10 Best Fun and Freeform Outfits for Jazz Dance Class

By Hannah Cobb Jun 09, 2023

The best outfits to wear to jazz class have a casual style like leggings and a tank top or leggings and a leotard. Good clothes to wear to a jazz dance class contain soft, stretchy fabric that can easily move with you during kicks and moves that require lots of flexibility. Wearing the right shoes with rubber soles for jazz class will help you with shuffle and slide steps as well.

Jazz dance class often has a much more casual style than a ballet class. While the instructor or school will usually issue a dress code or dress guidelines, athleisure like leggings, a sports bra, or even a crop top are usually acceptable. For children, a simple leotard and tights make a perfect jazz dance class outfit. For an adult class, traditional dancewear is not often required and students commonly wear the type of attire you would wear to a yoga class, like leggings and a tank.

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Fitted Clothes

While you can often dress casually for a jazz dance class, you do want to wear fitted clothing that hugs your body so the dance instructor can easily see the line of your arms and legs as you dance. This is the best way for the instructor to help you improve your form!

Items like baggy sweatpants, a loose t-shirt, or a voluminous hoodie would not work well for jazz class because of this.

Instead, look for a t-shirt that hugs your torso and leggings or tights that stretch comfortably over your legs. You can find the 20 best affordable and sustainable yoga and gym leggings to consider here.

Stretchy Fabric

Another key to dressing well for jazz dance class is to wear clothes made out of stretchy fabric. This can mean looking for athletic wear that contains Spandex or Lycra fibers, or it can mean looking for soft knitted fabric, like an organic cotton t-shirt. Before you wear a garment to dance class, try it on and do a few jazz dance steps to see if the clothing can flex with you.

You can learn about the top 10 sustainable fabrics for sportswear here.

Leotard

For a children’s jazz dance class, or a more formal professional-level class, dancers may have a dress code of dancewear such as a leotard. A leotard is a stretchy, one-piece garment that looks kind of like a swimsuit, made out of athletic fabric containing a lot of elastic. Leotards come in several styles, including sleeveless, long-sleeved, or even full body-style with legs.

Take a look at the 7 best sustainable leotards from ethical dancewear brands here.

Leggings

Most adult jazz dance classes take a more casual approach, where most dancers wear form-fitting leggings and a tank top or t-shirt instead of traditional dancewear like a leotard. In this case, look for leggings that fit you well and stretch super easily. In some cases, the instructor may ask for a color dress code, such as an all-black outfit, so keep that in mind as you look for leggings as well.

You can find the 10 best affordable and sustainable bamboo leggings here.

Tights

If you do wear a leotard to dance class, you will want to pair it with tights. The basic practice uniform for professional ballet and jazz classes often wear essentially the same outfit of leotard and tights, with the main difference being the type of shoes worn.

You can go with footless tights for a more modern look, or black or white tights for a traditional style. Children’s jazz dance classes often come with a dress code or dancewear list, and most teachers will ask young students to wear tights.

Take a look at the 10 best ethical hosiery brands to consider here.

Dance Shoes

One of the most essential parts of a jazz dance class outfit is your jazz dance shoes. Jazz shoes come in two styles, slip-on, and lace-up. Lace-up shoes often have short, square, pump-style heels, while slip-ons often have flat rubber soles.

For a casual adult class, you may not need to buy this kind of professional jazz dance shoes. Some classes allow adults to dance in comfortable socks instead. In this case, take a look at the 20 best affordable, sustainable, and organic socks here.

Shorts

For a casual jazz dance class dancers commonly wear comfortable shorts for ease of movement. You can go with several different styles of shorts, like running shorts, tightly-fitted dance or compression shorts, or bike shorts. Avoid super short or extra long and baggy shorts, though.

Take a look at the 20 best affordable and sustainable workout shorts for women here.

T-Shirt or Tank Top

Jazz dance class students also commonly wear a casual fitted t-shirt or tank top to class. T-shirts contain a special stretchy kind of fabric called jersey knit that flexes really well along with a dancer, making this a good choice for class. Just avoid an oversized or extra bulky tee, as you do not want to obscure your movements.

You can find the 20 best American-made t-shirts for men and women here.

Leg Warmers

As you arrive at class and perform a stretching routine to warm up, you may want to wear extra layers like leg warmers, track pants, or even sweatpants. While you don’t want to wear bulky and concealing garments like this during class, it is a good idea to keep warm until you can stretch out your muscles and get ready to dance.

Also, you may not want to drive to the gym or dance studio wearing a leotard or tank top, especially on a chilly day! Wearing a pre-class outfit over your dance clothes will keep you warm and comfortable on the drive and during your warm-up routine.

Take a look at the 20 best sustainable tracksuits and sweatsuits in 2023 here.

Crop Top or Sports Bra

Finally, some jazz dance classes allow workout or athleisure attire like a crop top or sports bra, too. This does depend on the informality of an individual class, but you often see people dressed for jazz dance class in a similar style to what you might wear to a yoga class. This means that sports bras or short-cut tops usually fit right in.

You can find the 20 best affordable and sustainable sports bras to wear to jazz dance class here.

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About the Author: Hannah Cobb

I think of writing as my way to connect with the world. As a librarian with a degree in English and Library Science, I have used my research, writing, and editing skills professionally for over a decade. For the past two years, I have also provided ghostwritten content for fashion, sewing, and event-planning blogs, including how-to and product review blogs.