What to Wear to Ballroom Dance Class

Instructors are always surprised by how inappropriately people will dress for their ballroom dance classes, especially in the beginner classes. At Chicago Dance, we are pretty casual—the days of ties are long gone. But come on—are shorts, sandals or flip flops really appropriate or comfortable when learning how to ballroom dance? On the other hand, it is surprising how many people wear tight fitting clothing and think they are going to be comfortable in ballroom dance class.

So what should men wear to ballroom dance class?  A shirt or even a t-shirt and dress trousers are the choice for men in most ballroom dance classes. If you sweat a lot, bring a change of shirt.  Suits and jackets that competitors and performers wear are specifically cut to not bunch at the shoulders.  Regular suits and jackets are not always the best for dancing.  Lift and move your arms around to see how your jacket performs before wearing it for dance.

What should women wear to ballroom dancing class? A flowing skirt enhances the dancer’s movement. Suitable clothes must allow the follow to stride out and the lead to step forward. Therefore, a tight, straight skirt, such as an A-line skirt, won’t work.

Shoes are the single most important item for any dancer. Serious ballroom dancers buy dance shoes but those of you learning how to ballroom dance don’t need to do that immediately. Ideally dancers should have shoes with suede or leather soles—suede is found on shoes made specifically for dancing and is generally preferred by most dancers. These shoes should not be worn outside at the risk of destroying the soles.  Leather sole shoes are versatile for wearing outside and in public dance venues other than dance schools.  If you don’t have leather-soled shoes in your closet, get a smooth sole shoe. A pair of dress or office lace-up shoes will probably be fine. Athletic or sports shoes have too much grip to allow your feet to move freely on the dance floor, which could damage your knees or ankles. The more slip on the sole the better to prevent injury to your body while learning how to ballroom dance.

Men in ballroom dance class should have shoes with a 1/2″ heel, which is the normal shoe heel height. You will notice that some men wear a higher heel for the Latin dances. You want shoes that are reasonable secure on your feet as you will be turning and stepping backwards. This will help you to be a better lead if you’re not tripping over your shoes in the ballroom dancing class.

Ladies should wear a sandal with a strap or a court shoe that fits properly. This will enable them to complete the steps in ballroom dance class that have the ladies moving backwards. You can’t step backwards with a slip-on shoe and or a shoe that does not stay on your foot. The other important point with shoes is that ladies’ shoes must have a heel. Normally the latin shoes should have a 2 1/2″ heel, but 2″ is acceptable if the woman is more comfortable in it and is still learning how to ballroom dance.  Court shoes for ballroom are generally a lower heel – 2″.  Flat jazz sneakers or ballet slippers or okay for practice but some heel is preferable for your ballroom dancing class.

Now that you know what to wear and what not to wear to your ballroom dancing class, you’ll feel more comfortable and graceful as you dance. You’re ready to enjoy the wonderfully social activity of learning how to ballroom dance!