Lesley Mealor, BPA Dance Performance

Hip hop is a style of dance that originated not in a dance studio, but in the streets of New York City in the 1970s and 80s so the types …

Contemporary and lyrical are two dance styles that, like some jazz techniques, can be done barefoot. However, there are several options of shoes for these styles of dance that have become popular over the last 20 years which have their own unique functions. 

In order to choose the best character shoes, you must first know what style of dance they will be used for. Once you know the genre of dance, you can then choose from the variety of styles, colors, materials, and heel heights that character shoes come in.

To choose the right pointe shoes, you need to first obtain your child’s teacher’s permission to go en pointe. At your local dancewear store, you will be fit for pointe shoes and will look at the fit of the shoe as determined by the length, width, shank strength, vamp length, and box construction. 

In the ballet world, nothing is more desirable than getting your first pair of real pointe shoes. But, young dancers must work their way up to dancing en pointe, strengthening their muscles and preparing their bodies for pointe work which is where demi pointe shoes come in.

The best shoes for ballet class have a snug fit, and are made of leather or canvas.  Depending on the dancer’s age and level, you will choose between full sole or split-sole flat ballet shoes. Do not buy synthetic or pretty sateen ballet slippers or pointe shoes.

There are four main things you need to look for when choosing the right shoes for dance lessons. These are the shoes’ function or purpose, how the shoes fit, the quality of materials used, and how well they have been constructed.

Some of the hottest new dance and ballet products out there are geared towards pirouettes – spin spots, turn boards, and turn discs all claim to help dancers execute their turns faster, cleaner, and in greater numbers! But, is all the hype worth it?