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Shoes – Yes or No?

For Performance:

When performing, I prefer to do so barefoot, but if I need to wear shoes for my performance, I'm always careful to pick something that will complement my overall look. After all, your costume should go from the tips of your toes (yes that means a pedicure if you are dancing barefoot) to the top of your head! The decision whether or not to wear shoes for a performance is dictated by many factors.

First, are you performing in a location where not wearing shoes might be dangerous? If you are dancing outside in the grass, it can hide sharp objects which could injure your feet, if you are dancing on concrete, it is just plain uncomfortable to dance barefoot. The choice of which kind of shoes will partially be dictated by the costume you are wearing. I like to wear modern dance shoes when performing outside. Though if I’m walking in a parade in costume I’ll chose something that is more geared towards the long walk ahead.

Second, are you performing in a location where not wearing shoes isn’t allowed? If you are dancing in a restaurant, health code forbids being bare foot. Again you are going to want to choose something appropriate for your costume, probably either ballroom dance shoes, ballet slippers or modern dance shoes. Whichever you choose, you will want to make certain they are appropriate for your costume. If you are wearing a gypsy style costume, the modern dance shoes would be best, an Egyptian style costume would probably look best with the high heeled ballroom dance shoes and most anything else with ballet slippers maybe decorated to match the costume.  The key here is to make sure the shoes match your costume so they aren’t a jarring difference for your audience.

Third, do you just prefer dancing in shoes? If you don’t like to dance barefoot, then by all means choose a shoe appropriate for your costume and style of dance and wear them no matter where you are performing. Just please make sure the shoe you are choosing is appropriate for the costume you are wearing. I once watched a wonderful double veil performance, in a beautiful costume, but the ugly shoes were distracting every time her skirt flared up while spinning (and in double veil there is a lot of spinning.)

For Practice:

If you are going to be performing in shoes, you should practice your routine in the same shoes. If you are going to be performing barefoot, you should practice your routine barefoot, at least leading up to your performance. In general I prefer to dance barefoot, but if I'm taking an extended workshop, especially if it is on a hard floor, I will wear jazz sneakers.  For teaching, I dance barefoot unless I have a foot injury that makes shoes more comfortable. If you want to wear shoes to class, I suggest one of the dance shoes I've mentioned above under the performance section. If you don't want to spend money on special shoes for dance,  you can wear your regular tennis shoes to class, however they will make many of the stepping and turning moves more difficult. Please, never wear sandals, flip flops or just your socks to class as all of them can be dangerous while dancing.

E-mail Huraiva at huraiva@huraivaalimah.com