Dress for Success: What to Wear to Dance Class

Hooray! Now that your child has registered for his or her first dance lesson, you’ll need to know what your child should to wear to class. While dress code requirements vary from studio to studio, most will require the following:

• Form-fitting dancewear such as leotards, tights, dance shorts, leggings
• Dance shoes specific to style of dance (such as tap shoes or ballet slippers)
• Minimal jewelry, including earrings and watches
• Preferred hair style (buns, braids, wraps, twists, or ponytails)
• Warm-ups such as sweatshirts, sweatpants, and leg warmers at the discretion of the instructor

While every studio and every dance style may have different requirements for dress, here are four reasons why your studio may require a specific dress code for class:

Dress Code Allows for Corrections and Dancer Safety

A typical dance uniform can include form fitting items such as leotards, tights, or leggings for girls and shirts and shorts or pants for boys. These items allow the teacher to observe the student and make corrections on the student’s placement, alignment, and form. This ensures correct technique and muscle engagement and also helps prevent injury.

Baggy clothes, hair down (instead of a bun or ponytail), and even jewelry can be a hindrance during small group work and partnering activities, so correct clothing can be a safety factor as well.

Allows for Classroom Uniformity

Similar to a dance costume on a group of performing dancers, the uniform dress code in class allows the teacher to observe students together and more easily spot and correct mistakes. While you usually can’t go wrong with a black leotard and pink tights for girls and a white T-shirt and black shorts for boys in most dance classes, some schools may require specific styles and colors. Check with your studio director before purchasing clothing for class.

Allows Students to Focus on Class, Not Their Clothes

While fluffy tutus and bedazzled leotards are colorful and cute, a dress code in class allows students to focus more on the teacher than on the clothes they are wearing. Students can feel confident and comfortable that others in class will be dressed in a similar fashion. The dress code allows for structure and focus and gets students in the mindset for learning while allowing them to express themselves through movement!

Shows Respect for the Teacher and Fellow Dancers

The dress code teaches children how a class operates and encourages the discipline of a dance lesson. Just like in baseball or hockey, having the correct clothing and footwear for class signals to the child that he/she is ready for dance and is ready to learn. The dress code shows respect to the dance teacher, fellow classmates, and to the art of dance itself!

Ready to locate the perfect dance studio for you or your dancer? Click on the “Find Dance Studios” tab to begin your search by location, dance styles, ability levels, and age ranges!