Skimpy is never appropriate for a lesson. Danceing is intimate and skimpy should be saved for the bedroom. The instructor needs to see body movement, but not bare skin.

I agree with Owen. One should wear what they are comfortable with regardless of who is teaching. I have had coaching sessions with some of the top professionals in our field, and trust me, I dress to dance, I dress to work. No shirt and tie here. Sweats, running pants, t-shirts, the same goes with my partner. And we dance Standard, not Latin. But if the individual is inguiring about group lessons or even private lessons in a studio enviroment where there are other students and staff members present, then I can agree with Anonymous, a business casual look is fine.

Usually girls wear dress pants (no jeans) or a nice skirt and a nice blouse.

Kelly. If you are well into dancing at a high competition level. One coach I know off would want the lady for Latin to wear tights. A wrapp around scarf if the tights bother you. A solid colour, for instance all black. And no leg or ankle warmers. The reasons. He wanted to see what the thighs knees and feet was doing. Wearing one colour was to produce a silhouette. This was the man also. I suppose if the lesson was booked one year ahead and the cost was the top of the range it would be worth going to that much trouble.

Hmm, so if you plan to really dance at a competition, you'd wear sweats to that as well?

Dressing appropriately for a premium lesson is about respect for the coach and the traditions of the activity. If you can survive a competition in a jacket or vest, surely you can survive a lesson in just your shirtsleeves.

Don't forget the ballroom dances were designed around formal dress - it is by no means impractical for them.

I agree that it shows respect to dress nicely for a "premium lesson." (I like that term!) I put on a skirt, a little bit of makeup, put in my contacts, and do my hair decently.

For my regular coach, and for practice, I just wear a pair of trousers and a simple top. I can sweat in a fitted V-necked t-shirt and a pair of tailored cotton/rayon/lycra pants just as well as I can in sweats and a basic tee, but I think it looks a little more refined. And everything is 100% machine washable, so it's all good. I don't usually bother with makeup though, and just pull my hair back into a ponytail.

Laura, please. Ladies don't sweat! they perspire.

Dance shoes!

OB

Don't forget a lot of business/business casual skirts and dresses can limit your range of motion. I would try some lunges before leaving the house to be sure :)

Kelly. Never dance in a different costume unless it has been practised in at home. That goes also for new shoes.I've still got this one on tape from one of our major championships a few years ago. The young lady was dancing in the Rumba, and in one part of her routine she leans back, like a back lunge. She moved and her costume did'n't. Everything went back into place as she stood up. She had obviously not practised in this garment.