Jazz dancing as we know it became recognised by audiences around the world during the 1950s
. Its a highly energetic form of dance which is rooted in African American vernacular dances which were around in the late 1800s to the mid 1900s. If youre just about to start jazz dancing classes, its an exciting and challenging style of dance to learn and youll probably have a few questions about what youll need.
Your jazz shoes will form the most important element of your dance wear for jazz dancing. These are mainly available in leather and canvas. Whilst leather shoes are more expensive, in the long run theyll pay you back as theyre far more hard wearing than canvas and will therefore last longer. You jazz shoes should fit snugly on your feet without feeling too tight. A well fitting pair of jazz shoes will allow your toes to move around a little and enable your foot to comfortably bend and flex.
Jazz shoes are available with both a full sole and a split sole. If youre a beginner, its best to choose a full sole because they provide extra support to the foot which will make it easier to learn the basic jazz dance steps. Once you gain more experience and when your dance teacher says your ready you should progress to a split sole. These offer your foot greater flexibility and will allow you to perform more elegant and complex routines.
Once youve got your jazz shoes sorted youll need to decide what other dance wear youre going to wear. Make sure you speak to your dance teacher before you choose because its highly likely that your dance school or dance academy will require you to attend classes in a specific type of leotard. This is to help create unity amongst dance students. When fitting your dance leotard, you should bear in mind that the purpose of the leotard is to allow for unrestricted movement. It should therefore provide a snug fit all over the torso without being too tight.
More often than not, your jazz shoes and dance leotard will be accompanied by a pair of ballet tights. The particular pair that you choose is largely down to personal preference but is often determined by the uniform of your dance school or dance academy so its best to speak to your teacher before you buy.