Dance Uniforms - clothing for practicality and equality

Choosing good quality items of clothing is taken very seriously by some people, and what is worn is governed by several factors – fashion, the weather, a person’s age or self image. Many schools and organisations have set uniforms, and young people especially tend to resent this! Arguably having school uniforms help to prevent bullying based on appearance, but many students don’t see it this way, some trying to make their uniform look better by changing it – not tucking a shirt in or wearing a tie incorrectly. In some situations, specific clothing is necessary for definite practical reasons. Not many construction workers object to wearing safety clothing!

Dance is another area in which practicality of clothing needs to be considered. Inappropriate clothes can cause discomfort and even injury, for example wearing the wrong types of shoe could lead to slips, trips or a twisted ankle. This is where dance uniforms come in. Professional dancers clothing will often be dictated by the dance they are performing at the time, but are also strongly influenced by practical issues. For those learning to dance, clothing is often specified by their tutor, class or school. Some dance uniforms are stricter than others, specifying particular styles or brands. Even those who rather dislike the dance clothes they are instructed to wear admit that there are practical reasons why the clothing has been selected.

Dance uniforms not only allow class members to practice as comfortably as possible, but encourage a sense of belonging to a group. If a dance school is known for high standards, many feel proud to wear their uniform. They also make sure that particular members do not attract unwanted attention through wearing less trendy or older kit than others. Any sort of bullying should be prevented as it can have a negative impact on people’s whole lives. Dance lessons should be fun and safe, building the confidence of students. Confidence is not only essential for dance, but the right level of self belief is needed in school, jobs and life in general. Dance, however, does not tend to promote over confidence – it is sufficiently difficult to make achieving the best a challenge. This not only prevents budding dancers from becoming too vain about their abilities, but makes achievements all the more rewarding. Whether an individual’s ambition is to become a professional dancer, or they just enjoy it as a healthy pastime, learning that hard work gets results is an excellent lesson to learn.

Another positive aspect of dance uniforms is that they do not distract attention from performance. All students should concentrate on dancing, not on what everyone is wearing! They also enable tutors to be able to gauge performance equally between individuals, helping them to recognise which students are doing well with a new move and which require a bit more assistance. The job of any sort of teacher is not to be influenced by someone’s clothing, but to treat all equally and recognise when further help is needed. Dance uniforms can make achieving this easier.