Basic Wear to Practice

I bought 2 standard skirts from Dance America, quite nice design and good quality, size seem to run big, I'm 5'7", usually between a size S and xs in US size, and I need to order xs for Dance America practice skirt, I bought them last year, so I'm not sure if they could make any change to the sizing.

Also their skirts are heavier than Chrisanne skirts, maybe because of the elaborate design (extra ruffles+fabrics), so when travel, I still prefer to carry my Chrisanne panel skirt which is much more light in weight:)
 
I love Dance America - I have their orchid skirt in the long and the short version, a couple tops, and I just got their new toga dress in tangerine. It came yesterday, and it looks AMAZING!

I throw everything in the washer on cold with Woolite black and hang it dry and it holds up incredibly well - never any problems. I do agree that their sizes run a little big; I have been changing shape so I actually have clothes from them in L, M, and S, and the stretch is good. They are all still wearable, although I ordered the most recent dress in a S - I wear a size 6 but I have some serious hips and booty - and that was exactly right. Normally I am a M in dancewear because it's so tiny.

Love love love Dance America!

(Although I will say this: I have a Latin skirt from Chrisanne that I bought in 2002 and it looks just as good and fits just as well today as the day I bought it, despite being hauled around the world and washed and flung into suitcases and god knows what. So there's that.)
 
I'm trying to only wear clothes that show leg lines... leggings, short capri pants etc, to practice. I've also noticed wearing practice skirts are helpful to get a feel for how much movement I'm generating.
 
agree about this...invariably, when I wear pants for latin it is always a frustration because something can't be seen...I rarely do wear them for latin...and it is always a mistake
 
I was thinking about how 'serious' are perceived to be at lessons/practices. My teacher mentioned dressing in shirt and tie for standard private lessons, especially at the higher levels - which I quite like. It's more akin to what you'd wear on the comp floor. Similarly wearing latin trousers for practice makes the motion just feel better, but I rarely see people dress for the occasion.
Admittedly I nearly always go with some variation of tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt, just for easy of movement. The people who do it in jeans...no idea how they can. Even if they're a bit stretchy, they still feel horrible!
 
I bought a lot of 'official practice wear', but I still tend to wear workout type clothes at lessons/practice.
 
Janson said:
The people who do it in jeans...no idea how they can. Even if they're a bit stretchy, they still feel horrible!
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I'm with you there. I've been learning for just under a year, in which time I've tried just about every kind of trousers for practice, and jeans are horrible. I've come round now to wearing some fairly well-fitted tracksuit bottoms every time, because they're so easy to move in. It's unfortunate that they're several inches too long for my short legs, so I have to tuck them into my shoes, but hey. I know I'm a sexy beast.
 
there is no way that i can move in any pair of slacks that are of a material that doesn't either have alot of stretch or which is exceedingly loose fitting...and as exceedingly loose fitting leaves questions as to how straight my legs are in latin, a skort made of stretch material and a workout tank and shrugs (numerous, as I take several lessons back to back) are the usually for latin unless it is very very cold out, in which case a wraparound dress and leggings are my choice...then, for standard and smooth, it is almost always black yoga pants and same shirt options as latin (though occasionally thin Ts or thin cardigans replace the shrugs, and on rare occasion I might wear a long skirt and leggings)
 
Janson said:
I was thinking about how 'serious' are perceived to be at lessons/practices. My teacher mentioned dressing in shirt and tie for standard private lessons, especially at the higher levels - which I quite like. It's more akin to what you'd wear on the comp floor. Similarly wearing latin trousers for practice makes the motion just feel better, but I rarely see people dress for the occasion.
Admittedly I nearly always go with some variation of tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt, just for easy of movement. The people who do it in jeans...no idea how they can. Even if they're a bit stretchy, they still feel horrible!
Click to expand...
My coach once commented that if you dress seriously for dance, you'd dance better! And ever since then it has always been shirt and trousers for me, with no tie.
My own coaches, the lady is almost always in proper practice wear, and the man in a shirt and jumper/vest. Though admittedly, this is in london.
 
thing is, practice wear is expensive, and I need clothing that has some give...but I am not about to pay those prices, only because I spend a fortune on lessons, gas, and hotel weekly, and that doesn't even count comps and gowns...so having the quality of what I wear on a lesson negatively impact my dancing is a chance I am willing to take :)...but every circumstance is different and I respect that
 
I have been told that, although athletic wear (track pants and the like) are fine practice wear, when taking a private lesson from a coach, especially one to whom a considerable quantity of currency is being forked over, it makes a good impression to dress up a little (for guys, slacks or practice pants with a buttonup shirt and tie for smooth or standard, a plain fitted shirt for rhythm or latin; skirt of appropriate length for the style and a nice top for ladies). This, in theory, results in the coach taking you and your dancing more seriously, and if they judge you in competition, them remembering you and perhaps seeing you in a more favorable light. Bear in mind that this is from the perspective of an amateur who is clueless about pro-am, so YMMV.
 
Leon Theou said:
I have been told that, although athletic wear (track pants and the like) are fine practice wear, when taking a private lesson from a coach, especially one to whom a considerable quantity of currency is being forked over, it makes a good impression to dress up a little.
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I've typically followed this rule as well. Although I have to say that hasn't meant I've spent a lot on practice wear. I have a black pair of dress pants that has stretch to them, and a variety of black sweaters and other semi-nice shirts/blouses...typical stretch knits and mostly from TJMaxx, etc. :)
 
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