Eight Count Magic - Equipment

If you've never partner danced (or taken ballet) you might not think twice about how shoes play a factor in dancing, I didn't! In my first lesson, and for two months after that, I wore rubber-soled "Doc Martin-styled" boots before the difference was pointed out to me. Rubber soles on a hardwood floor are great for basketball because it grips, but when dancing you want to be and feel smooth.

The thought of a $50-$100 financial investment for shoes, just for dancing, sounds crazy especially when you first start dancing. Dress shoes with leather soles are smooth and will work, but they don't offer interior cushioning to make 3-4 hours of dancing sound pleasurable.

Then I was introduced to the wonders of Duct Tape! Duct Tape on the bottoms of an old pair of tennis shoes (sneakers) creates perfect, and more importantly, very affordable dance shoes. Tennis shoes provide great cushioning and the tape gives the shoes the perfect amount of slickness.

Another inexpensive choice that some experienced dancers opt for is applying chrome suede to the soles. You can purchase chrome suede from your local cobbler and use a strong glue (like Gorilla Glue) to affix the suede to the bottom of a comfortable pair of shoes. I own two pair of dance shoes — one chromed and the other duct-taped!

If you don't want to go the "home-made" route, I have friends who swear by their Aris Allen brand of shoes. Bottom line: Comfort should be your first consideration, and then price.

Stylin' to the Oldies.

Most, if not all, of the venues I've ever danced at have casual dress codes. I'm not sure how they wore coats and ties "back in the day", but I'm very happy that it's casual now because dancing generates body heat — winter or summer. Although cotton shirts breath, I prefer wearing poly/cotton blend bowling shirts or shirts made with a wicking material — like runner's shirts.

I don't have as much of a concern over the type of pants I wear. I tried shorts in the summer, but they just don't look "right", so I usually wear jeans or khaki pants.

I'm not "fashion-aware" in regards to what would be appropriate for women to wear, so I'm hesitant to offer suggestions. Comfort should ALWAYS be the deciding factor. Although, I do strongly suggest that women wear flats, as opposed to ANY type of heeled shoes.