Girls
Please arrive in cheerleader shorts, jazz capris or jazz pants. The most common brand of cheerleader shorts is Soffe, and they are a good choice because they are short with out being too short. They are made for cheerleaders so they will be less likely to rip when put through all the torture of Irish Dance! Please do not come in shorts that are long or baggy - they restrict movement. Please wear fitted T-shirts or baseball shirts. Loose or baggy shirts make it difficult to detect posture problems.
Long hair must be neatly pulled back out of face. If your hair is too short to secure with an elastic band, but long enough to get in your face, please wear a head band or clips!
Dancers must wear socks with their dance shoes. For girls, Irish Dance poodle socks are acceptable but not required. All dancer's socks should be fitted. Socks that are too big can cause serious blisters. Running socks are often very comfortable for dancing, since they are made for intense foot usage, and don't have the bulk of standard athletic socks. SOCKS MUST BE CLEAN! If this were not a rule, with all the shoe changing we do, the room would really stink!
Ladies
Please wear comfortable shorts, jazz capris, jazz pants, or a short skirt for Step Dance Class. In the Sean Nos classes, jeans are also acceptable, but you are asked to be comfortable and able to move if this is your choice. Please wear fitted T-shirts or baseball shirts. Loose or baggy shirts make it difficult to detect posture problems.
Long hair must be neatly pulled back out of face. If your hair is too short to secure with an elastic band, but long enough to get in your face, please wear a head band or clips!
Dancers must wear socks with their dance shoes. For Ladies, Irish Dance poodle socks are acceptable but not required. All dancer's socks should be fitted. Socks that are too big can cause serious blisters. Running socks are often very comfortable for dancing, since they are made for intense foot usage, and don't have the bulk of standard athletic socks. SOCKS MUST BE CLEAN! If this were not a rule, with all the shoe changing we do, the room would really stink!
Gents and Boys
Boys need to arrive in shorts. They should be cotton and MUST be above the knee. There is a male version of the girl’s cheerleader shorts that are longer with out being too long (or too short), but they are much more difficult to find. Just make sure that they are not restricting and are above the knee. Basketball shorts that end above the knee are an acceptable alternative. Cargo shorts are not. Gents may wear T-shirts, but like the girls, they need to fit. Baggy or loose clothes make it difficult to detect posture problems. Gents may also wear tank tops, but they also need to fit (not falling off and again, fitted in the armpits).
Dancers must wear socks with their dance shoes. For Gents, dress socks or snug runner's socks are strongly suggested. All dancer's socks should be fitted. Socks that are too big can cause serious blisters. Running socks are often very comfortable for dancing, since they are made for intense foot usage, and don't have the bulk of standard athletic socks. SOCKS MUST BE CLEAN! If this were not a rule, with all the shoe changing we do, the room would really stink!
All Dancers
During the winter, Parents and Dancers are asked to use common sense and make sure that everyone is safely bundled up for the trip to and especially for the sweaty trip home from class. Dancers may change either in the studio spare room or in the restrooms.
Shoes
The Sean Nos Dancer has many options available. A smooth leather soled shoe such as the Dance Now Women's 2" character shoe, #DN306L, or the Capezio Women's Lilina Character Shoe, #455 (item codes are for Discount Dance), standard lace up taps shoes, or a pair of men's dress oxford shoes are acceptable.
An Irish Step Dancer's shoes are his or her most important piece of equipment. While a certain pair of shoes will not make the student a better dancer without practice, the wrong shoes, whether too tight, too loose, or just plain uncomfortable, can make a dancer miserable!
There are two types of shoes used in Irish dance. The first type is the soft (or light) "reel" shoe. For ladies girls, these shoes are called ghillies. They are black leather ballet-type slippers that are laced up the front and tied around the ankle and foot. For a new beginner, an inexpensive alternative would be beginner ballet shoes.
For boys and gents, the soft shoes are similar to traditional leather jazz shoes. However, the shoes have a hard heel added to them so that the boys can create sound with the shoes in the course of their dancing. Below is an illustration of a pair of boy’s soft shoes. Remember, however, as a beginner, the full soled jazz shoes are perfectly acceptable.
The second type of shoe is the hard (or heavy) "jig" shoe. Both boys and girls wear the same style of hard shoe. These shoes are leather oxford style shoes that create a distinctive sound with thick tips and heels. The tips and heels of today’s hard shoes are typically made of fiberglass or other types of composite materials that create a loud sound. An illustration of a pair of hard shoes is below. Please note that tap shoes of any kind are never acceptable alternatives. Please also note that the "spats" (white/black) hard shoes are expressly forbidden at our school.
Shoes are a major investment for all dancers. A pair of new soft shoes will typically run from $40 to $90, depending on brand and style. Hard shoes are even more expensive, and will generally cost around $100 for beginner style hard shoes to $140 to $200 for championship level shoes, again depending on brand.
Before you panic over the cost, however, be aware that there are other options for the budget conscious parent or student. You will often find parents and students who are selling used pairs of shoes (especially ones that have been grown out of) at a reduced price. Also, the school will soon have a small stock of shoes to loan to dancers who need them. These shoes are usually in the smaller sizes, and may be "well loved", having gone through several dancers before being placed in the box. Also, you can often find used shoes on the internet, through Ebay or the Irish section of the website dance.net. For boys, the standard full soled jazz shoe is absolutely acceptable.