Essential Items Every Jazz Dancer Needs

Jazz dance dates back to the 20th century. It’s is a term used to describe popular stage dance and modern dance. Jazz dance was performed in different social gatherings during that time. Later, it became a serious dance discipline and people started taking jazz dance classes and committing to it professionally.

And just like ballerinas need essential items for their dancing routine, jazz dance also requires the use of specific clothing, footwear and other accessories. So, if you too want to learn some of the cool jazz dance moves, you’ll need to get the proper gear first.

A Good Pair of Classic Leather Jazz Dance Shoes

The most important thing for a dancer is to have proper dance shoes that during the performance will provide him/her with comfort and support. It’s not uncommon for dancers to suffer multiple injuries while performing different dance moves, so getting quality dance shoes should be the first thing on the list of priorities for every dancer.

Classic leather jazz dance shoes have an amazing design and can highlight the dancer’s arch. One can choose from the split sole, slip-on and lace-up jazz slippers. Since the condition and health of a dancer’s feet is the most important thing, jazz shoes are designed to answer those needs. Thanks to the wide range of jazz dance shoes available today, every dancer has the opportunity to find the right fit, style and high-quality shoes. You can go for classic jazz shoes or more sporty-looking ones.

You can find black, white and tan leather jazz dance shoes that feature suede sole patches, stretch-mesh arches and adjustable elastic straps. These simple colours allow for the dancer to match them with any outfit and look professional.

What makes the jazz shoe special is the sleek aesthetic and the design that offers a high level of stability and support. Having in mind that dancers mustn’t be distracted at all while dancing, jazz shoes are made to be lightweight and flexible, almost like a second skin, so the one that’s dancing won’t even feel them on the feet. Also, the addition of neoprene fabric makes the jazz shoes breathable and adds to the level of comfort. Jazz shoes are suitable both for beginners and experienced dancers.

Another important thing despite picking high-quality jazz shoes is picking the right size of shoes. It may sound irrelevant but quite on the contrary. For ultimate performance the right fit is crucial. Shoes that are too small will cause aches and feel extremely tight, ultimately preventing the dancer to move freely, while shoes that are too big can be the cause for badly performed dance moves, strains and injuries.

Leotards and Shorts for Dancing

Most of the dancers use leotards and shorts while dancing for a reason. Leotards are a tight-fitting, one-piece garment that covers the upper body of the dancer leaving the arms and legs free to move. Leotards are considered to be the best choice when it comes to dancing garments because they are lightweight, fit nicely and don’t restrict the dancers range of motion.

Since the very beginning, the whole design and the way leotards are made evolved. Nowadays, you can find leotards made from cotton, velvet, velour but especially spandex and lycra because of their elasticity.

Leotards come in many different colours and designs, are suitable to wear both for practising and for official performing and are very easy to maintain. You can wash them in a washing machine without worrying if they will suffer any damage during the process.

Shorts, on the other hand, are made from the same materials and can be worn on top of the leotard. Many dancers choose to wear shorts on top of the leotard because they feel more comfortable that way and also to avoid any wardrobe malfunction.

You should really consider getting a leotard over anything else if you are serious about committing to dancing. The more professional your approach is, the better the end results will be.

What Should a Jazz Bag Contain?

A dancer’s bag is the ultimate must-have item because all the essentials mentioned before need to be transported somehow, right? Dancer’s bags have a large capacity and help you carry all the essential items for a dancing routine.

In addition to bringing your classic jazz shoes, try bringing a pair of sporty jazz sneakers too so that you can switch between shoes if you feel the need to. Also, note that dancing is a physical activity that includes excessive sweating so always bring more than one leotard and extra clothes. You should bring a towel for the same reason and wipe the sweat off your skin from time to time.

A deodorant is another must, as is the hairbrush, elastic ties and a hairspray. This is especially important for dancers with long hair. Having your hair all over the place will distract you from dancing and won’t look professional at all. For that reason try to always have a neat hairstyle.

We already mentioned that accidents and injuries happen frequently to dancers, that’s why you should bring bandages or a small first aid kit with you. That way if an accident happens you can act quickly.

And last, but not least, a makeup bag. Having all your essential makeup products at the reach of your hand is important especially if you have auditions and special performances. Why stress over spoiled makeup when you can retouch it in a split of a second?

Dance Music Players

Naturally, dance and music go together. One can’t go without the other. That’s why a dancer should have a personal music player or some sort of portable mini loudspeaker. There are many compact and budget-friendly options available. Some loudspeakers can even be Bluetooth connected to a smartphone and you can play the music on them in just a few clicks.

Considering that most of the dance studios and performing venues are equipped with a good sound system you may think you don’t even need one. But a portable loudspeaker can come in handy in case there’s a power outage or if you’re someone that prefers dancing out in the open instead of in a dance studio.