What to Wear and Bring to a Dance Fitness Class in Darwin

Short version: comfortable clothes you can move in, supportive shoes, and more water than you think. Everything else is preference. The longer version matters mostly because of the one item people get wrong.

Dance fitness involves a lot of small pivots and direction changes, so what you want is a shoe with cushioning that will let your foot turn on the floor.

• Good: cross-trainers, general gym shoes, or anything described as a dance sneaker.
• Workable: the running shoes you already own. They grip harder than ideal on a sprung hall floor, so go easier on the pivots for the first class.
• Not great: bare feet, socks, thongs, canvas flats with no support.

Do not buy anything for your first class. Wear the most supportive shoes in your cupboard, see whether you are coming back, and decide then.

Leggings, shorts, a t-shirt or a singlet. Anything that stretches and does not need adjusting every time you lift your arms. There is no dress code, nobody is coordinated, and a class looks like a room full of people in whatever they own.

Two things that consistently help:

• Layers you can lose. You will be warmer ten minutes in than you expect.
• Proper support. There is bouncing. A sports bra you trust makes a real difference to how much you enjoy the second half.

From about October the humidity does not drop in the evening, and a class that feels straightforward in July feels harder in November. Nothing about the class changes — you just need to plan for it.

• Drink before you arrive, not just during. Turning up already topped up beats catching up mid-class.
• Bring more water than you think. A big bottle, not a small one.
• Bring a towel. A small one for your face is enough, but you will want it.
• Take the breaks. Standing out for a track in the wet season is sensible, not a failure.
• Bring a change of shirt if you are heading somewhere afterwards.

• Supportive shoes
• Clothes you can move in
• Water — a full bottle
• A small towel
• Your phone if you want, though you will not look at it

You do not need a mat, weights, gloves or any equipment. The hall has what the class needs.

Bags go at the side of the hall where you can see them. It is a community hall with a class in it, not a gym with lockers, so bring what you would take to a park — and leave the rest in the car.

We run out of recreation centres and community halls across Palmerston, Malak and Gray. Where there is anything specific worth knowing about parking or which door to use, it is written on that venue's page — worth thirty seconds before a first visit. Have a look at the venues.

Pick a class that fits your week on the timetable and book your place. It takes about a minute, your confirmation lands in your inbox, and if you tick the first-class box we will find you before the music starts.

Book a class →

Not sure what the class itself involves? What we run covers the formats, and there is a full walkthrough of a first class on the blog.