Thursday, February 12, 2009

How To Get A Dress That Will Help You Dance Better - (Part 2) By Ballroom Sparkle

Slouched spine

This is mostly the problem of Standard dances as you constantly have to keep your spine right. If this is your problem then try to hide your spine with chiffon scarves attached to you neck or shoulder. You may even use several of these so that instead of frowning at your slouched spine, the judges would see nice "wings" floating behind you. For Latin dresses, simply try to avoid gowns that expose mainly your back. In this case the attention is drawn to your spine automatically and this is not what you'd wish to do.

Weak frame

Do you keep letting the hands and elbows down in Standard? Again, the trick is the same. Try to conceal this lack of technique by getting your hands covered with layers of flimsy/floating fabric or wide sleeves.

Protruding bottom

Another flaw that happens rather often in Standard dances. In an effort of balancing your upper posture, smiling at the judges and keeping in mind the dance steps, you forget about the need to strain the bottom muscles and end up with your buttocks stuck out backwards. If you are still working on this - don't choose the mermaid-like silhouettes or any skirts made from one heavy layer of fabric (like satin). Such skirts will bring attention to your bottom automatically so even a small mistake gets visible. Instead, opt for multi-layered floating skirts that would smooth your curves and conceal the problem.

And one last piece of advice. If this is your first performance and your first dress - don't leave it in the box until the day of the competition. Even if you felt great when trying the dress on and you are now afraid to strain it - test it together with your partner. You might discover that dancing feels different now that you are wearing the dress and that some steps or movements need adjustment. For your first time - don't choose skirts that are too long. If you don't have enough experience you risk stepping on your own skirt during the competition. Choose a dress that has a skirt a bit above your ankles. For Latin dresses - make sure you don't wear long fringed or ripped skirts where you could get your heel entangled during the dance.

Part 1 of this article appeared on February 5 2009. This article has been re-published with the kind permission of Ballroom Sparkle of the USA. Ballroom Sparkle is a small studio which designs and sells gowns for ballroom competitions, stage performances and dance shows. It is managed by Maria Chitul, a keen ballroom dancer herself. Maria can be contacted at +1(813) 990-0921 or email: maria@ballroomsparkle.com. You can also visit her website at www.ballroomsparkle.com.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

thanks for dropping by...
nice post....
have a nice day

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