Tap vs. Ballroom...Shoes...

   I was a dance instructor.  Because I was a dance instructor I have horrible feet.  The kind of feet you don't want to show to the pedicurist, much less the general public.  I know all dancers have foot problems, our feet where just not made to take that kind of continuous punishment.  But women dancers have it worse than men.  Think about it.  A woman does everything a man does only she does it in heals or toe shoes.  Most of the time backwards.  Just watch Dancing with the Stars.
   I have had tap shoes, ballet slippers, Jazz shoes and lots of ballroom dance shoes.  They are all look different and are made for that dance discipline.  By the way who designed these things... the Marquis De Sade.
   Who was it that decided what type of shoe you would wear for each different discipline of dance.  Believe they didn't think this through thoroughly.

   For example this is the type of shoe you wear for tap dancing....

   Notice the closed toe sturdy heal and taps.  These are made for a dance that you dance by yourself or next to your partner with your feet mostly in contact with the floor.

Image via Wikipedia

                                               I did say mostly.


 

   And this is a ballroom dance shoe...

   This shoe is made for a dance where you face your partner... with your bodies are touching ... while you do lifts, drops and leaps across the slippery wooden floor.  Oh and the bottom of the shoe is suede so you can glide easier.

Image via Wikipedia

                    Am I the only one to see the problem here.


   I can't tell you how many times I have had to limp off the floor after my student forgot which foot he was on.  Ah ... that would be mine. 
   What no really I'm fine ... could someone get me some ice.  Oh and a towel to wipe the blood off the floor.

   I think I'll go back to teaching country and western in steel toed boots.