Flamenco Shoes

Why is it that as a dancer when I get new dancing shoes, my heart flutters? Even with the mild uncomfortable feeling that the stiff shoes give my feet I still can't help enjoying every minute of breaking in a new pair of dance shoes. I come home from the store, so excited to put them on again, eager to dance. What I find odd is that when it comes to other shoes, I hate the aches, the occasional blisters. I would take a nice comfortable pair of Teva flip-flops over heels any day. But there's something more to dancing shoes. There's something about dancing shoes that makes the blisters worth it.

Yesterday I bought my flamenco shoes for my flamenco class here in Granada. With a quick glance they look like any pair of plain black heels, but with a closer look, they are more than that. They are a bit heavier, and have more support than a regular pair of heels. The heels and toes have numerous little discs of metal glued upon them to make the sound more prominent when dancing. The best part? They're made in Spain. As I write this I'm wearing the new shoes, giving them time to become acquainted with my feet. They should loosen a little as I wear them, form to my foot a bit.

Buying these shoes makes me miss dance so much. If it weren't for this flamenco class I'm not sure what I would do with myself. Since I was 5 and my mom first signed me up for dance classes, I haven't gone longer than the 3 months of summer without dance. I am finding that dance is something you can continue throughout your life. You can let your dancing adapt to your life as time goes on. In grade school I was at a studio taking every type of dance I could. In high school I expanded this to include teaching as well as being the student. Now that I'm in college I don't have as much time to dedicate to dance, but I find friendships and community in the tap club where we meet twice a week to create rhythms and enjoy eachother's company. Social dancing too can be a way of letting dance adapt to your life. Thanks to my dad my eyes have been open to the community of contradancing, and though I have participated only a few times its something I respect and would love to experience more of. On the other end, one can enjoy the benefits of dancing by dancing alone in their room to Backstreet Boys and Shakira, using it to lift their spirits after a bad day. I've discovered that dancing is an activity in which to participate you don't need skill, or money, you only need passion.