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Lyrical and contemporary use the same shoe, so one pair covers both classes. It is a half sole: a small canvas or leather pad that covers the ball of the foot and leaves the heel bare.
What shoes do you wear for lyrical dance?
A canvas half sole, in pink or a skin tone. It covers only the ball of the foot, held on by elastic across the arch and around the toes, so a dancer can turn without the floor catching their skin.
Contemporary classes use the same thing. If your dancer takes both, you are buying one pair, not two.
A first half soleVarious
Canvas Half-Sole Lyrical Shoe
- Meets BORN dress code
- $
Erin says A good first half sole for lyrical and contemporary. Covers the ball of the foot so a dancer can turn without catching on the floor, and leaves the heel bare.
Sizing Half soles are sized by foot length in a small range, so check the chart rather than assuming a street size.
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Why not just dance barefoot?
Because turns are the problem. Bare skin grips a marley floor, and a dancer trying to pirouette barefoot will either stop halfway round or twist a knee doing it. The half sole lets the ball of the foot slide the way the turn needs.
It also saves the skin. Barefoot floor work over a full term leaves blisters exactly where a dancer least wants them.
The studio standardCapezio
Canvas Pirouette II Half-Sole
- Meets BORN dress code
- $
Erin says The half sole I see most often in class. Capezio sizing is consistent, so once you know your number you can reorder without thinking about it.
Sizing Capezio Pirouette runs close to street size. Between sizes, size down for a secure fit.
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How do half soles fit?
They are sized by foot length across a small range rather than by street shoe size, so a size covers several street sizes. Check the brand chart before ordering, because the ranges differ between makers.
The fit should be snug enough that it does not shift underfoot mid-turn. If it slides, it is too big and it is worse than useless.
Contemporary and lyricalVarious
Canvas Half Sole Pirouette Shoe
- Meets BORN dress code
- $
Erin says A second half sole option if the first is out of stock in your size. Covers the ball of the foot for turns and leaves the heel bare, which is what lyrical and contemporary both want.
Sizing Sized by foot length within a small range, so check the chart rather than assuming your street size.
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What colour half sole should I buy?
Pink or a skin tone close to your dancer’s own. The aim is for the foot to read as bare from the audience, which is the whole visual point of lyrical and contemporary.
What else is needed for lyrical class?
A leotard, and fitted shorts or a skirt if your studio allows them. Tights for recital but not usually for class. Hair up, as always, because floor work with loose hair is miserable.