The Simple Joy of Wearing the Right Outfit to Dance Class - Blog 19

 Have you observed that you feel yourself more and feel confident in a dance class when you wear the right outfit to your class? The joy wearing the most oversized pair of sweatpants and a crop top, tying a black bandana at your waist and changing the aesthetic by wearing a flowy white palazzo pant and a loose white shirt in a contemporary class, remains unmatched. 

Any class you go to, every choreographer will be heard saying "unless you feel the song, you would not be able to pour your heart completely in the routine" and I love how they are right. Feeling a song you want to dance on, comes from feeling confident on your own self and feeling like you own the space you are going to dance on. 

Outfits will do more than just looking good. They become tools. A fitted crop top and high-waisted leggings show you the line of your hips and ribs, so you can correct posture mid-practice. Loose palazzos make your turns look more dramatic and teach you how to control momentum. Sneakers with a slightly elevated sole change how you land. Bare feet teach you balance and foot articulation. Each choice teaches you something about the way your body works with the music.

There is also this emotional layer. Clothes carry memory. That pair of black joggers that have seen every audition feels like armour, like a tiny ritual that tells your brain this is practice time. Wearing something new can do the opposite in the best way possible. It surprises you into a fresh energy and suddenly the routine that was feeling stale gets a new flavour. I love how a colour can lift the mood too. Bright orange or mustard on a gloomy day makes you exaggerate your gestures. A monochrome look pulls everything together and helps you focus on nuance.

Then there is respect for the class and the space. Dressing in a way that suits the style shows your teachers you have listened. If you are in a classical class, neat, minimal clothing that allows clear lines matters. In a hip hop session, comfort and attitude matter more. It is not about a costume or being judged. It is about aligning with the vibe so you can fully absorb the choreography and not be distracted trying to fit into the wrong style.

Finally, one should remember the little rituals. I have a song I listen to as I change into my dance clothes, a tiny commitment to myself that I will be fully present for the next hour, in the class. Whether it is oversized sweatpants or a white palazzo, the right outfit is the beginning of that commitment. 

So next time you attend a workshop, give ample thought while selecting your outfit. Try something that asks a little of your body and gives you confidence. Notice how the room feels different when you own your look. The dance will automatically follow.

Shreya Roy Choudhury

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Declining performance without guilt: An artist's perspective

  Imagine this, a Sunday afternoon, your relatives have come to your house for lunch, followed by a family gathering where the youngest ones of the families are expected to be their free entertainers. Relatable much? As an artist, it is always a pleasure to be on stage, with all the limelight, performing. With every performance, the confidence the stage provides, makes an artist more grateful to the skill they have. But, the feeling isn’t the same always. “Beta, show us something na, or you feel shy to dance infront of us but not infront of the camera?” coming constantly from relatives feels like a taunt more than a eager urge to see our performance. What many people don’t realize is that performing is an emotional exchange, not a switch we can flick on and off whenever someone feels like being entertained. In my opinion, art demands energy, intention and a certain state of mind. When I am on stage, I am mentally prepared and aligned to my craft. But when someone out of nowhere as...
Read more

Why Dancers Are Terrified of Freestyle Even if They’re Good at Choreography - Blog 21

  Every workshop I go to, I observe a pattern.  It’s funny how dancers who can absolutely kill a choreography suddenly freeze the moment someone says, “Okay, now freestyle.” You can see their bodies tense up, their minds go blank, and all that confidence they had while hitting the eight counts suddenly disappears. And honestly, it makes sense. Choreography comes with a structure ; a safety net. Someone tells you what to do, where to go, how to move, what to hold, what to hit. There’s a comfort in knowing what comes next. You’re following a map that has already been drawn out for you. But freestyle is the exact opposite. It’s just you and the music in a space where everything is possible. And somehow, that freedom feels scarier than any complex routine. Some dancers get terrified because when the structure goes away, so does the sense of control. They’re suddenly aware of every inch of their body, thinking, “What if my arm does something weird? What if I miss the beat? What i...
Read more

Is Calling Dance 'Mujra' Offensive? - Blog 17

Opening your instagram, seeing a woman happily dance to a song, the next moment you open the comments and see men calling her names and saying "ye online aake mujra karna bandh karo" (stop doing this Mujra online). This is common right?  Whenever I see comments like thesee on videos of fellow dancers, being a dancer myself I cannot help but pause. Because the word "Mujra" carries weight. It carries misunderstanding. Using it as an insult to describe someone dancing freely is not just lazy, it shows how much the society still misunderstands dance and still fail to respect the art form.  Mujra has a long and complex history, a homework which most people do not do, before commenting hatred on the content of dancers online. Originally, the word Mujra, was never a bad one. It was a respected art form. Back during the Mughal times, dancers, often courtesans called them Tawaif  performed Mujra as a blend of classical dance, predominantly Kathak on ghazals, thumris and poet...
Read more