Thread: How hot is your studio?

I teach out of a ballet company studio, and it has pretty much always been my experience that dance studios are kept pretty warm. While I realize that belly dancers don't need the warmth for the more extreme flexibility required for ballet, I feel much more comfortable teaching in a warmer environment, especially since I often teach barefoot and in a midriff or tank top.

Some students have mildly complained about the warmth, and I have turned on the overhead fans, but now I have potential students asking about the temperature of the studio saying they don't want to dance and sweat.



Those of you who are or have been professional dancers, are you more comfortable in a warmer environment? Do you turn the air up for your students? What's the appropriate temperature for a belly dance studio? I'm used to 70s for ballet.

The secret is out. Dancers sweat. Shhh
A few portable fans might make it a bit cooler. But really, dance studios are hot and sweaty. That's regular.

Well the a/c temp is set at 75 for the center where I teach. However when the outside temp is 100 to 110+ degrees it really doesn't matter what the temp in the building is, you are going to SWEAT in buckets during class. The only time anyone complains is when the industrial floor fan has to go off for veil work....LOL! Last week there were cheers when we got done with the veil section of their choreography and they could have the fan back.

Personally...it helps me feel like I'm "accomplishing" something if it's hot and sticky in the studio!

Outside of the studio, I'm all about the air conditioning and really hate the heat, but the studio should be warm. Not stiflingly hot, but warm enough to keep the muscles warmed up when not drilling or working "as hard." I think it's counter-productive and, frankly, unhealthy to have cold air conditioning blowing on you when you're sweating. And imho, if potential students say they "don't want to sweat while they dance"...they likely have got the wrong idea about belly dancing class anyway!

It all depends - if the air quality is good, temperature (either way) is much less of an issue. But, stale, humid, sweaty air that one walks into like a BO-scented brick wall - that is just not so good ;-) And, for spins and turns, I seem to get less nauseous when it is colder.

Originally Posted by ErikaOH

And imho, if potential students say they "don't want to sweat while they dance"...they likely have got the wrong idea about belly dancing class anyway!

This may depend on the objective of your class. If you're teaching belly dance as an alternative to Zumba or aerobics, then by all means, sweat. It's often hard to do drum solos and some of the more energetic substyles of ME folk dancing without perspiring, but the rest of the MED spectrum doesn't always have to be sweaty. In my experience, this is one of the big differences between the native mind set and the Western one. Westerners often demand a high-energy workout with a lot of drilling to create impressive physical effects when performing. Natives (or Western dancers who've trained in the ME extensively) sometimes emphasize the languidness of the movements and want to downplay anything that looks like heavy exertion.

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

The secret is out. Dancers sweat.

Other dancers sweat; we glisten.


Khalida

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Natives (or Western dancers who've trained in the ME extensively) sometimes emphasize the languidness of the movements and want to downplay anything that looks like heavy exertion.

True -- but to me those languid movements require a great deal of muscle strength, and the generation of the movements generates body heat. It's my personal experience that I can be much more fluid and languid in a warmer environment. While I have never, for instance, pulled my ab muscles due to cold, my range of motion in a cooler environment is much less than in a warmer one.

I try to regulate my studio temperature according to the wishes of the majority of my students, because I find they heat up quicker than I do, as they're less used to the exercise and find it more strenuous. I can be sweating, but still feel cool and relaxed. So I don't think I'm a very good guage of the average 'comfort' of the room.

Personally, I don't like a hot studio and if there is an option to air condition, I'd take it. I've danced in a lot of hot studios (at workshops etc) and the only reason I've ever thought they were hot is simply because they're in cheap venues without air conditioning. I've never known anyone to keep the studio temperature overly warm because of a preference. Note that these places are often stone cold in winter, because heating is also inadequate!

I would like a nice, ambient temperature whilst warming up, but personally I don't like heaters to be kept on, and may use an air con if available, once the dancing started. I'm not averse to sweating, it's natural when dancing. But I don't think there's any need to overheat if it's not necessary!

There's sweating, and then there's *passing out*. I like a cool studio - I'm gonna sweat anyway, but I don't want to be hot and miserable (unnecessarily) doing it.

However, guys get overheated quicker than gals, who get cold easier - generally speaking.

I take classes in a refrigerator and don't like it. I function and dance better when it is warmer. But everybody else loves it cold. So I am dressed warmer even in the summer to keep my muscles warm. I especially need to keep my midriff warm, strange when it is 100 degree outside, but oh well. :-)

I like to feel like it is comfortable (just a tad cool) when I walk in off the street.
This temp turns into ambient/warm as soon as we add a few bodies and start moving. That way we are warm but not icky. I like to sweat during class but not to feel like I can't breathe.
I think the above comments are right that to your students, it might feel much warmer than it does to you.

I checked last night and the temp is set to 74. I thought it was fairly comfortable. I'm going to assume that's what it is most of the time and let people know that's what it will stay.

After a ballet class I know the bodies create more heat, and maybe I'm just used to that. I don't want to walk into cool -- I want soft warmth, if that makes sense :) But I guess I'll see what the rest of the class finds comfortable.

Thanks :)