Article Date: 12th Mar 2010
Article Title: Dancing Shoes - research is key

As we all know, dance has been around for thousands of years, it is used in communication whether it be emotional or functional. It is often set to music but can also inspire the creation of music through the movements of the dance itself. From jazz to hip – hop, ballet to contemporary, there are many interesting and vibrant styles of dance that one can get involved in.

The great thing about dance is that it can done just about anywhere, all you need is like minded people and you can put together something creative, you may not even need music as some of the group may be able to freestyle or beat-box! But, if this sounds a little too advanced for you, don’t worry, the best way to go about learning to dance is to first think about what music really inspires you to move? Is it dance music, classical, reggae, soul or hip-hop? Or is it something totally different? It doesn’t matter because with a few classes you will be able to put your own spin on the music that lifts you to your feet. The chance to be creative with your body is a truly liberating experience. Where as in sport your body is used functionally, dance allows you to express yourself using your body, and it allows you to express your feelings, to make a statement of intent or even show someone how much you care for them.

So, the next step is to go online and do a local search for dance classes in your local area, join a dance group or pop down to your local leisure centre/gym and see if anyone is advertising dance classes that you can fit into your schedule. You might make a few calls and decide on a street dance class on a weekday night, it’s a beginner level course so you aren’t too daunted when you arrive for the first class. You do, however, realise that you are missing a vital piece of dance equipment that everyone else seems to have on - dancing shoes! Your mouldy old trainers don’t really cut it so you try and take a peek at the different dancing shoes on show at the class, but as you can imagine its pretty difficult to examine them closely when everyone is dancing. So you decide to wait until the end of the class and approach the teacher to ask them about dancing shoes, you really want to find out what are the best brands, how much you should pay for a good pair of dancing shoes, what makes a good dancing shoe and the best place to buy them. So you set about asking the teacher as many questions as you can and he smiles at your enthusiasm and offer you some things to consider; the shoe must be sturdy and light, it must also have a sole that will grip well on a variety of surfaces and above all it must be lightweight. Armed with this knowledge you rush home and set about hunting down a new pair of dancing shoes on the internet.