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| Edited By: Riddhi Doshi |Source: |Updated: Nov 19, 2013, 11:17 PM IST
The attractive red, gold and silver dancing shoes have much more to them than just looks
Graceful dancers swinging to the beat of cha cha and salsa must have you wondering where all the grace and energy oozes from. Right from beneath, from the right foot wear. Sandip Soparrkar, dance instructor gives us the low down on the fashion aspect of dance footwear.
Generally, soft, flexible dance shoes are made of suede soles, the body of the shoe as well the heel are made of pure leather and the ankle support is longer than that of normal shoes. This helps maintain the balance between the slip and grip technique that lets the dancer move swiftly on the smooth dance floor. According to Sandip, “You can fold the dance shoe any way you want to. It takes the shape of your foot unlike normal shoes. This is the essence of dancing shoes. They are comfortable and don’t restrict the movement of your feet, whether you are on your heels or on your toes it supports you throughout - the cushioning supports the knees and the ankle avoiding injuries.”
It’s difficult to find suede-soled shoes in India. Jameel Shah in Byculla has copied the art of making typical dance shoes from abroad and sells the replicas in various colours and styles for Rs 1,500. The other option is to buy these shoes online from websites like ‘danceshoesstore.com’, ‘showtimedanceshoes.com’ and ‘danceshoesonline.com’. ‘Sole to Sole’ in Bandra makes these shoes if you specially place an order with them.
The other make-do option for dancers is to buy character-heel shoes. Elizabeth Pereira dance instructor says, “Character heeled shoes are closed from the front with straps around the ankle and an ankle rest. They have a comparatively softer base that provides a good grip. ‘Shoe Biz’ in Bandra sells these for Rs 600 to Rs 1,000. Funky Jazz shoes with leather sole and rubber heels are available at ‘Joy’ in Colaba for Rs 850.
Every dance form needs different kinds of shoes. Sandip recommends standard heel shoes - small and thin for ball room dances like the waltz, quickstep, tango, and foxtrot. The cha cha, jive, samba and salsa are best complemented with feet gear that have broader and bigger heels. “Broad, big heels enhances the cha cha and salsa dancer’s swift swirls and graceful foot work.”
Choice of colours are also an important aspect while buying dance shoes, Sandip says, “The tango is a dramatic dance form, hence the combination of black and white shoes add on to the effect. The standard black shoes for men and dainty silver, golden and brown shoes for women are the colours for Latin American dances. The right shoe and right colour takes the performance to a different level. One has to experience it to believe it,” he concludes.
