FAQ

 
What kind of shoes should I bring to class?

Always bring a clean pair of shoes — we live in New England, so you all should know better than to wear wet/muddy shoes to dance in, but many of the dance spaces we use also require you to change shoes so you don’t damage their floors.

Cleanliness aside, we recommend that you bring shoes that have a non-sticky sole. Hard-leather or sueded-leather soles are good choices, and rubber that doesn’t have much traction will do in a pinch. You want to be able to shuffle your feet on the floor and pivot without having them stick. Because, Ouch! Knees!

In Balboa, many followers also choose to wear shoes with at least a small amount of heel because it makes it easier to keep your weight over the ball of your foot while still allowing your heels to rest on the floor. It’s often difficult for newer dancers to maintain this balance in flats without engaging their calves.

 
What kind of music do you recommend for dancing Balboa?

Some thoughts on this topic coming soon.

For now, here are a few of the songs we use in class and their beats per minute (bpm):

BPM	Title	Artist
145	Jacquet in the Box	Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five	AmazonMP3
155	Savoy Blip	Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five	AmazonMP3
160	A Mellow Bit of Rhythm	Andy Kirk & His Twelve Clouds of Joy	AmazonMP3
178	Stealin’ Apples	Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra	AmazonMP3
180	Woodchopper’s Ball	Woody Herman & His Orchestra	AmazonMP3