It is impossible to overestimate the importance of choosing the right shoes for dancing. People who are professionally engaged in dancing understand this very well. To achieve mastery, they have to spend a significant part of their time in training. And if the sharpness of the movements of the body and hands depend on assiduous repetition and fastening, then for the good work of the foot correctly selected shoes are needed. Ballroom dancing is an amazing world that has nothing to do with everyday life. In dance shoes, it is inappropriate to walk along the street, just as it is impossible in the everyday model to technically perform dance steps.
Ballroom shoes are a specific tool by which the dancer creates his art, as skillfully selected dance shoes can increase the sense of sex, and harmoniously and beautifully carry out the transfer of the body.
How to choose the right shoes for ballroom dancing?
Dance shoes should not only be beautiful and comfortable, but also meet the established requirements. It is necessary to choose it in accordance with the age and intentions of the dancer. Usually, due to the growth of children's legs, large shoes are selected for children by one size.
Ballroom dancing for adults involves the acquisition of two pairs - for European and Latin American programs, as the technique of performing these dances is different. In the standard European program, the beginning occurs with the movement of the heel, and in the Latin American program, the toe. Therefore, it is necessary to use special shoes for each dance.
Ballroom dancing dictates a rule for children and adult dancers that must not be violated under any circumstances - acquired dance shoes must be comfortable.
When buying during fitting, you need to shoe more than one leg, but try on a couple at once, completely buttoning. After this, it is recommended to perform several steps. During these actions, the shoes should not be too tight, but it is especially important that they do not hang out.
The top of the dance shoes is made of materials that stretch over time and sit on the foot as it should. Usually these are leather and satin products. Therefore, it is not scary if, when buying, it turns out that brand new shoes are shaking. It is bad if the dance shoes are too loose on the foot - over time it will hang. The right choice of dance shoes will minimize the risk of injury.
About types of dance shoes
At first, a novice dancer can do with versatile shoes with a wide low heel and a closed toe.
But after a while, the trainer will advise you to buy shoes for ballroom dancing separately for the European and Latin American programs: for the "standard" - closed, and for the "Latina" - resembling sandals.
Their flexible sole will improve the quality of the foot, move more confidently and balance, performing the nuances of dance movements.
Dance shoes can be of several types:
- Rating children's. Ballroom shoes for girls are distinguished by the presence of a relatively high (3-3.5 cm) heel, in shoes for male dancers it should be 2-2.5 cm.
- Women's shoes for the Latin American program ("Latina") are usually made with a heel length of up to 8 cm.
- Women's shoes for the European program (“standard”) - 5.7 cm.
- Men's shoes "Latina" usually have a heel length of up to 4 cm.
- Men's shoes "standard" - 2 - 2.5 cm.
About buying competitive shoes
Having reached the first stages of mastery, dancers usually seek recognition. The road to glory passes through participating in various competitions that require the acquisition of yet another, additional, competitive shoes. A competitive couple should be beautiful, clean and fresh - because this is an addition to the stage image of the dancer.
Women's shoes "standard" - a classic elegant boat with a sharp or rounded toe, with a low (up to 5-6 cm) heel, allowing legs to get less tired. Production material - different colors soft satin, which can be modified (painted to match the costume or decorated with applications) independently.
Men's shoes for European dances are classic elegant shoes with a wide, steady heel. Top - usually leather, satin, synthetic or patent. The latter is not for beginner dancers - sticking to a varnished surface can lead to the development of the wrong technique. The lacing should be parallel, the material for the laces is necessarily non-slip.
Women's shoes "Latina" - usually with a closed "vamp" - a membrane that supports the foot. The most popular is shoes that have a “vamp” of interwoven thin membranes. There may be options with knots and buckles. A jumper consisting of several straps in the upper nasal part must be present. Solid is stiff and does not allow you to pull the sock properly. The jumper with straps is more flexible.
Often such a model has a long strap with which you can entwine your ankle or foot. In this case, it is necessary to have a soft mount for the strap on the back of the shoe, so that you do not rub your feet.
The toe of women's shoes for the "Latina" is usually oval, but there may be other options. Fingers should not “fall out” on the floor, but there should not be a significant “margin” near the thumb.
Latina men's shoes are usually black, suitable for black trousers, with a steady heel, but a little higher than for the standard. Lacing parallel in five holes. The oval of the sock should match the shape of the foot. Sutures should not be felt - they can rub your feet in the future.
How to choose dance shoes for a child?
These shoes are specially designed according to orthopedic standards. Ideally, the child’s legs should not be tired in it. These shoes provide the right foot position in the dance and the correct development of posture.
Specialized children's ball shoes are necessary to achieve decent results.
Shoes for growth are not recommended to buy, it is better to purchase a model that has a regulator of completeness. The material of manufacture must comply with sanitary standards: natural and artificial leather, brocade, satin, shoe mesh.
The heel should be low, providing an even distribution of the load.
For the smallest, it is better to buy not matte, but bright, sequined shoes that stand out on the floor. At children's competitions, among other elements, the work of the foot is evaluated, and legs in bright shoes will be visible from afar.
Reality often destroys stereotypes, as is the case with children's dance shoes: contrary to the prevailing opinion that it is necessary to firmly fix the ankle in children's shoes, it should be remembered that children's dance shoes should be flexible enough to allow the toe to be pulled.
It is not necessary for a child to buy expensive imported shoes, you can choose domestic high-quality shoes.
Ballroom shoes for girls and boys
For children-dancers, at first one pair of shoes is enough. For an older student, you need to buy shoes “Latina” and “Standard”.
Children dancers fit a steady low heel. The heel in shoes for girls up to 12 years old should be up to 3.5 cm, over 12 years old - up to 5 cm. It is more convenient to learn the dance technique in low-heeled shoes.
Girls should wear dance shoes only during training and performances, in no case should they be worn in everyday life, as this can damage the development of the skeleton (a heel of 20.5 mm is above the permissible norm).
Ballroom shoes for boys should be elegant and comfortable and suitable for training and performance. If dancing has become a serious hobby for a child, you should buy him shoes made of genuine leather. If he is just starting to dance, you can buy inexpensive shoes made of artificial leather. For a good grip on the floor, the sole should be natural. The top is usually black, matte or varnished. There may be a flickering effect, but without sparkles.
Heel height - 20-20.5 mm. The sole should be: for the "standard" - solid, rigid, for the "Latina" (if preparation allows) - separate. You can buy shoes for a boy dancer with a small margin of up to 50 mm, a significant margin can harm the foot.
How to determine the size of dancing shoes ?
The sizes of ballroom shoes often do not coincide with the metric. To avoid mistakes when buying or making an individual order, instructions on determining the correct size will help:
- you need to put your foot in a thin sock on a sheet of paper lying on the floor;
- using a pencil, outline the leg attached to the sheet (you need to hold the pencil perpendicularly);
- Using a ruler, measure the foot. The length of the foot is the distance between the thumb and the heel.
When communicating your data by telephone to the seller, you should indicate to him the length of the foot, and the specialist will orient and select the necessary size.
In addition, size matching tables will help customers navigate their own products. The modern shoe market has several dimensional systems: metric, stihmassovaya, European. Knowing your parameters from one of the systems, from the tables, if necessary, you can transfer them to another.
So, all recommendations are read and taken into account, and new shoes gently squeezes the foot, shines with varnish or sparkles, the sole gently touches the floor, evenly distributing the dancer's weight along the entire length of the shoes. Everything is ready - now the music will play and the magic of incredibly beautiful movements will begin. Good luck and easy parquet!