“What do I wear?” This is the question we get more than any other, usually the night before someone’s first class. Here is a quick guide to help you, sorted by class type.
Clothes: anything you can comfortably move in
Comfortable, breathable clothing you can move in. Leggings, joggers, shorts, a T-shirt, a tank top, whatever you already own and already like. Bring a layer for the warm-up if you run cold, because studios start cool and do not stay that way.
One thing worth thinking about: pick something you are not constantly adjusting, since you will be reaching, turning and bending, and a top that stays put saves you an hour of tugging at it.
Fitted or baggy? It depends on the style
This is by no means required, but dressing for what a style highlights can help you feel more confident.
Styles built on clean lines, such as most jazz and heels classes, suit more fitted clothing. It also stops your heels getting caught in your shirt during floor work. Think leggings, shorts, tank tops, and fitted tops.
Classes built on groovier, full body movement, such as hip hop and contemporary, usually suit baggier clothes. Baggy clothing makes your lines and bounces look bigger and more relaxed, and oversized pieces let your skin breathe during heavy dancing. Think loose cargo pants, track pants or baggy sweatpants on the bottom, with an oversized T-shirt, a tank top or a light hoodie on top, and a layer if you run cool.
More versatile styles, such as fusion and jazz funk, vary with what the choreography and the song call for, so there is no single right answer. If you really want to dress for the occasion, layers and options are always the safest bet. And as always, this is optional.
Footwear
Footwear depends on the style, because each one asks something different of your feet. Every class on our schedule falls into one of four groups.
Sock classes
Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Lyrical, Musical Theatre. Wear socks, half soles, or go barefoot. These styles ask your feet to point, slide and grip the floor directly, which a stiff sneaker can get in the way of.
That said, if you have a recent foot injury, a job that keeps you on your feet all day, or you simply feel more comfortable and safer in a shoe, that is completely fine. These styles can be danced in one. We would just recommend a flexible shoe that supports your arch while still leaving you enough range of motion to point and flex your feet.
Sneaker classes
Afro Fusion, Dancehall, Fusion, Hip Hop, House, Jazz Funk, K-Pop, Latin Fusion, Locking, Popping, Reggaeton, Soca, Waacking, and most other styles. Wear clean indoor sneakers: a pair you carry in with you and change into at the studio, not the ones you walked here in.
Heels classes
Heels, Heels Technique, and Heels Chair Choreography. Bring heels 3 to 5 inches, open or closed toe, with strong ankle support. Stilettos are preferred, and a strap across the foot or ankle makes a real difference to how secure they feel. Kneepads are optional and quite popular.
If you are new to dancing in heels, you are also welcome to take the class in indoor sneakers, socks, or bare feet. Plenty of people do that for their first few classes and add the heels once the style feels familiar.
Worth knowing: some movements are actually easier in a heel. Sitting into a squat, or bouncing up and down, can feel better once the heel elevates and supports your arch, so do not assume the shoe is only ever the harder option.
Tap classes
Metal-tipped tap shoes if you have them. If you do not, come in indoor sneakers, socks or bare feet and take the class anyway. You will learn the rhythms just fine and can decide later whether tap shoes are worth buying.
Why outdoor shoes stay at the door
Outdoor shoes are not allowed inside the studios. Whatever is on the sidewalk outside, grit, salt, rain, gets into a studio floor and stays there, and a gritty floor is harder to turn on.
Cleanliness is the bigger reason. In plenty of styles floor work is common, which means our hands, our bodies and sometimes even our faces are on that floor. Keeping outdoor shoes out is how we keep it a floor everyone is happy to lie down on. Bring your indoor pair in a bag and change at the benches by the studio doors.
What to bring with you
- A refillable water bottle. There is a fountain for refills.
- Your indoor shoes, in a bag.
- A small towel, if you like. You will sweat more than you expect.
- A warm-up layer for the first ten minutes, if you run cool.
We have change rooms and washrooms on site, so you can come straight from work and change here.
Pick a class
Not sure what to expect once you get there? Read what to expect at your first class. When you are ready, the drop-in schedule has over 30 classes a week.
See you at the studio.