If you've ever taken a dance class before, then you've probably heard your teacher ask at least once for someone to spit out their gum. According to them, chewing gum in dance class is disrespectful, and ultimately distracting to the other dancers in the room. But while all this is true, there's an even bigger reason why they prefer you to keep your gum inside its packaging.
When you have a stick of gum in your mouth while you're dancing, you are interfering with your experience in dance class as a whole. You can't perform the steps you're learning to your full potential, and as a result, may get hurt or injured while you're moving around.
Which is why, the next time you step foot into the studio, you might consider these consequences before chewing a piece of gum.
You can choke while you're turning or leaping.
After the warm-up is over and it's time to go across the floor, there's a good chance you'll find yourself doing leap or turn combinations, which require you to pull in your core so you don't fall off balance.
However, if you have gum in your mouth during these dance sequences while trying to keep your body straight, you may risk getting that piece of gum lodged in your throat and choking on it.
You can have difficulty breathing.
Dancing can be fast-paced and vigorous, and compels you to take some much-needed breaths so your muscles can work for as long as possible.
But if you're moving around with gum in your mouth while you're trying to take in oxygen, then you feel more winded afterward, since you're making sure your gum doesn't fall out.
You can step on it, ruining your dance shoes and the floor.
The last thing your dance teacher wants is for your gum to get on the marley floor, and probably the last thing you want, too.
Not only does it make the dance floor unsanitary, but it heightens the possibility of you tripping and falling, and may delay you from being able to do turns for days in dance class.