In the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing series 6 in 2008, Camilla Dallerup and partner Tom Chambers were crowned the winners, with Dallerup going on to reveal some Strictly secrets.
The shoes worn by the contestants, including those who have just begun their 2012 stint on the show have been developed over many years by top shoe manufacturers with the input of world class dancers, designed to give them support in the right places and so they can be balanced correctly. The shoes are one of the core elements of making any dance successful – a tap dance performed in pointe shoes, let alone a tutu, would not have quite the same meaning or effect! Latin dancers, as a result, wear specific shoes which enhance their movements and become an extension of their foot.
It is interesting to note that ballroom dancers wear a lower height heel than latin dancers, as latin dancers need their weight further forward onto the balls of their feet… this is just the females alone, with around 3.5 inch heels. The men’s shoes also have Cuban heels which are higher than those worn for ballroom to ensure that their weight is forward toward the front of their foot too. However, ballroom dancing does not require this due to the specific hold the dancers must maintain and the closeness with their partner, with just 2.5 inch heels.
The soles of the shoes worn are made of suede so they have long lives: dancers can also be seen brushing them with a special steel brush to make them non-slippery, or alternatively leave them to their own devices to get shiny and much more slippery. It was revealed, however, that many latin dancers also put castor oil on the soles of their shoes to achieve the ideal non-slip shoes.
The University of Surrey, renowned for its higher education dance programme, has presented its schedule of its next National Resource Centre for Dance courses for Continuing Professional Development for dance teachers, be they of the ballet shoe, tap shoe, or jazz pant discipline.