Featuring Dylan Sapanza l Millennium Dance OC Instructor, Vixens & The A1 Collective Dancer, Team Millennia Alumni
We asked heels instructor, Dylan Sapanza, what her tried & true must-haves are for a successful heels class. Let's check 'em out!
1. A Water Bottle
Keep yourself hydrated with a water bottle! You'll definitely break a sweat with all the moves that instructors like Dylan will throw at you during class.
2. Your Wallet
Let's be honest, we all throw our cards and cash in our bags from time to time when we're in a rush. But let's make sure that we have our wallet organized and ready for when we take class. Be sure you have your membership cards and USB's ready for class footage and potentially an extra water! 💦
3. Heels, Heels, Heels!
Each teacher might require a different type of heel. But for starters, never wear a wedge to a heels class, unless you're told to specifically do so. When picking your heels, try them on in the store! Walk around, get a lil "skee-geet" with it! Dylan's choices of shoes are usually, the Steve Madden stilettos with the elastic sock material; it provides some much needed ankle support.
"There's three things I look for when choosing stilettos, and one is that they are either tie-up or strappy! Two, height. That's it, that's the key. Just kidding, but to be honest, you don't have to have 6 inch heels but if you can, werk. Some of the best heels I've had have been 3 inches. Three, a sock heel that have enough of a boot, but you can still move around in it. Usually there's a trial and error process to finding your perfect heel, which is perfectly fine! But always remember, you get the quality that you pay for, and that dancing in heels definitely tears up the shoes a bit more than your usual sneaker."
4. KNEE PADS!!!!
ALWAYS - have knee pads. Depending on what your comfort level is for class, knee pads will definitely be needed sometime during your heels journey. Dylan mentions that she uses her knee pads when she's wearing shorts or pants that aren't thick enough for her comfort level.
When purchasing knee pads make sure they are Ayce-type knee pads, no strucutral padding and are usually more like knee braces. She suggests finding them at places like Daiso or any discount dance store. "You don't want to go to a sporting store and get volley ball knee pads because they're thick and round. Look for a knee pad that isn't too bulky. Basically a sleeve with a little padding around the knee!"
5. A Towel
If you can't tell, heels takes werk! And that's great! Keep yourself fresh and focused with a towel. This doesn't have to be a huge one, but just a small sports towel to keep in your bag for those day that you put in heavy work!
6. Class Attire
Wear clothes that you'll be comfortable in! When in class you want to be comfortable and ready to learn. Whether it's sweats, shorts, tanks, or tees, wearing apparel that brings you confidence to tackle the choreo is key.
7. Post-Class Attire
You will always want to have sweats or something to wear to keep your body warm as you cool down from a class. "You have the potential of shocking your muscles and that's dangerous," Dylan notes.
Added Notes:
*All images & videos approved by Dylan; NEU.WAV does not own any rights to any music, video, or photos used in this article*
Instagram: Deesap & Vixens.Dance
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