I can’t believe the dance year is just around the corner!  The summers always go by so quickly, and a new dance year is upon us.  We are so excited!  As we enter the first week of classes, I wanted to take a minute to talk about our dress code and why it’s important.  Like any other sport, dancers have a uniform they must wear.  Our dress code has a lot of flexibility, but it is still important to dress appropriately for class, and here’s why-

• It helps your teachers give you better feedback and corrections on your dancing.  Our teachers want to help you improve and be the best you can!  It can be hard to see if your knees, hips, ribs and elbows, etc are properly aligned if you’re wearing baggy sweatpants and teeshirts.
• It helps YOU feel like a dancer and do your best!  Imagine going to take hip hop class in a black leotard, pink tights, ballet slippers and a bun. You’d likely feel a little out of place, which in turn will translate to your dancing!  Really want to have some swag in hip hop?  Put on a swag-tastic teeshirt.  Really want to nail your epaulement in ballet class?  You better rock that leotard and tights!
• It’s tradition!  For years and years, ballet students have been wearing the classic black leotard and pink tights.  At ABDC, we allow you to wear any color leotard, and you can wear a ballet skirt as well, but you’re still joining a long history of ballerinas who wore similar ensembles before you.
• It shows that you respect your teachers and the process if you arrive to class dressed appropriately and ready to dance.
• In dance class, you need to be able to move around and concentrate!  Bulky clothing, dangling earrings or oversized jewelry, improper footwear, etc, can all make movement difficult and be distracting.  Jewelry can also present a danger when doing partner work-trust me-you do NOT want your hoop earrings getting tangled in someone’s hair in a cool lift!
• Our dance floors are very special!  They are made of a certain material to give you the best surface to dance on as possible.  Wearing street shoes from outside into the studio not only makes the floors really dirty, it also can damage them.  This is why it’s important that you change into dance shoes in the lobby and wear shoes for hip hop that you do NOT wear outside!
• Some dancers don’t love wearing tights, but it’s really important that you wear them for ballet class, or for your other classes if you are going to wear dance shorts.  Tights are important for keeping your muscles warm, and preventing floor burn when you’re doing floorwork in contemporary or hip hop for example.  You can also wear leggings or dance pants for many of your dance classes, but if you’re going to wear shorts, don’t forget tights!
• Proper hair is also important!  If you’ve ever tried to spot with your hair down, you know that it just doesn’t work!  Plus, there’s no pain like whipping the end of your ponytail into your eyes-that’s why we dancers love a classic bun!  Don’t worry-we’ll do another blog post featuring tips and tricks for the perfect bun!

I hope that this helps you understand why we have a dress code!  More than anything, we want you to feel comfortable in class, so if you have any questions, please just ask your teacher!  We are here to help you feel safe and secure, as well as to help you dance your best.  Tell us-what is your favorite dance outfit?