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PRIVATE GROUP LESSONS and Prices
| PROPER ATTIRE I'm always asked about proper clothing and shoes and I realize that I forget to mention this as often as I should.... so here it is in one place for all to see. SHOES LADIES: If you're a BEGINNER you will want to wear a pair of supportive shoes that will enable you to move around on the floor and dance through turns easily without feeling like you're getting stuck, and you'll want to protect your feet from other beginner dancers...and not risk twisting your ankle.... So... don't wear sneakers because they stick, don't wear sling backs or open backs, avoid open toes, nothing that can fall off your foot like sandals and thongs, and DON'T wear high heels.... Those fancy high heels look great, but they're a hazard on the dance floor. If you do wear a dressier shoe, please be sure it has a small, firm heel with a good tip on it, not one of those little skinny heels that you can possibly twist your foot with. NON-BEGINNERS: by now you've realized the value of a good dance shoe. I still don't recommend wearing the Latin shoes (higher heels with open backs and toes) for practice socials, save them for fancy events and competitions. But there are some beautiful, not too high-heeled dance shoes that are supportive and comfortable for a whole evening of classes and dancing. : EVERYONE... please wear one pair on your feet and carry a second pair in. There are tiny pieces of gravel and stuff from the parking lot that come in constantly on your shoes, which you can't even see or feel, but you can hear the grit when it hits the dance floor. If you absolutely cannot bring a second pair of shoes or forgot them, please stand at the bottom of the stairs and wipe your feet very, very well before entering the dance floor. Also, before going onto the dance floor in your dance shoes, use the brush that's hanging on the post to take any excess buildup of dust or whatever off your dance shoes. If you are on the floor and you hear that your shoe has something on it, at your next chance, please go back down and wipe/brush your shoes off. THIS IS A DANCE FLOOR... we need to keep it in good condition so that we may get many years of use out of it. IN THE WINTER... please wear BOOTS or something with a grip on the bottom so that you can walk from and to your car safely. I can go out there and clean the parking lot all day, which I've done, but sometimes there are ice patches that form when it gets cool again in the evening... or it snows unexpectedly, please don't wear your FASHION BOOTS from your car.... be reasonable and smart about this, okay... guys, some of those hard-soled dress shoes you wear are like wearing skis when there's ice. Please be smart, too, and wear something with some traction to get to and from your car during the winter months. CLOTHING LADIES ANY LEVEL: No matter where you are in your dancing, you will want to be comfortable and you will want to be sure that your partner is comfortable. This means wearing layers that you can peel down to as you get warmer, and having a little jacket or sweater handy for when you start to cool off. And please ladies, if you're going to wear a dress, please take into consideration your shoes and stockings. Stockings make feet very slippery inside a shoe, again, if you wear stockings please be sure you're wearing a secure, supportive shoe. For practice socials the ladies very often wear a nice pair of pants and a couple of layered tops. If you do wear a dress in the middle of winter, you can expect to feel chilly, because we do keep the heat down to fairly cool in the winter months. There's not sense heating up the building just to lower the heat again once people start dancing. Body heat generates enough heat on its own. So... again, dress comfortably for the weather. During the summer months the air conditioning is on, and I keep it fairly cool, but I realize no matter how cool I make it, it's just a matter of time before that generated body heat warms the place up, and the colder I make it, the longer I prolong the inevitable.... so dress in something that you will be comfortable in... the ladies like to wear looser pants in the summer, those culotte skirt type things, and longer skirts without stockings. WE DON'T WEAR SHORTS, PANTS/SKIRTS ABOVE THE KNEES, EVER, UNLESS YOU'RE IN AN EXERCISE CLASS, then you can wear what you want and sneakers, of course. During the week it's fine to wear dungarees/blue jeans, but not on Friday, Saturday or special events and parties, unless, of course, it's a dress down dance, and we'll tell you that. MEN: When it comes to clothing, you present a particular challenge.... and here it is. You like to wear those tee shirts under your outside shirts. Think about this... the ladies get cold sooner than you do, but they wear sleeveless dresses in the summer, and you guys are warmer, yet you wear two shirts! I told the ladies to bring a little jacket or sweater to put over their blouses if they're too cold, but guys.... easy... wear layers, like I told them to do... but LOSE THE TEE SHIRT... and I'll tell you why... because it holds in moisture. Sure it keeps you warm in the winter, but why do you wear them in the summer when you're dancing. Last year, I can't tell you how many men were soaking wet... your TEE SHIRTS will not dry... Here's the solution>>>>> They have these great wash/wear drip dry type of silk and synthetic silk shirts.... with short sleeves! Watch for sales or dig one out of your closet or borrow one.... They dry on your body so you won't go around like a wet mop all night... Solution No. 2>>>>>> a lot of guys bring a second shirt to change into when the first one is too ripe...A lot of guys wear heavy clothing to the studio in the winter, change into their dance shirts, then put the heavier clothing back on before leaving.... just some suggestions... EVERYONE... Okay, last piece.... don't wear anything that can poke your partner's eye out, get stuck in their hair or on their person, like watches with catchy things on them, braceles and bangles, ladies beads and pony tails that can flip around and hit your partner in the face or eye....things in your hair, oh those clips do feel nasty when someone hits you in the head by accident don't they? bat wing, dolman and loose sleeves... ladies check yourselves in the mirror, lift your arms, do you have anything on that he can get caught in or on? If he tries to get you in a closed position is he going to be competing with long hair, loose clothing, and big sleeves? Guys, big belt buckles are out, except in country dancing, oh, and while we're on the subject... cologne / perfume / after shave.... whew.... tone it down, please.... these things are meant to have a "hint" of pleasant odor, not something that when you go up to someone their nose hairs stand up and try to escape. I hope this helps. |
PROPER ATTIRE
