Dance Practice Wear Psychology
Why to wear correct dance shoes and practice wear to your class?
Every professional career or job has a dress code or uniform that is to be worn while performing the task. Why? Because the mind and body work together Ballroom practice wear is essential for ballroom dancers. Everyone has heard the old adage "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have." The same psychological concept applies to dancing. Proper dance attire improves posture and teaches to counteract mishaps like a professional. Ballroom practice wear enables a ballroom dancer to become familiar with how their dance practice clothing will fit and flow during the various motions of their dance moves. Proper dance attire includes shirts, dresses, skirts and shoes.
Women should wear dance shoes and practice outfits for the following reasons:
1 Women need to train their mind and musclesto move across the floor without tripping, falling or stepping on their partner.
2 The large ruffled dresses or skirts worn during ballroom and Latin dancing are quite heavy. The weight of the cloth swishing back and forth can throw off balance, which can be dangerous in heels and cause an unpracticed dancer to falter or even fall.
3 During the course of practice, wearing longer ruffled skirts will help a woman dancer learn how to handle flowing skirts as they move their legs. Practicing in dresses or skirts teaches a dancer to expect and accommodate for the movement of the dress or skirt. Practice is for falters and falls. Performances are not!
4 Without practice wearing skirts and heels, women can easily get their skirts caught on high heels. Everyone who practices wants their performance perfect, so they should not ruin it by being surprised by the clothing.
5 Women will be able to get used to or even "break in" the dance shoes they have to wear for competition. If they will be dancing in heels, practicing in flats will not be effective.
6 A ballroom practice skirt paired with dance shoes can teach women how to prevent the common mishaps in dancing before performances.
7 Sweat clothes or gym clothes will not have the same feel as ballroom dance wear and may actually impede the ballroom dance practice.
8 A proper top will also further encourage correct posture.
Men should wear ballroom dance shoes and practice wear for the following reasons:
1 The ballroom dance-wear turtlenecks for men encourage the necessary correct posture. The psychology behind the turtleneck top is simple. Unconsciously, the male dancer automatically extends his neck. The head and spine follow the neck and are held straight. So, the dance practice wear works on posture, while the dancer works on steps
2 The steps are further secured when the male dancer wears proper ballroom practice shoes. Psychologically and physically people become accustomed to doing certain things in certain shoes. Tennis shoes are for running, that is why they have grips on the bottom. Therefore, dancers cannot properly practice in tennis shoes. They would improperly grip the floors when the dancer is trying to perform a smooth movement. Ballroom practice shoes allow dancers to smoothly and elegantly glide across the floor.
3 They will be familiar with the fit of the outfit during the practice dance moves.
4 Men who wear ballroom practice clothes get more out of their classes. Gym clothes allow the body to relax and slump, which promotes bad posture. Proper posture is required in dancing to show the elegant moves. Make dance practice twice as effective and satisfying by wearing proper ballroom dance clothes instead of floppy, loose gym clothes.
Ballroom practice wear helps supports the confidence, style and technical aspects of a ballroom dancer. For all the above reasons, it is highly beneficial to wear dance practice clothing. Wearing all the proper dance attire psychologically makes one feel more elegant, proper, and professional; which encourages proper posture to make one look the way they feel.