock and key before I go in or I spend a fortune. They do carry ballet slippers, jazz sneakers, tap shoes, etc. I wouldn’t go there for ballroom shoes, but they’re good for the other types.
If you are looking for ballet slippers or jazz sneakers, there seems to be a new store in Menlo Park, Dancer De Jour. I have yet to visit but they seem to carry ballet, jazz, and ballroom supplies. You could also check Adira Dance if you happen to be in San Jose – don’t know about their selection as I haven’t been in. There’s a Capezio store in San Mateo that’s quite nice – they have mostly ballet shoes, but also jazz, tap, and character shoes and some fun dance clothes.
Finally, if you happen to want DanceLife latin and standard ballroom competition shoes, head over to The Dance Spectrum in Campbell. They keep a few pairs in the costume closet, and if they happen to have your size, you’re in luck! I am a big fan of DanceLife brand of Latin shoes – they have a great fit and comfort right out of the box and make your foot articulation look great.
Unfortunately, there are many local small businesses that have recently closed. Dance Attire in Mountain and Dancer’s Loft in Menlo Park have all closed. I know that dancing is more popular than ever right now, so I blame the low prices of shopping online. I’m somewhat torn on this issue – it is super convenient and cheaper to shop online (and seems so efficient for everyone). At the same time, having small businesses is an important part of keeping your local economy healthy, and having a dance store in your area is great for supporting new dancers who need help selecting brands and styles they’ve never seen before. I usually go with supporting the local business even if it does cost me a few extra dollars, I feel like it is important for the community.
With that said, there are many places to buy dance shoes online. For dance sneakers, if you know your size, this is the cheapest way to go. You can head to: www.discountdance.com or www.dancewearsolutions.com or allaboutdance.com
For ballroom dance shoes, it can be equally expensive to buy them online or in a store, depending on the brand you are looking for. Therefore I recommend just buying them from a store or at a competition.
But if you feel compelled to buy ballroom dance shoes online, for high level competition shoes, you can order from DansShopper. There are plenty of other websites out there selling ballroom dance shoes, but many of them are less optimal brands. There’s even a site that photoshops out the label of the brand so you don’t know what brand you’re getting! Tacky! Normally I’m not a big believer in brand name = good. But with ballroom dance heels the brands each have a different feel, last for different amounts of time (the German made shoes are basically indestructible), and have differing levels of attractiveness. Basically, in this game, the brand does matter. More on that when I have time.. for now, good night!
If you know of any great stores in the area, please comment below…. =)
