Dressing for ballroom dance is a lot like getting ready for the prom. You have to find the perfect dress (or suit and tux if you’re a guy), perfect shoes, and coordinate your hair and makeup for a complete look. However, getting ready for an evening of ballroom dance is slightly more complex than dressing for the prom. While the concept is the same, a lot of factors need to be taken into consideration when choosing ballroom dance clothing and shoes.

First of all, there is really no set dress code for ballroom dancing, which leaves you with the freedom to choose your attire to your comfort and practicality. Whether you are dancing a slow dance such as the waltz or an upbeat dance like the jive, you need to choose attire that you can move easily in and won’t get tangled up around your partner. For example, consider choosing a dress made of silk; it flows easily and doesn’t tangle.

It’s amazing how so many people today want to learn ballroom dancing. Time was when it was the older people who danced it and it was also a preserve of the well-off. Who really had the time to learn? But with the breaking down of this class system, ballroom dancing has become accessible to everyone and even better, people seem to be enjoying it.

It is no longer something you have to know if you belong to a certain class of society - you now learn it if you want to, because you love it.

If you have discovered belly dancing as a hobby you might be excited to go and buy some new accessories. Before you head off to the store you might want to consider what is right for your belly dancing costume.

Usually all you need for your costume is a pair of flowing harem pants or a layered flowing skirt. A bra for a top and you are ready to dance. There are many accessories to choose from to set off your belly dancing costume. Belts are one great way to show off your hips and accessorize your costume.

It was during this process that I learned a great deal about the construction and traditions surrounding ballet shoes, and this information is so fascinating to me that I feel compelled now to convey it to you. Did you know that men wear white ballet shoes, and women wear pink ballet shoes? It’s true, and it is a custom that dates back to the earliest days of ballet, perhaps even to the time in which that young ballerina performed in front of the king and queen to become a princess, and so inspired my young niece to attempt to become a dancer herself. Yes, women wear pink ballet shoes and men wear white, except sometimes they both wear tan shoes, which makes it look like they’re wearing no ballet shoes at all. But they are, so it remains art.

This is not the only interesting fact about ballet shoes that I am excited to be sharing with you now. In addition to the color, the material with which the ballet shoes are constructed can vary, but not according to gender - rather, ballet shoes vary in material based on how expensive the shoes are. Some are made of leather and some are made of canvas, but the most important thing about a good pair of ballet shoes is that the sole remains thin and flexible, because people have to dance in them, and it’s really hard to dance properly in shoes that don’t have a thin and flexible sole. This is why the soles of ballet shoes are thin and flexible.