Achill Academy of Irish Dance


PERFORMANCE ATTIRE We have added various products here and have selected performance shirts which you can purchase here. Dance Discount's Dance Department "V" Front Jazz Pant (D5107) will complete the ensemble. Please purchase these from Discount Dance, a very reliable (and well priced vendor). Go to Discount Dance type "V front Jazz Pant". Boys may wear black dress pants. Please remember to ask Sharon if you have any questions. CLOTHING FOR CLASS GIRLS - Please arrive in cheerleader shorts, jazz capris or jazz pants. The most common brand of cheerleader shorts is Soffe, and they are a good choice because they are short with out being too short. They are made for cheerleaders so they will be less likely to rip when put through all the torture of Irish Dance! Please do not come in shorts that are long or baggy - they restrict movement. LADIES - Please wear comfortable shorts, jazz capris, jazz pants, or a short skirt for Step Dance Class. In the Sean Nós classes, jeans are also acceptable, but you are asked to be comfortable and able to move if this is your choice. Ladies and Girls are asked to wear fitted T-shirts or baseball shirts. Loose or baggy shirts make it difficult to detect posture problems. Long hair must be neatly pulled back out of face. If your hair is too short to secure with an elastic band, but long enough to get in your face, please wear a head band or clips! GENTS/BOYS - Boys need to arrive in shorts. They should be cotton and MUST be above the knee. There is a male version of the girl’s cheerleader shorts that are longer with out being too long (or too short), but they are much more difficult to find. Just make sure that they are not restricting and are above the knee. Basketball shorts that end above the knee are an acceptable alternative. Cargo shorts are not. Boys may wear T-shirts, but like the girls, they need to fit. Baggy or loose clothes make it difficult to detect posture problems. Boys may also wear tank tops, but they also need to fit (not falling off and again, fitted in the armpits). Males who have hair long enough to get in their eyes must secure it out of their face. ALL STUDENTS – Dancers must wear socks with their dance shoes. For girls, Irish Dance poodle socks are acceptable but not required. All dancer’s socks should be fitted. Socks that are too big can cause serious blisters. Running socks are often very comfortable for dancing, since they are made for intense foot usage, and don't have the bulk of standard athletic socks. SOCKS MUST BE CLEAN! If this were not a rule, with all the shoe changing we do, the room would really stink! DURING WINTER - Parents and Dancers are asked to use common sense and make sure that everyone is safely bundled up for the trip to and especially for the sweaty trip home from class. Dancers may change either in the studio office or in the restroom on the lower level. This dress code is for the good of the dancers, and helps ensure the quality of their lessons and the safety of their joints and muscles. Please adhere to it! SHOES FOR CLASS The Sean Nós Dancer has many options available. A smooth leather soled shoe such as the Dance Now Women's 2" character shoe, #DN306L, or the Capezio Women's Lilina Character Shoe, #455 (item codes are for Discount Dance) or a pair of men's dress oxford shoes are acceptable. Please do NOT wear street shoes. We don't want to damage our dance floor. An Irish Step Dancer’s shoes are his or her most important piece of equipment. While a certain pair of shoes will not make the student a better dancer without practice, the wrong shoes, whether too tight, too loose, or just plain uncomfortable, can make a dancer miserable! There are two types of shoes used in Irish dance. The first type is the soft (or light) “reel” shoe. For girls, these shoes are often called ghillies. They are black leather ballet-type slippers that are laced up the front and tied around the ankle and foot. Below is an illustration of a pair of ghillies. For Ceili class, an inexpensive alternative would be beginner ballet shoes. For boys, the soft shoes are similar to traditional leather jazz shoes. However, the shoes have a hard heel added to them so that the boys can create sound with the shoes in the course of their dancing. Below is an illustration of a pair of boy’s soft shoes. The second type of shoe is the hard (or heavy) “jig” shoe. Both boys and girls wear the same style of hard shoe. These shoes are leather oxford style shoes that create a distinctive sound with thick tips and heels. The tips and heels of today’s hard shoes are typically made of fiberglass or other types of composite materials that create a loud sound. An illustration of a pair of hard shoes is below. Shoes are a major investment for all dancers. A pair of new soft shoes will typically run from $40 to $90, depending on brand and style. Hard shoes are even more expensive, and will generally cost around $100 for beginner style hard shoes to $140 to $200 for championship level shoes, again depending on brand. Before you panic over the cost, however, be aware that there are other options for the budget conscious parent or student. You will often find parents and students who are selling used pairs of shoes (especially ones that have been grown out of) at a reduced price. Also, the school will soon have a small stock of shoes to loan to dancers who need them. These shoes are usually in the smaller sizes, and may be “well loved”, having gone through several dancers before being placed in the box. Also, you can often find used shoes on the internet, through Ebay or the Irish section of the website dance.net. On Discount Dance, there is a lovely Capezio shoe ("Irish Stepper") that is very cost effective. For boys, the standard full soled jazz shoe is absolutely acceptable.

Sharon Stidham
Achill Academy of Irish Dance
1275 Wabash Avenue
Upper North Office
Springfield IL, 62704
AchillAcademy@yahoo.com

www.achillacademy.net