Under Wraps: Favorite Warmup Clothes

We all have them. Some are pretty and new, while others are old and tattered. Warmup clothing in dance is the equivelant of the blanket that Linus carried around with him on Peanuts. It represents comfort, safety, and to a certain extent–our personality as well.

My favorite warmups were generally t-shirts that I took a scissors to–chopped out the neck, and sometimes did a little handiwork on the sleeves as well. And I had a pair of black legwarmers that I loved. I was never into the plastic “diaper” pants, but I know a lot of girls who wore them all the time. Other people donned large sweaters, wrapped bandanas or scarves around their heads or cobbled together a “mish-mosh” of other clothing, worn over their tights and leotards.

I’ve seen some strange stuff over the years…one woman wore just socks, but pulled them down so that only her toes and the ball of her foot was covered. I’m not quite sure how she could take class like that, but she did. Another wore a full-length winter scarf, wrapped several times around her neck as though she was walking down the street in New York during a snowstorm.

Odd the little habits we develop when it comes to how we dress for class. What we find comforting–or comfortable.

What about you? Any items you feel especially attached to? Have you seen anything in class that you found unusual?