Did you ever have to take off your shoes and socks for drama?

[Mila_Savic]

Hi guys. I have drama lessons at school. We are practicing a modern play which is about the emotions and vulnerability of young adults. Our drama teacher insists that everyone has to take off both their shoes and socks for class. We will also have bare feet during our rehearsals. I'm kind of shy about having bare feet, so it feels a little strange.
Has anyone ever been required to do this? And were you told why it is necessary?

yes, during drama class

yes, but for rehearsals only

yes, both during class and rehearsals

no. I have taken drama classes but this was never required

no. I have never taken a drama class

Updates

+1 y

So, I was given the following reasons by my teacher: The play is about the emotions of teenagers and young adults and how we are all so vulnerable beneath the surface. This is supposed to be symbolized by everyone having bare feet. She also said that it was important in order to move more freely and to become more confident on the stage, because being barefoot during practice would help us to overcome our fears in the long run.

[windknowsmyname]

yeah cause 3 guys pounce on you and suck on your toes...
anyway, thats weird. shouldn't be a requirement. i would not do it. id let him know. few guys has foot fetishes. can't do it.

[Mila_Savic]

haha what? nobody gets to suck my toes, that's gross!

[windknowsmyname]

pffft * sigh* ya sure. * lick my lips* ain't seen nothin yet. lol.

but really though. i have okay feet but im just not big on the idea of being barefooted. least let me keep my socks on or something.

[Mila_Savic]

same for me, my feet look relatively nice, but I still don't like to show them. That's why I bothered to ask this question, since I am not allowed socks for drama

[CT_CD]

yes, during drama class

[Mila_Savic]

Oh, I see. Did your teacher tell you why it was necessary?
And how did you feel about it?

[MlleCake]

I went to a barefoot all the time school.

Try to enjoy and appreciate the new sensations and feelings you will experience.

[Mila_Savic]

You mean that you had to be barefoot at school in all classes? I've never heard of a school like that. Where was your school?

[MlleCake]

Any time we were indoors, we took our shoes off. It was a lab school run by a University in Southern California.

[Mila_Savic]

Oh, sounds interesting. So they did it as some sort of experiment? And did you have to take off only your shoes or your socks as well?

[MlleCake]

No, not as an experiment. And we could leave our socks on.

[Mila_Savic]

I see. Well, it wouldn't be such a problem for me if I could leave my socks on.
Did they allow socks in drama or PE as well?

[MlleCake]

If we were indoors we didn't wear shoes. If we were outdoors we did.

[Mila_Savic]

Are you referring to PE lessons or to drama now?

[MlleCake]

We didn't have PE. We just played outside. Drama could be held indoors or outdoors.

[Mila_Savic]

Ah I see. And when you had drama indoors, did you have to remove your socks as well or just your shoes?

[MlleCake]

I already explained about that.

This isn't going to kill you. Just relax.

[Mila_Savic]

You were talking about your general rules for school when you said that socks were allowed. Now I was asking specifically about drama class.
Well no, I guess it won't kill me, it does feel embarrassing though.

[Thotkiana]

My Ela teacher made us do it in 7th grade. I decided not to participate.

[Mila_Savic]

Hi. Why did your teacher ask for this? And why did you not participate?

[Thotkiana]

Because we had to like recite our narrative while walking on this long piece of tape he had on the rug or whatever, and my feet are gross

[Mila_Savic]

Oh I see. So did your teacher ask you to remove your socks as well or just the shoes?

[Thotkiana]

Both, so we could feel the tape properly.

[Mila_Savic]

I see, that makes sense. So, did he accept that you didn't want to participate?

[Thotkiana]

Yep.

[BlueSkylar]

Yes, I've experienced this. If this makes you uncomfortable, let your instructor know and they should be willing to work with you on it.

[Mila_Savic]

Hey. Where did you experience it? Were any reasons given why you had to do it?
I kind of told my drama teacher, but she said that it was important for what the play is about (bare feet as symbols of vulnerability and so on). She also said that drama was about overcoming your fears, so if I was shy about my feet, this would make it even more important that I am barefoot during class.

[BlueSkylar]

She has a good pint. I've done things that have made me uncomfortable but acting has adjusted these fears. I've learned to work around them.

[Mila_Savic]

Yes, I guess acting can really make you more confident in real life.
So you'd say that she is right to insist that I must have bare feet during class? And that because of my shyness it is particularly important for me, so she can't make an exception?
Or did you mean that she has a point about bare feet symbolizing vulnerability?

[BlueSkylar]

She has a point about bare feet representing vulnerability. Your shyness is valid. I would keep talking with her. Maybe there's a creative solution.

[Mila_Savic]

yes, as far as the symbolic aspect of bare feet is concerned, I agree with her. It is also probably the reason why I am shy, because I feel exposed and vulnerable without socks.
I've tried talking to her, but she just said that it is important, which is why I won't have a choice.

So, did you have to remove your socks as well or just shoes? And in your case, did they tell you why?

[BlueSkylar]

In my case it wasn't feet that were going to be exposed; it was way more complicated and I'd prefer not to talk about it.

[Mila_Savic]

Oh, I'm sorry, you don't have to, of course.
But do you think my teacher is right to insist that we need to have bare feet and that I should try to accept it?

[BlueSkylar]

I do think she is right. I think you'll come out the other side of this with a better appreciation of yourself.

[aa180]

At my first high school it was required to take off your shoes (but not socks) before entering the drama room, and the reason was because the room was used everyday during lunch time by the Muslim students to perform their prayers.

[Mila_Savic]

ok that makes sense. I wouldn't have cared if it was only shoes, but she insists on us taking off our socks as well

[aa180]

Yeah I don't get why that's the case at your school either

[Mila_Savic]

yes, maybe I should have explained it better. The play is about the emotions of teenagers and young adults and how we are all so vulnerable beneath the surface. This is supposed to be symbolized by everyone having bare feet. She also said that it was important in order to move more freely and to become more confident on the stage, because being barefoot during practice would help us to overcome our fears in the long run.

[aa180]

Hm, I honestly never understood how in subjects like English and drama teachers basically attach seemingly random meanings to otherwise meaningless things lol. I always thought English was rather silly

[Mila_Savic]

Hahaha. So you don't agree with her reasoning?

[aa180]

Nah not really lol

[Pamina]

Why does that make you feel uncomfortable?

[Mila_Savic]

Hi Pamina. That's a good question. I don't really know. I just feel kind of exposed when I'm not wearing socks.
So, have you ever been barefoot for drama?

[Pamina]

Even when everyone else is barefoot too?

No, but I have been barefoot.

[Mila_Savic]

Yes sure, even when everyone is barefoot. I mean, I would still feel uncomfortable being naked, even if everyone else around me was naked as well. But of course it still helps not to be the only one in bare feet, I guess that would make me feel even more uncomfortable.

But I've been told that it is normal that drama teachers ask this from their students, so basically I guess I have no choice but to comply. What do you think?

[Pamina]

Totally up to you. Personally I don't understand what the big deal is about bare feet. It's just feet.

[Mila_Savic]

No, it's not up to me, as far as I understood my instructor. She said everyone needs to do this.
Well I guess people see feet in different ways. I feel exposed when I have bare feet, for you feet are probably just the same as hands.
But since it is not regarded as an intimate thing generally, probably the teacher has the right to require us to do this, right?

[Pamina]

I meant it's up to you if you want to continue with the drama class.

Yes, absolutely.

[Mila_Savic]

The drama class is part of the curriculum which I chose, so I have to follow it now. I'll also get grades for it.
When you wrote "yes, absolutely" - what were you referring to?

[Pamina]

I was referring to your last sentence.

[Pamina]

But I actually just clicked on your profile and saw your other question. You're a guy with a foot fetish and you're making these stories up and are just trying to get us to talk about feet because it turns you on.

Get lost, liar.

[Britguy100]

and never understood why they do this?

[Mila_Savic]

yes, maybe I should have explained it better. The play is about the emotions of teenagers and young adults and how we are all so vulnerable beneath the surface. This is supposed to be symbolized by everyone having bare feet. She also said that it was important in order to move more freely and to become more confident on the stage, because being barefoot during practice would help us to overcome our fears in the long run.