Prepare for Your First Lesson
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What to Wear - Women
This style of dance doesn't need any special gear - most of our students wear casual or business clothes to their lessons. Remember that at heart, partner dancing is a social activity more than a sporting activity, so wear something that would fit in at a cafe, not something that would fit in at the gym. Eventually you'll want to get dance shoes, but dress or business shoes are fine to start with.
- SKIRT OR PANTS
Whether you choose pants or a skirt, make sure that you can take long striding steps with complete freedom. Also check that whatever you wear will behave itself while you're dancing - you want pants to stay up and skirts to stay down! Jeans are fine, but they can be a bit hot to dance in. If you wear a skirt, it's a great idea to wear sports or dance briefs under it just in case. - TOP
Pick a top that lets you lift your arms up freely without binding on your shoulders and without riding up too much (unless you have an awesome tummy and you want to show it off... but the rest of us mortals might feel inadequate!). If you're coming straight from work you might like to bring a fresh top to change into before your lesson. Strapless is a very bad idea.
If you tend to sweat a lot, please wear an absorbent top that covers your back fairly well. A cotton t-shirt or similar is just fine. This is simply a courtesy to your teacher or partner, who will be holding you with his hand on your back as you dance. - FOOTWEAR
Do you have a favourite comfortable pair of heels that you always wear if you know you'll be standing all night? If so, they're the ones to pick for your first few lessons. You need a stable heel, and a shoe that will stay on your foot reliably - something with an ankle strap is ideal. It's a good idea to wear footlets or something to avoid blisters (and also to avoid stinky dancing feet). Note that sneakers or other rubber soles won't work for you to dance in.
Also check out What To Bring and How to Get Here