Summer 2006 Issue
July/August/Sep 2006
A “Shoe” Buying Guide for Middle Eastern Dancers
Written by Melissa
Shoes are good. Ever since I saw someone break a glass on the dance floor before a show, I have worn shoes to perform. Even if they clean it up, a tiny sliver of glass can ruin your whole day-and your ability to dance for a while. In fact, just this past Saturday I saw someone drop an entire tray full of glasses down the stairs between the room where I changed and the place where I performed. You better believe I wore my big leather boots out of the changing room and through the glass-then changed into my dance shoes.
Shoes come in a wide range of styles, sole types, and heel heights. There's something for everyone out there to keep your feet-your main tools-safe. It's fine to dance barefoot in a studio where they sweep often, but always wear shoes in a restaurant or on a stage you don't know.
Shoes should cover your entire sole. Lyrical sandals, dance paws, and other modern dance shoes protect the balls of the feet from excessive turning, and may work well in class or at a long seminar, but they will not protect your toes and heels from glass, beads, splinters, or the slings and arrows of ME dance venue floors. Closed toes are ideal, but you can work pretty well with open-toed ballroom shoes as well. Just be sure your whole sole is protected!
So what are good shoes to wear?
Jazz shoes or boots, or ballet slippers, are usually soft and unstructured, Jazz shoes may have a low heel (.25-.5") which rarely interferes with your balance. A good choice for those worried about losing contact with the floor.
Soles can be split or full: split soles have patches of sole over the main foot and heel, leaving the arch covered only by shoe leather for full protection and extra flexibility. Full soles are just that-the whole sole is covered by the sole material. A little less flexible, but I never notice-plus it keeps the arch of the foot safe!
Choose suede soles, and use a suede brush on them after each practice and show to keep them just sticky enough, but not too sticky! Suede gives the right mix of non-slip for security and smoothness for spins that I just don't trust any other material to do.
Jazz sandals like the Capezio Pedini or Bloch Grecian Sandal give the foot a beautiful line with a slightly pointed toe, a heel around .75", and a smooth silhouette. I discovered these while preparing for a dance in which my feet were going to be visible during floorwork. They're great for this--very easy to dance in, and keep the audience from being distracted by dirty soles. Jazz sandals are a little more structured than the standard jazz shoe, (they tend to have a hard heel) but are more elegant-looking.
Character shoes (or tap shoes without the taps) are simple, inexpensive, sturdy, and look great! They often come in thick heels and varied heel heights, from 1.5-2.5", in black or tan. You will be more likely to find these with a scored leather sole than suede. Scored leather will also give a nice mix of spin and stick, and is easier to care for than suede-just brush dust off after class and you're good to go!
For the dancer who wants to make the shoe a part of her costume, ballroom dance shoes are the ultimate. Suede-soled, built strong for dancing, covered in shiny stuff, and with a wide variety of designs and heel heights and widths, these are the high-performance custom sports car of dance shoes. And like a high-performance custom sports car, they can be pretty expensive! But aside from basic suede brushing on the soles, they require much less care than a sports car.
I personally like jazz shoes or jazz sandals (e.g. Capezio Pedinis) for performance wear-they give you a nice line to the foot without being excessively high heeled. They also protect the foot well. I also highly recommend going to a dance shop near you and trying on many different kinds of shoes to see what fits you best and feels moat comfortable. If you plan to order shoes online, try on different brands in your shoe of choice, as different brands tend to vary.
Now go forth and keep your feet safe and happy!
Melissa is a NYC Middle Eastern Dancer, Drummer, and Teacher
www.melissasdance.com for information me@melissasdance.com
http://fitnessforsmartpeople.blogspot.com/
