Close your eyes and imagine you are on the dance floor. You smile because you are confident in your abilities as a Round Dancer. The music starts and you begin to glide, twirl, and move to the music. Your smile gets bigger because no one can dance like you at this moment. Preparing for the big finish, you nod to a fellow dancer on the floor with a knowing grin and then UGH!, you trip on your tennis shoes and you fumble to stay upright. Your big finish is over and you are just happy you didn’t land on your . . .

This month I want to point out the importance of having the proper dance shoes. While it is acceptable and many are comfortable dancing in street shoes, I want to explain why I think it is important to have a good pair of dancing shoes in your closet. First, as you all know, street shoes pick up a lot of gunk on the bottom. When sliding your feet while dancing, this can transfer all that icky stuff onto the dance floor. While we don’t eat off the floors, it is important to maintain a clean and smooth surface upon which to dance. Second, shoes that are made for street wear are often non-skid, definitely a disadvantage when trying to glide effortlessly. I have danced in tennis shoes only a couple of times out of necessity and found it to be extremely difficult. When you are used to sliding your feet across the floor and all of a sudden you cannot because of your shoes, you can falter- or worse, twist an ankle. Some students have told me that they do not have to worry about that because they learned to dance in street shoes. For those of you comfortable dancing in street shoes, please continue. However, consider trying out a pair of dance shoes, because you will be amazed at the difference in how much easier it is to skim across the floor. Finally, a good pair of dance shoes can often be more comfortable and more supportive than a pair of street shoes. Dance shoes are designed to support your instep and alleviate pressure. While a pair of Air Jordans ® might be more your style, dance shoes are designed to keep your feet happy while you are strutting your stuff on the dance floor.

There are many different styles, brands, and price ranges for men and women both. Heeled, flats, tennis shoes, or dress; dance shoes come in as many varieties as dancers. Setting aside a good, comfortable pair of dance shoes will not only help to keep the floors cleaner, but will allow you to dance the night away in comfort, style, and suave confidence. So, please consider finding a pair of new dance shoes to break in while we are still breaking in the New Year! Until next month . . . Keep Dancing.

The Round of the month for Feb. 2012 is: “I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER II” Artist is Shelby Flint Waltz Phase II +2 (Hover & Chasse)