Arts & Culture Magazine - March/April 2008 - (Page 24) Exhibitions : : By Diana Colson In Ballroom Dancing Fashion Rules! t novice level, ballroom dances are simple, and beginners wear street dress, perhaps with a few added rhinestones. As dancers advance, they graduate to more professional attire. An intermediate dancer might hope to really move in a hot Latin dance, but has not yet mastered those skills. An experienced designer will assist by building lots of movement into the skirt, using fringe, or weighting the hem with ribbon. Will the gown be worn for American Rhythm dances like ChaCha and Swing? Or will it be worn for American Smooth—romantic, elegant dances in the style of Fred Astaire? Each category demands an utterly different look. Will the dancer be lifted into the air? (The dress must stay put.) Where will the man’s hands be placed? (The dress must not obstruct him.) Is the dancer skilled enough to handle gloves? (Gloves are notorious for being slippery.) How will this gown look on a moving body? Is it dazzling from every angle? (In ballroom dancing, the back of every gown is always important.) Professional gowns are designed to be stunning. No two dresses are ever alike. Price is dependent on fabric and stoning. (As you know, stones dazzle and catch light on the dance floor.) Color is extremely important, as are movement and length. (No tripping allowed!) A dance floor may hold 50 couples or more, and judges have less than 90 seconds to make their selections. In that brief flash of a www.artsandculturemag.com http://www.artsandculturemag.com
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