Why are dance uniforms so important and what are the positive impacts of wearing a uniform?
Kids miraculously transform wearing their dance uniform:
Wearing a dance uniform can bind a group together and help kids feel part of something bigger than themselves. It can provide visual cohesiveness, as well as ensuring dance technique is spot on and most importantly decrease the risk of injury in the classroom.
There are many reasons why all students are required to wear their Dancing with Maree uniform to dance class each week. Read on and we’ll explain why the correct uniform will assist your dancer to achieve the best results.
Part of a Team – We want every dancer to feel part of a team, part of our Dancing with Maree family. Owner and dance teacher Maree explains – “When you go to play basketball with your team, everyone wears the same jersey because you are proud to be a part of that team. The same applies with dancing, when you come wearing your uniform, it encourages team spirit, everyone looks like everyone else, providing a sense of identity and belonging.”
Improve Technique – We encourage our dancers who are coming across from OOSH wearing their sports or school uniform, to quickly pop on their DWM uniform. If they stay in their baggy school clothes, it inhibits their ability to properly participate in class. Also, it’s difficult for teachers to work on technique; for example, if a student is learning ballet, we are unable to see their posture or if their knees are placed in the correct position for a Plié. Teachers can’t check if hip rotation is correct, or shoulders are pressed down during dancing. When teachers are unable to see if the student is performing a Plié or a Grand Jété correctly, your dancers’ skills can’t be enhanced or corrected and may risk an injury.
Safety risk – Following on from above, wearing a school uniform or other casual clothes causes unnecessary risk. It’s easy to slip in school stockings, or trip over long track pants; once the shoes come off, the tracksuit pants often become too long and baggy. Because let’s face it, we all buy school uniforms one size too big, so they last!
Modesty – For acro specifically, there’s a lot of upside-down work, like cartwheels. Teachers spot their students; they place their hands on their legs and arms. A leotard worn on its own may cause unnecessary embarrassment for your child. Therefore, an acro dancers uniform includes form-fitting dancewear. They can choose between DWM crop top or DWM leotard with either DWM shorts or tights over the top. Your dancer will feel more secure and confident and stay appropriately covered, no matter what.
Footwear – We all know you can’t go ice-skating without skates, similarly, you can’t go dancing without the appropriate footwear for your dance style. Why is it so important? Having jazz shoes and ballet shoes help develop correct foot technique and provide support while dancing. When our dancers wear the correct footwear, it will provide the traction and comfort needed to move around the floor, while our young dancers practice their dance skills without any rubbing or blisters. Jazz shoes and Ballet shoes also assist in correct turning technique and can be the difference between executing one pirouette, or executing a beautiful double or triple pirouette.
For our acro dancers, bare feet are the perfect option; it prevents slipping and injuries.
If we notice your child not wearing the correct footwear, a reminder card is sent home to parents. We understand how busy our parents are and we try to make getting the correct uniform as simple as possible. So if your little one needs shoes, it’s as simple as scanning the QR code on the reminder card, or pop online to https://dancingwithmaree.com.au/uniform-shop/ to order shoes. We’ll pack it and take it to class for your dancer to wear.
Dancing with Maree sell high quality, well-fitted leather Ballet and Jazz shoes sourced from the US. We know how hard it can be to find perfectly fitted dance shoes for young dancers. So, we now proudly now make these items available to be purchased by the general public as well.
Hair – Uniform doesn’t just mean the clothes you put on. For intermediate ballet and up, hair in a bun is needed. For other dance styles, your child can choose either a bun or hair pulled up in a ponytail, dependent on hair type and length. The aim is to keep your child’s hair out of their face while doing turns and leaps. If hair flicks in your dancers’ eyes, aside from that horrible stinging sensation, they can trip over and injure themselves or someone else. We love seeing our students take pride in their appearance as a dancer so that is why you will see our teachers floating around our classes with their hair pulled back nicely off their face.
Unity & Confidence – Observing dance is a visual feast. When a dancer performs (even in the studio) the audience (parents, teachers, and other dancers) are there to appreciate an aesthetically pleasing visual performance. Uniforms also help dancers visualise how they’ll look when they dance together on stage in costumes. We want everyone to feel equal and dance uniforms assist with this too. Also, confidence improves when you look the part of a dancer.
Creating a Sense of Equality – When everyone at Dancing with Maree wears the same thing, employees and students have equal resemblance. No one will stand out due to better or more expensive clothing; this increases self-confidence and unifies our group. Everyone is on the same platform regardless of economic status. Having a set uniform across the board represents the idea that all students at Dancing with Maree are equal. Ensuring that students are in the same outfit reduces the incidence of bullying about who’s wearing the coolest brand of clothes or has the best shoes.
Positive discipline and fun learning – Wearing a uniform to each dance lesson teaches positive discipline and self-respect; it is a reminder there are rules to follow in the dance class. Our students are coming along to classes with friends for enjoyment, all wearing the same thing and not having to worry about looking different; that is all part of the experience at Dancing with Maree. This creates the space for your dancer to concentrate and focus on learning, and most importantly having a bunch of fun in class.
We get it, it can be a lot to keep track of the dress codes for each of your dancer’s classes. If you’re wondering how to set up your dancer for success, it really does start with dress code. This is why we have a uniform policy on our website, breaking up each dance style with the appropriate uniform, and a simple process for purchasing, to minimise the work as much as we can for all dance parents. Maree or one of our amazing staff members are always available to answer any questions you may have.
Dancing With Maree is a Hills District dance school, with four convenient Hills locations. If you’re interested in your child joining the Dancing with Maree family, feel free to enroll for a two-week trial today.
