"Dresscode" for lessons

[Moon]

Just curious, do you have a certain "dresscode" for your bellydance lessons (so, not performances)?

My teacher just advices everyone to wear something comfortable so you have no trouble moving, and she likes us to have a hipscarf, but it's not obliged. One student danced in jeans for months, and another one never wears a hip scarf. The teacher doesn't say "no, you should wear...", or something like that.
In my class we all dance on bare feet, but I've seen advanced students wearing (flat) shoes (one even wore sneakers, that looked so horrible with her costume )

I was wondering if you are also free to wear (almost) everything you like, or does your teacher expect specific clothes?

 

[Safran]

Hi Moon!

Free dress code for us as well - whatever makes you feel comfortable. Haven't seen that much jeans or sneakers around though... We usually wear scarves and most people wear dance slippers.

I have heard of teachers who ban coin scarves because of the noise they make or wide pants, as they hide the movement and give the possibility of learning wrong. Have never ever met any though

 

[Moon]

I have heard of teachers who ban coin scarves because of the noise they make or wide pants, as they hide the movement and give the possibility of learning wrong.

On my first lesson, there was a girl wearing a very long, black skirt. On a certain moment the teacher said to her "Don't forget to bend your knees a little" and I was like how could she se she was not bending her knees???

 

[Shanazel]

I ask my students to not wear jeans and/or sweatshirts- from now on, that will be stated in the class description so there are no surprises for anyone. I get a lot of students who have no dance background what so ever, and the first few sessions, many of these students have enough trouble looking at themselves in the mirror at all, much less while dressed in something fitted enough for dance. I cut them some slack at first, then start gently encouraging them to tie the baggy tee shirt up out of the way and to tie hip scarves down where they belong instead of somewhere up by the waist. So much of my job, especially with beginners, is to convince each student she is beautiful and needn't keep hiding behind over-sized Denver Broncos jerseys and baggy jeans. It is hard to learn to belly dance if you can't see what your body is doing! It is even harder to teach if your students are shrouded from head to foot in protective clothing.

 

[Marisha25]

Hi Moon,
In the studio where I'm studying right now we are also free to wear whatever pretty much we like, although there are guidelines on the web site. The only thing that we cannot wear is sneakers or street shoes. I see people dance barefoot but I prefer to wear Grecian sandals. Most people have hip scarves. I saw some girls in jeans but I don’t understand how they can dance in them since jeans can be pretty uncomfortable. I took classes at a different place before and there you were somewhat pressured to buy costumes from the teacher, especially if you wanted to be in the advanced class.
Best love,
Marisha

 

[Yasmine Bint Al Nubia]

Hi Everyone, I agree with Shanazel regarding class wear. In the beginning most people show up in clothes that are comfortable to wear, but I usually discorage jeans, because most women wear them so tight, their ROM(range of motion) is limited. I aslo ask the students to wear something on their feet to prevent cuts from beads/coins from the previous class. Tennis shoes have a rubber sole so it makes it difficult to pivot, turn and spin. I don't care if they wear jingly coin scarves, because I can tell without looking at them if their hips are moving in time with the rhythm.
As a Teacher I wear form fitting workout gear and sport tops to allow the students to see my bodyline. also, I sweat, so these clothes soak up the moisture and keep me cool.Finally, I wear one of the many hip scarves I own just to make me feel pretty, but it's not required of the students.
Yasmine

 

[Zurah]

No special dress code in my class, either, just comfortable garments. Part of the fun in my class (in every class, I think) is that everyone likes to bring sometimes the nice items they've bought in trips, like flowy skirts or a specially nice hipscarf - we love to show off our shiny, jangly things, and it never goes unnoticed Also it's always a good conversation starter at workshops, when usually there are students from different classes and we don't know each other well yet.

 

[Salome]

I ask my students to come barefoot (no socks). But if a student prefers footwear a jazz, ballet or lyrical shoe is acceptable. I ask them to wear tights, jazz pants or leggings. No jeans, slacks, skirts or blousy pants. Hip scarf optional. And a sports bra, leotard or exercise shirt for the upper torso.

 

[Norma]

My teacher doesn't care what we wear, but we do have to be barefoot. Some people do come to class in long skirts or wide pants, but my teacher can always tell if legs aren't bent. (I guess that's why she's the expert. ha ha)

 

[Shanazel]

I encourage bare feet unless a student has some kind of foot impairment that requires shoes. Most of my students took to wearing some form of dance paws or foot undies after they saw mine (a semi-footlet that fits only over the ball of the foot). The class ahead of mine is an adult ballet class, but there is no resin box available to them so we don't have to worry about sticking to the floor unless the janitor failed to clean up after the summer camp kids who occupy the place during the day.

 

[Viv]

Since I teach for Parks and Rec I can't really set a "dress code" for classes because "We can't have any guidelines that might be percieved as discrimitory".
What I tell people who ask is to wear something comfortable to move in, shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, exersize gear, leotard and tights, whatever makes them comfortable. I do tell them I highly recomend they don't wear jeans as they can and will interfere with their ablity to move at times. For shoes, barefoot, socks, jazz shoes, lyircal sandles, again whatever is comfortable, but try to avoid sneakers unless there is a medical reason. I do have gals who need the support/stability of sneakers, but they don't allow for much flex of the foot.
Hipscarves and the like are more than welcome but not required.
What I wear is a Sugarpetals unitard occasionally with jazz pants over it so they can see what's moving where and when, half sole sandels, and a hipscarf, beaded belt, coin or chainmail belt, one of the belts hubby has made from taking apart and putting together old fashion belts he finds at thrift and discount stores, or even at times just a silk veil tied around my hips. Anything to give my students ideas of how to make their own belts.

 

[Moon]

wow, thanks for all these replies

My teacher always wears a skirt. When she wants to show us what her legs are doing, she just lifts the skirt

 

[Yshka]

Originally posted by Zurah:
No special dress code in my class, either, just comfortable garments. Part of the fun in my class (in every class, I think) is that everyone likes to bring sometimes the nice items they've bought in trips, like flowy skirts or a specially nice hipscarf - we love to show off our shiny, jangly things, and it never goes unnoticed Also it's always a good conversation starter at workshops, when usually there are students from different classes and we don't know each other well yet.

This is also the case in my class, and I like it very much. It's just such a nice atmosphere when everybody looks beautiful and loves it lol:
"whatever is comfortable" is the general rule (no jeans, outside shoes or the like), but people in my class also seem to like dressing bellydance'ish and showing all pretty stuff like nice dance clothes and pretty hipscarves. It's cool and indeed good conversation. For footwear most gals just wear ballet slippers and the like, or go barefoot.

 

[gwinity]

We don't have an official dress-code, either; we were just advised to wear comfortable clothing (no jeans), bare feet and a hip scarf. (The teacher lends them out to people who don't have one). The "unofficial" uniform that most people tend to wear regardless of shape and size is yoga or track pants, with a tanktop and coin hip scarf.

 

[Mouse]

"something comfortable that you can move in" is the requested dress for our classes. I find that people tend to wear yoga, track or exercise pants, a t-shirt and quite often socks in their early classes. The people that have been dancing for a while will wear anything from skirts/harem pants/dance pants and tops to full outfits and either bare feet or jazz shoes & always a hipscarf. Our teacher always wears dance pants so we can see what her legs are doing.

 

[Aaeesha]

I tell my students to wear form fitting clothing and no big skirts (so I can see their legs). I don't allow street clothing like denim at all. I also ask them to be barefoot, but I have had students wear jazz shoes and that was ok.

 

[samsied]

Not a teacher--but my two cents. I have found that I get better instruction if I wear leggings/shorts/jazz pants, hair up, hip scarf and close fitting top. The teacher can see my body line better and even in a large workshop I often get either correction or positive reinforcement. So that is what I would suggest if you want to get the most out of your dance class whether or not there is a dress code.

Sometimes I like to wear a comfortable flowing skirt, pretty hiscarf and close fitting top. When I do this I feel like I am really dancing and usually get more positive reinforcement or compliments. This can be good if I just need to have fun (after a stressful day) or need the graceful feeling to motivate me. I would only suggest this as an ocasional treat since your technique will probably improve most if your bodyline is visable.

 

[Zumarrad]

"SOmething comfortable that you can move in", again. No street shoes. By level 3 we expect them to have ballet slippers for class wear. No jeans.

I prefer it enormously if they wear leggings or track pants, so I can see their legs, and I really don't like people wearing skirts to class, but accept that some people are skirt-crazy and feel more comfortable in them. However, I will make them lift the skirt if necessary.

 

[Moon]

However, I will make them lift the skirt if necessary.

hahah LOL!

 

[Babylonia]

Sometimes I'll wear workout clothes and my dance sandals but sometimes I'll go all out: sugar petals unitard, hip scarf,skirt, wrap top, earrings and a little makeup. If I don't wear my nice stuff to class I feel it's just going to waste sitting in my closet or dance bag. I'm a SAHM so I dress pretty casualy most of the time so this is a chance to let my inner belly dancer shine.