You made the decision: You want to start dancing.
You are excited, the first dance class is coming up soon. And then a million questions pop into your mind:
What should I bring to dance class? How does a dance lesson work? Are there some rules? What should I wear? Will I be good? …
Don’t worry. There are answers to all your questions.
I provide you with a checklist of what you should bring to your first dance class to be perfectly prepared.
I explain you step by step, what you need and why you need it and give you even a secret insider tip. So there won’t be any bad surprises during class.
After reading this, you won’t have nothing to worry about when you head to your first dance lesson.
Let’s get started!
Your Checklist what to bring to dance class
1. Water, Water, Water
Water is the most important thing you need to bring to every dance class. Whether you want to try out Ballet, HipHop, Latin Dances, Modern, Pole or anything else, here is one secret that is true for all of them:
You are going to sweat.
Dancing is a sport and a highly demanding for the body. So, make sure to be able to refill and refresh your body. To each dance lesson you should bring at least one litre of water.
Pro-Tip:
The drink of choice should be still water and not sparkling. Doesn’t make a very good impression if you’re gonna burp in front of the whole class while doing some jumps or body movements 😉
2. A Towel
Since we already established you will sweat, it makes absolutely sense to bring not only water, but also a towel.
I made some good experiences with microfibre towels for sports. They don’t take up a lot of space in your dance bag and dry very fast. So all the other stuff in your bag won’t be soaked, when you come home.
If you already know that you tend to sweat a lot, a fresh pair of socks and undergarment in your dance bag will serve you quite well.
Some dance studios have even showers. Just in case, you can bring shower gel and shampoo.
3. Dance Shoes
The right choice of shoes depends completely on the style of dance you choose.
Well, we all know the classic pointe shoes for ballet. In other dance styles like Latin and Ballroom you wear High heels with a leather sole. The list of dance shoes for each style goes on with tap shoes, foot thongs, jazz shoes and many more.
If you are heading now to your very first dance lesson, it is not necessary to run to the store and buy some expensive dance shoes you might not even use after.
The easiest solution is to bring some slippers if you want to attend a ballet, modern or contemporary lesson or a pair of nice sneakers for dances like HipHop, Modern, Latin, and so on.
Pro-Tip:
Make sure the shoes don’t stick to the floor too much and are a little bit flexible, so you won’t have any trouble with turns and footwork.
4. The right outfit for dance class
What is the first step to feel beautiful and sexy? Dress beautiful and sexy.
Dance is a very aesthetic sport, so the choice of clothing is quite important. You will move differently when you feel good about your looks.
Just like the dance shoes, the appropriate dance outfit depends on the dance style.
Anyway, tight clothes are always a good choice. They make your movements more visible and you won’t be bothered with fabric flying around.
A classic dance outfit working for every dance style would be black tights or black pants (no jeans!) and simple T-Shirt, top or a bodysuit.
If you are not comfortable with super tight clothes, you can bring a nice scarf or a shirt to knot around your hips to be a little bit more covered. With the right colour, you can give your outfit an extra kick with this add-on.
Pro-Tip:
Sweating in dance class is nothing you should be worried about. It means you are doing just fine. Anyway, to feel a little bit more relaxed about it, you can pick materials, which will not looked soaked and are fast drying like the dance leggings from Amazon.
5. Hair-kit and Emergency make-up
This tip is probably more for my dance girls out there.
As beautiful as long, thick and voluminous hair is, it gets annoying really fast while dancing.
Imagine you are trying to master this one turn. And you do it over and over again. You almost made it. You can already imagine the feeling of turning like a butterfly. But in the last moment you always have all of your hair covering your eyes, sticking to your mouth and getting hurdled up in your earrings.
Not very convenient, isn’t it?
Be sure to always, always bring a hair tie, a brush and maybe some bobby pins to dance class.
I like to prepare a little beauty bag to put inside my dance bag. You can fill it with the hair tie, bobby pins and a brush, as well as with perfume, deodorant and some make-up
6. Breath refreshener
What is the horror scenario of pairing up in dance class? You finally start to talk, you really connect with each other and you have a good time. And then all out the sudden your partner fades out from the smell of your last kebab coming out of your mouth.
Okay I confess, this example might be a little exaggerated. But there is really nothing worse than a dance partner with bad breath.
So kebab before dance class is forbidden! And yes, you might have already guessed it, also pasta aglio e olio is not a good idea.
If you want to make sure your partner and all the other dancers in your class are comfortable with you, brush your teeth before dance class. If there is no time for that, take a breath refreshener and you are good to go.
Pro-Tip:
In general, it is always a good idea to bring some chewing gum. Not only in case you are going to need it. Believe me, in almost every dance lesson there is a person that askes for it. And by being the person that can provide some, you will make friends in no time.
7. A healthy Snack
Learning new things makes you hungry as well as sports do.
You can bring a small, healthy snack to eat after dance class or during a break.
Dance classes often timed in the evening. If you plan to have dinner after the dance lesson and you didn’t eat anything from lunch on, it is likely that you will lack some energy. Don’t hesitate to refuel yourself with a small snack.
This could be some fruit, a cereal bar, crackers, nuts or anything you like.
I am a big fan of protein and energy bars. They are fast to eat, provide you with a lot of energy and well I’ll admit it, I just crave the sweet taste of a chocolate bar. Plus you can always keep some of them in your dance bag, since they are not turning bad so fast.
Bonus Tip
If you already bought some new dance shoes and you are super excited to try them out, let me warn you:
There is a high chance you will get some nasty blisters.
Even now, that I am dancing almost every day already for years – every time I put on some new dance shoes my feet get all wound up.
To avoid this, I suggest you first of all to wear socks or tights in your new shoes until you get used to them.
My second tip is, to bring some band-aid for a real emergency. Once you have blisters, this is the only way to stop it from getting worse and distract you from dancing.
Conclusion
Now you know about everything you need to put in your dance bag and you are ready to rock your first dance class.
Checklist
- Water
- Towel
- Dance clothes
- Dance shoes
- Hair kit and Make-up
- Breath refreshener
- Snack
- Bonus: Band-aid
And don’t worry, in case you forget something, there are several other dancers you can always ask for help.
Remember, communication is the best way to make some new friends.
So let’s go and have fun dancing 
You will be great!
This Post Has One Comment
Pingback: 20 ways to make good money as a professional dancer