Athletes or Artists?
Specialized shoes made for dance may be as simple as
a soft nappa leather gymnastic turn shoe construction,
as used in ballet slipper, or rugged full-grain 1.5 mm
leather Flamenco high-cut boots with metal shank
and taps on toe and heel. In modern dance and
lyrical there is a piece of footwear used that can best
be described literally as a foot glove. It is a piece of
intricately cut soft chamois suede that fits between the
toes and under the ball of the foot to give the dancer
an optimal feeling of the dance floor and at the same
time prevent blistering.
In most traditional dance categories, such as jazz
or tap, everyday dress shoes have been adapted by
craftsmen into lightweight, flexible designs using
leather, synthetic poromeric or fabric materials in the
upper. Specific soling materials are added to meet
the requirements of the dancer and particular dance
floor surface. For example, thin side split-suede or
bend leather is commonly used for soling on shoes
used in ballroom dancing for the optimal amount
of glide. This is combined with patent, nubuck and
soft full-grain leather uppers. Men’s upper styles for
ballroom dancing shoes are still relatively basic and
follow a CVO (circular vamp overlay) or one-piece
plain toe cap design on semi-pointed lasts. This is the
look that inspired the original Reebok aerobic design
in the early 1980’s. Ladies ballroom shoe styles are
more varied with closed toe or peek-a-boo toe, Mary
Jane, T-Strap or sling-back designs being the most
common. Ballroom or swing dancing, like most other
‘sports’ has its own variety of footwear depending on
whether the dancer is in a class, studio rehearsal or
competition.
Ballroom pair’s dancing has become increasingly
athletic and competitive in the past few years.
Popular television shows such as ‘Dancing with
the Stars’ has rekindled interest in the ‘sport’ and
many older athletes have turned to ‘the dance’ for
aerobic exercise. Will ballroom dancing ever become
an Olympic event? The International Olympic
Committee (IOC) has recognized competitive pairs
dancing as dancesport, so it may only be one step
away from a recognized medal event. The best
choices in footwear for dancing at this level are shoes
designed especially for the ballroom and even more
specifically, for the exact dance style such as a strappy
Latin shoe with Cuban heel for the cha-cha or rumba,
or a sequined covered high-heel for the elegant waltz.
Irish or Highland dance beginners and intermediate
dancers in this category wear soft shoes known as
ghillies, pumps, or slippers that are made from soft
black nappa leather that conforms to the foot. The
design of the upper wraps around the foot and is
secured by long laces or elastics. Once the dancer
becomes stronger and more experienced, they are
trained in routines using hard-shoe techniques. This
type of shoe may have a fiberglass tip and heel to
achieve the famous” clogging” sound with which
we have become familiar in the popular “Lord of
the Dance” routines. The rule here seems to be the
higher the level of the dancer – the tighter the slipper.
This makes thin, protective padding, such as Poron®
essential to avoid heel and metatarsal bruising.
Harder materials such as wooden heels with
leatherboard, thermoplastic or expanded rubber for
soling on shoes is used for tap or clogging with or
without a variety of metal heel and toe plates added.
Clogging incidentally is not dancing in clogs. It is a
dance category encompassing several sub-categories of
dance such as square dancing, Nordic, Irish, Scottish
and English folk dance. Two of the most famous
European clogging styles would be the ever-popular
Spanish Flamenco style dancing and the German
Schuh Plattler. These traditional steps are blended
with American flatfooting, buck dancing, or in its
most popular form, tap dancing, which owes its roots
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