When to ditch the warm up gear

Ok, your dance uniform may not be the most exciting thing to wear, plain leotard and tights, or black jazz pants. Warm up gear provides some more stylish and fun options, but dance teachers are not always one hundred percent behind warm up gear and inevitably they tell you to take it off long before the warm up is over. What’s the deal? When should it really come off and what kind of gear will teachers accept?

1)   If you are really using the warm up to it’s fullest potential (wink, wink) you should be almost sweating by the end of your plies! I know it sounds like you would have to do killer plies but it’s true. During a plie exercise practically every muscle in your body has to work, so if you put energy and focus into your plies it will warm up your muscles fast and furiously and then warm up gear can come off!

2)   That being said… sometimes our dance studios get cold, especially if you are the first class of the day, so it’s best to choose some warm up gear that teachers will accept. The main question to ask is "Does it allow the teacher to clearly see what’s going on?" The scary thing is, if a teacher cannot see what your muscles are doing, you might be doing something that can cause serious harm to your body. So, choose gear that emulates your dance uniform only in heavier or knitted materials. Some classic options are wrap sweaters, leg warmers or long sleeved fitted t-shirts. Remember most of your teachers will prefer a colour that matches your uniform!