When you see an elegant dancer on the dance floor spinning and twirling around swiftly, have you ever wondered where the smoothness comes from? Graceful dancers swinging to the beat of Cha Cha Cha and Salsa have you mesmerised by their silky movements. Dancing to the rhythm with elegance is more than just talent. This could also have something to do with the shoes you’re wearing. If you ever cared to look at a dancer’s feet, you will realise that most of the grace and energy comes from the correct footwear.
There are a lot of shoes to choose from in the market. That is why it is wise to compare each of them and closely examine their bottoms, toe boxes, etc. You must not also forget the kind of floor you often dance on to ensure that the shoe design makes foot movement easier. This way, you know better whether your shoes suit what you’re stepping on and with what you’re doing.
Indian classical dance demands no footwear — the ghungroo is the only footwear. On the other hand international dances need shoes and we treat our dance shoes with the same reverence Indian dancers accord to ghungroos.
Our flooring is often made of wood or cement. Thus, it is good to wear dancing shoes that support just enough friction between the floor and the soles. Regular rubber or leather-soled shoes may cling or slip extra on the dance floors. Hence it is better to purchase or custom-make dancing shoes with soles made of only suede.
Generally, soft and flexible suede-soled dance shoes body are made of pure leather and offer better ankle support. This helps maintain the balance between the slip-and-grip techniques that lets the dance, move swiftly on a smooth dance floor. It is difficult to find good suede shoes in India, but Mr Jameel Shah, director of Shah Shoes, the only Indian dance shoe company that makes typical dance shoes and sells the replicas in various colours and styles says, “You can fold the dance shoe any way you want to — it takes the shape of your foot. Unlike normal shoes, dancing shoes are comfortable and do not restrict the movement of your feet, whether you are on your heels or on your toes. The cushioning supports the knees and the ankles and helps prevent injuries.”
Every dance form needs different shoes, I recommend standard heel shoes — small and thin for ballroom dances which are best complimented with feet gear that have broader and bigger heels; as broad big heels enhance the hip movement of Latin dancers and helps them make swift twirls and graceful footwork.
Choice of colours are also an important aspect while buying dance shoes, for example the Tango is a dramatic dance form, hence a combination of black and white shoes add to the effect. The standard black shoe for men is most common in leather or patent leather and dainty silver, golden and skin shoes for women are common colours for Latin American dances. Ladies are now experimenting with colours like red, pink and even yellow and green, but such experiments are mostly done by performers and not students. The right shoe and the right colour take the performance to a different level. One has to experience it to believe it. So invest in appropriate dancewear.