Dressing well for a social dance is about more than simply leaving your sharp jewelry at home and dressing in breathable clothes. Different venues call for different costumes, as my interview with ballroom instructor revealed.
Now, before you start telling yourself how superficial all this is, remember that fitting in is often a way of saying "hey, I'm one of you". And of course, this leads to more dances. That's why you came, right?
Transcript:
Me: Hi guys! My name is Ian Crewe. I'm an instructor at the joy of dance Centre in Toronto, Ontario, and the creator of Social Ballroom Dance: Where you can learn your dance, at your place, on your schedule.
We are continuing our theme this month on dance wear, and what we might wear to different dance venues, and today I am joined by Stephen James, a fellow dance instructor at the Joy of Dance Centre.
Stephen has danced at a number of different dance places, from Latin nightclubs, to West Coast Swing dance halls, to ballroom dancing both socially and competitively. So he's had a fair bit of in the field experience you might say, and seeing what other people wear and and why. So great to have you with us buddy.
Steve: Thank you.
Me: So let's start with an easy one - do people wear what they wear just because they want to look fashionable or good on the dance floor, or is for more practical reasons?
Steve: Why certainly some people do I imagine, but there should be a practical reason for choosing what you're wearing on the dance floor.
For example, in competitive ballroom you will see people - this is not exactly a costume: if you think of the whole look as part of the costume - will always have their hair tied back. It keeps it out of your partner's face, it's less distracting for the judges: that's something specifically for ballroom.
You notice a lot of tighter fitting clothes in Latin. That's usually so you can see body movements; they want to see if you can do a rib isolation or something with your body.
So socially speaking, you should be asking a few questions of yourself. First of all what time of year is it - that's practical! (Some places are) air conditioned, so you have to dress appropriately.
I always think practically, but you can't help in a social situation wanting to think aesthetically as well and that's great: you do want to present yourself when you go out in public, but I think it should be secondary to some very important practical considerations.
When you go out dancing, are you wearing something that is going to get caught in your partner's hands or arms, for example loose-fitting clothing that has especially things like weaves, or dangling bits, or belts that kind of hang around out, or those those mesh - if it's like a really thick mesh - fingers get stuck in it, stuff like that.
Me: Yeah yeah. One of my students, she likes to bring these - I guess they're called sweater vests - I don't really have any experience in fashion of any kind - but what they have, its basically they create these little wings that hang down from their arms and when they turn it's just an invitation to get caught on all kinds of things.
Steve: Wings will fly.
Me: Yes. And then I politely asked her to remove it, and then it's okay.
Steve: Haha. So we also had vests - we'll do that same thing in West Coast Swing right now. For people to have an open vest or something like that, that can sometimes fly and get in the way.
Then again, that can also be a source of fun in that particular dance, because in a jack-and-jill, even having a moment of improvisation, which could be a gift from God to you in that moment.
Generally speaking, on a social dance floor you want to avoid anything that's gonna snag on your partner. You also want to think about something that's not too hot or too cold - usually too cold, it's not a problem, you're dancing. But too hot, then we run into the issues of people sweating a lot.
I know there's some guys who will wear one shirt to the dance and bring a spare to change to later, which is really smart, because nobody really wants to dance with somebody covered in sweat.
Me: Yeah, it's it's not pleasant. What are some other costume differences that you've noticed between say, people going salsa dancing, or Latin dancing in general, versus west coast swing dancing, versus ballroom. What are some examples you've seen?
Steve: Aside from practical, we start with the aesthetic. Every dance has a sort of a look to it - ballroom dancing smooth and standard both have a very classic look. They want to, if you think of something you'd wear for a night on the town, evening wear, formal attire, or something like that.
People will compete sometimes in a tuxedo, a variation on a tuxedo. They will of course tailor them specifically for competitions. So you wouldn't wear a normal tux jacket for example on the dance floor, because when you lift your arms up in your frame, the shoulders bunch up and they look kind of ridiculous.
So they're actually tailored to look proper when your arms are held up in your frame and when the arms are relaxed, it's not as nice a look. So they're specifically designed for down some of these, specifically the ballroom dances.
Me: Yeah.
Steve: When they're up in that frame, they're going for the look of the dance, the waltz, foxtrot, everything with that classic night on the town, so that's the image that you'll want to put on the dance floor.
Salsa dancing - something you'd wear out to a club right? This is not just something for hanging up casually at home. It's usually a bit more loud and has some colour to it, has sexiness to it - it's clubwear basically.
Me: Mm-hmm.
Steve: West Coast Swing prides itself on being very casual, so people don't want to go too much in the department of putting on extra airs. The more chilled out you can look the better.
So it was very popular too, for example, with the the bow tie, put then on but leave them hanging down on either side.
Me: Right. I sometimes feel like West Coast Swing is almost a reaction to ballroom.
Steve: From the other dances, absolutely. Ballroom in particular? Maybe. Yeah, it definitely prides itself on being different, and we don't have to put on these particular airs. We don't have to match someone's idea of what a dancer should look like.
You can be free to sort of express yourself and be chilled out and relax, and just go out and have a good time and that's what they want to see, even in competitions to a certain amount.
There are some West Coast Swing competitions that will say for example, "no jeans". The fact that you even have to say that...
Me: Oh goodness no! What are you doing here??
Steve: Haha.
Me: So when we're talking about, now just ballroom versus Latin or nightclub styles, why do why do skirts tend to be longer for your waltzes, your foxtrots, your tangos, versus your salsas, your Merengues, your cha chas.
Steve: Well two reasons - One, the look you're going for in the elegant evening wear and smooth and standard, so you want to have something that flows. You're flying around the dance floor while doing a Viennese Waltz, having a dress that flares looks fantastic.
In the Latin dances you want to see knee and hip movement, so a dress that covers your knees, you can't see as much what's going on with the legs. So there's a practical side to it.
And then there's the, of course, the culture. Latin dances typically come from more of a club environment, whereas our smooth and standard are inspired by this formal - more, I suppose the example of a European upper-class look. So the long skirt is that tradition. so thirsty
Me: Right, right. It's very grandiose in that way, and I suppose that's why a lot of people - ladies can live out their Cinderella stories, with the glamorous gowns for example.
Steve: Yeah.
Me: And then you have your Mr. Rights with their tuxes.
Steve: Haha. Everybody loves a little Disney every now and then.
Me: I guess so, yeah. So, we know that ballroom dance shoes, the heels tend to be lower on ballroom, and taller in Latin.
Steve: Ah yes. I know what you're going to ask me.
Me: What the heck is with that?
Steve: Yeah a lot of people wear the Cuban heels. A lot of people really don't like the look. It has practical purpose in that the higher heel brings you forward on the balls of the feet, it helps with the articulation of the ankles, and of the hip movement in your body.
Is it necessary to use them? No, it helps and again it's become part of a look. I personally don't wear them outside of the competition - if I'm competing in in Latin I'll wear them. If I'm doing a performance at the studio I'll tend not to wear the Latin heel.
I'm not as big a fan of walking in them. Bless the women who can wear heels - I don't, haha. Even a little Latin heel which a Cuban, I understand it's not as high, but it's got a bit of height to it, and that's enough.
Me: Yeah. I'll never forget my first Latin heels and after, I don't know, 15 minutes, I was starting to hurt. The ladies that I was teaching were just completely unsympathetic of course.
Steve: Yeah.
Me: They're like "you think that's bad?" Now we were talking a little bit about the practical versus the aesthetic side - we've talked about that quite a lot - but when we talk about competitions, is it really necessary for people to go super-glamorous with all the rhinestones and the glitter and the hair back and so on.
Steve: Good question. I'll start with ballroom and specifically in that there are some rules where you actually are discouraged from wearing - I think in some competitions you can't wear rhinestones at a lower level.
At lower entry levels, if you're starting as a new dancer: It's your first competition, you're doing a pre bronze heat for example -
Me: Yeah, yeah.
Steve: In pro-am you can't wear rhinestones, you can't wear these Swarovsky crystals in most comps, and I think that's to make it a little bit more accessible to first-time competition: "Okay you're telling me you have to learn all of this technique, fantastic. Now I'm committed to those lessons - that's a fair amount of money from me. And I'm gonna go compete, and okay, I have to get a dress that costs HOW much money? I have to get an outfit that costs HOW much money?"
That's a lot to ask. So to even the playing field they simply disallow it at the lower levels, allowing more people to to get into the dance without having to go to those extremes, because it is a bit much.
You know, those things are glued on individually, and that takes a lot of someone's time, and if you're not gonna do it yourself it's going to take a lot of money to pay someone else to do it. In addition to purchasing the crystals themselves and getting a dress designed or a tux designed or whatever you're gonna wear. So it's a fair commitment. So at the lower levels they don't expect that.
At the higher levels, if you're not doing that, I think it reflects on you that you're not as sort of committed to the culture of the dance. And that is those over-the-top costumes, which we love to criticize, but at the same times some of us really - some secretly some not so secretly - love to put on. Because they're so fabulous!
Me: It's the Cinderella thing.
Steve: So yeah, you kind of gotta go, if you're gonna go in, you go all in and if you've committed to the dance enough to get to those higher levels of competition, you usually have to show that in what you're wearing.
Me: Is that the same for performances would you say?
Steve: No, for performances I'II think about what's our audience, and what's our venue. Okay, for example, we've done at the studio, summer dresses and jeans parties, that was on top of the old Ontario place. We're outdoors on Sunday, this beautiful venue, but it had a casualness to it, sure.
So I didn't go as extreme on my costuming that night. Something in house, in the studio, I might not be encouraging my students to wear crystallize costumes, but if you're going to go to an event, especially a ballroom event, then I would.
So the venue is, simply consider who is it for: "Are we in a casual scenario? Am I doing a performance at home for mom and dad?"
Me: Haha! Great stuff. Okay, so are there any final tips that you would give our listeners about, oh... whether they're competing, or they're social dancing, just general tips or just wise decisions when it comes to their costume, and that includes like hair, shoes, the whole getup.
Steve: Okay yeah, we've probably forgotten quite a few things then. This is not something you wear as a piece of clothing, but it is something you wear and that's perfumes - perfumes, colognes, any fragrances. I'm a big fan of deodorant - I think you should shower, wear your deodorant, especially when you're dancing socially.
Me: I need to jump in real quick about that one actually, because actually I've heard studies that's the number one, like absolute number one turnoff for ladies, when it comes to meeting any guy you know, regardless whether you are attracted to them romantically or not - number one thing is BO.
Steve: Absolutely, not just, yeah we're talking about not in the dating world, but in the dance world, nobody wants to dance with somebody who's odour they cannot handle, and that goes both ways.
So I'm saying yes put your deodorant o, shower, but don't slather yourself in perfumes and Cologne either to try to cover things up. Because that could be offensive in its own right, and there's allergies you have to take into account.
Some people physically, their eyes will water, they will have reactions to strong scents like that. So it's disrespectful to your fellow dancers to be walking into a room that's typically crowded and an enclosed space wearing that kind of perfume. So I'd say that's something you want to avoid.
Oh, jewelry and things like that yes. That's right generally, so bracelets, rings - even I've had issues with rings holding people's hand in advance, and the ring can be very uncomfortable in the hand if it's something that has a lot of gems on it or rough edges to it, and especially there's loose fitting it kind of flops around and ends up being on the wrong side of the finger.
I'm not suggesting anyone take off their wedding ring, if they're fine, smooth -
Me: But if you're going to buy your partner a wedding ring, be aware that if they might go out dancing, that might be part of your choices when you're getting that.
Steve: Well, you really are committed to dance if you're making your wedding ring choice based on dance considerations, well kudos to you.
I've had issues with cufflinks, my cufflinks sometimes getting caught - once in someone's hair, that was very awkward.
Me: Oooh..
Steve: Yeah. So I debate with them - I like them so much sometimes, but, and it depends on the dance, if you're doing a standard dance you're never gonna do an underarm turn, you're all good to go. But in a salsa club, when you're constantly spinning your partner, cufflinks might be a bad idea.
Me: All right, well thank you very much, this is great. We came up a lot of things that certainly never occurred to me, and I think you both went places that neither of us expected to go.
Steve: Haha! Sounds like a good day.
Me: Yeah, exactly.
Steve: I'm sure these, a lot of these are just my opinions right? Take them as you will.
Me: Well sure of course, everybody's gonna have their own own take on things. But I really appreciate your input on this, thank you very much for joining us Steve, and you know for those of you who want to contact Steve, and if you're interested in lessons and so on, you can always just get in touch with the Joy of Dance Centre and ask for him.
But thank you very much for listening in, and I look forward to going further with this on you... or with you on this.
Steve: Haha.
Me: That's better. See you next week, and until then, happy dancing!
Steve: Thank you very much it's been a pleasure.
Me: Cheers.