Dance Lovers

When it came down to the finals and I was asked "Who do you think will win Dancing with the Stars," I would, hands down, say "Sabrina." Alas ... she was voted off weeks ago ... so my options were left to Mel and Helio, both doing great jobs. Although Mel was amazing and a fabulous dancer in both the latin and smooth dances; my answer to the question was "Helio." His encore quickstep was great as were many of his performances. It's so much more difficult for a man, with no performance or dance training, to rise to the occasion and accomplish what he did. A woman can follow and be led more easily by a strong leader than a man can "fake" leading. (Although Julianne is also one of my favorite pros). The audience was treated to some fabulous swing, waltz, paso doble, quickstep, foxtrot, rumba, cha cha, mambo, viennese waltz, samba, and exuberant free styles this year. The season started off with superb dancing; it ended with the "nice guy" finishing first.

It is unbelievable that Sabrina and Mark were in the bottom two; it destroys the show's credibility that they were voted off. Sabrina consistently did great performances with all her dances. I thought she'd be at least in the top two; actually I thought she'd win. Apparently fan base support rules the show ... not abilities ... not performances. It's a low blow for Dancing with the Stars.

Each dance has its own style. Waltz is typically graceful ... with lots of rise and fall. In all of smooth dancing, do unlock your knees ... as a lot of rise comes from your feet. In counting waltz "1, 2, 3" the feet would correspond to thinking "Heel, Toe, Toe Lower." It's good to practice the footwork in a simple box move ... or in waltz steps forward (also known as progressive waltz steps). The last "toe lower" not only lowers onto the foot but also slightly into the knees. You'll now be able to start the next step with softened knees ... that will allow you to push off from the supporting foot onto the next step with drive and power ... rising up onto count 2 onto the toes ... continue up to the third step ... and lower at the end of the 3rd step. When you do bring the feet together (in closed or bronze footwork), bring them together slowly ... not quickly. Stretch count 2; you think and dance 'one, stretch, 3' ... or 'drive, take your time.' When doing box moves and closing the feet (also in foxtrot and quickstep), you can let the inside of your heels gently touch together ... like placing fine china together.

Learning dance patterns are fun; learning styling can be challenging and rewarding ... and can make your dancing look great.

Oh - my - gosh!! This season of Dancing with the Stars has some phenomenal dancing very early in the season. Sabrina's jive deserved tens - it was a really fun swing. Helio also got "robbed" as his jive was outstanding. Jennie's tango was quite good. Marie Osmond's tango was good but did not deserve the high scores received; the choreography and dancing was just not as strong as the others. Mel does a fine job with her dancing and gets overshadowed by some of the super star dancers. Julianne's choreography, strength, and ability is certainly winning me over as one of the top female professionals. Mark is doing a great job with Sabrina. Sabrina and Mark as well as Helio and Julianne will make it to the top three. (in my humble opinion) I don't know who else will emerge: Mel and Maksim? Jennie and Derek? It's amazing that the professionals are able to mold their students in such a short time. It's a tremendous amount of work ... work on posture and dance frame, timing, footwork, steps, patterns, costumes, memorization, stage presence, strength, and endurance. I look forward to seeing more great dancing.

Whoo - Hoo! The new season of Dancing with the Stars began with an amazing start. There were so many high level of dancers of cha cha and foxtrot on week number 1. It will be interesting to see who keeps shining ... as it's challenging to do great performances in both latin and smooth dancing. My favorite was Sabrina with Mark doing the cha cha. They actually deserved 10s ... no question asked. Helio with Julianne did a fine job with their foxtrot ... smooth, classy, fun. I think Jane Seymour and Tony will go far; Albert and Anna, although a bit "cheeky," really sold their performance. Jennie Garth with Derek were actually quite good and deserved higher than straight 7s. Tough to keep popularity to a minimum and have "fans" actually vote for the best dancers. Should be a great season!

There isn’t a single answer as to what ballroom dress would suit you best. The first and probably the most important condition is that you have to feel comfortable both emotionally and physically in the dress of your choice. Take some time and think – how do you see yourself on the dance floor? Are you chick? Romantic? Passionate? Flirty? You should choose a design that would appeal to your inner self and to your style of dancing. In my experience the time spent on finding your own style pays off much better than any designer-made dress stuffed with stones from head to toes.  

Be sure to discuss your preferences with your partner. Ideally you should develop a common image of you as a couple. A couple where the girl looks like a high-class sophisticated lady while her partner plays a hot Macho man looks somehow weird.

Basic Fit

Take a few simple precautions to ensure you will feel ok in your costumes during the competition. Raise your hands, make a couple of moves in front of the mirror, and observe the skirt motion. For standard dresses – make sure not to choose a very long skirt or you risk catching your heels in it. For latin gowns – its important that your top stays in place while you are dancing. The straps should be elastic and strong enough not to fall off your shoulders, and your bra or the sewed-in bra cups shouldn’t move from your breasts.  Take some time to practice dancing together with your partner in your competition costumes. Your skirt should allow enough room for motion for both of you, and your sleeves should not impede your partner to hold your hands or change places.

Every competition follows a certain dress code, which might not allow some fabrics or decorations for your dance level. It’s better to learn them in advance not to get banned from the dance floor only for wearing latin competition gown decorated with feathers which were not allowed.

Colors – safe black or blatant pink?

Choosing dull colors is probably the commonest mistake a beginning performer makes.   Being scared away by the bright colors, he would never wear in the real life, like pink or bright-green he ends up choosing something absolutely plain like grey, charcoal or brown.There’s nothing wrong with choosing dim colors, but any dancing competition - is still a show and it is important to stand out.  If all the other dancers are in red, your black dress will look gorgeous. But if you have no idea what other competitors wear – my suggestion is to bet for brighter colors.

Of course this doesn’t cancel the need to choose the colors that suit your complexion and compliment your figure. Not everyone can safely wear bright “electric” colors, like orange or fuchsia. Orange would look great on dark haired tanned girls while a blond girl would look greenish in it. Pink shades suit many skin types and are quite popular among dancers, yet they can add you several extra kg’s, so pick the design carefully.

Black always looks elegant and sophisticated, but it usually requires some bright accessories or a lot of sparkling stones to help it stand out. Otherwise, since your partner is usually wearing black it is likely you will blend on his background. Brown and sand colors should be picked carefully for the same reason - they tend to blend you with the floor. White looks great on most people, it gives a fresh and rich impression, yet it is quite impractical.

Summarizing the above said –  besides matching your taste and complexion – the color should not be dim or “dusty”, it shouldn’t blend with your face, your partner’s clothes or the dance floor. If you are picking a popular color, which many dancers are likely to wear, such as flame red or pink – try to find an unusual ballroom gown design that would let you stand out. Or, ask your tailor to design a special ballroom dress just for you.

Stage look

 
Another little thing you should keep in mind while choosing dress fabric and design. It mostly matters how you look at a distance. You dance for the audience, which sits quite far from you (5-10-15-20 m away).  Any small pattern would either go unnoticed or would look silly.  And vice-versa: If the dress you are looking at looks vulgar to you - put it on the rack and get a second look at a 10m distance. You might change your mind then. :)

Say no to small dots, little flowers,  and the like.  The only exception is probably animal print, but again, make sure it’s visible from a 10 m. distance.  My personal opinion is that it’s always better to buy a fabric with no patterns and decorate the dress with stones and appliqué work after that: this method leaves you with more space for improvisation.

A final platitude for a summary

No matter how gorgeous your dress is – it does not guarantee you the finals. But a well chosen dress - one that fits your figure, has an interesting design, right colors, topped with a good makeup – will definitely make you stand out.  Wearing it, you will feel comfortable during your performance and will get the biggest prize for any dancer:  the audience applauses.

To be continued with “Get the ballroom dress that flatters your shape”. Pictures and sketches included.  Check back soon for the update.

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Ballroom Fashion tips by Maria Chitul
Maria is the owner of Ballroom Sparkle studio <http://www.ballroomsparkle.com>, designing gowns for ballroom dancers all over the world. At her site you will find a lot of gown designs, articles about ballroom fashion and style advice for beginners.

Continue reading "Choosing your first ballroom competition dress - Part II" »

If you haven’t been taking part in dance shows or stage performances before, choosing your first ballroom competition dress might turn to be a challenging task. Most probably you are not ready to spend a fortune on your first competition costume, you are also not sure what color or design to choose, you might not even know where to buy a dress for dance competitions at all. Still, this is your first big show and you want to look great and be the queen of the ball. This article addresses some of the basic questions most of the beginners bump into when looking for their dance costumes for competition.  

Question N1. Do I need a dance costume?

Some couples decide not to bother with their dance costumes for competition at all. I’ve noticed people wearing their disco party clothes or their evening gowns at ballroom competition. To some extent it makes sense of course. You might not even be sure if you are going to continue dancing at all. Why buy a competition ballroom dress to leave it dust in your closet afterwards? 

However, I don’t think it’s really a good option. Mainly for the reason you are unlikely to feel comfortable wearing these clothes. Party and evening dresses are often made of a non-stretchy fabric that is not suited for ballroom dancing.  The ballroom competition costumes are specifically designed to show off the ballroom movements and positions to best advantage. Long full skirts in smooth/standard dances accentuate the gliding movements of the dancer, while fringed or ripped skirts show off the hip work and fast movements in latin. The regular evening dress simply wouldn’t make the same impression.

The second reason you should consider your looks seriously is that despite everything the judges and teachers say – ballroom dancing is quite a subjective sport. It’s important for you to stand out on the dance floor. And a good ballroom costume is one of the factors that will help you do so.   

So my position here is: if you are a beginning dancer who doesn’t want to spend large sums on dance costumes for competitions - go for professional look at the cheapest cost you can find. You may either rent a costume, or order a simple undecorated dress from a tailor – neither will require a fortune.

Question N.2. Where do I find dance costumes for competition?

Start your quest for ballroom competition costume from your dancing teacher. He is the person who usually knows good tailors or ballroom dance shops in your area and who can recommend you one. He also knows the actual level of the approaching competition and can advice you what kind of gown would be appropriate to wear for it. The dress code may vary from competition to competition - you want to be neither overly dressed nor look too modest compared to other couples.

Ballroom dress seamstress

Having your competition dress custom made is probably the best option, given that you managed to find a good ballroom dress maker . A custom made dress is guaranteed to fit your figure, compliment your face complexion and be adjusted to your budget. By having your dress made – you get much more flexibility in choosing fabric, colors, and ballroom dress design. You will also get some professional advice from the seamstresses who designed many ballroom dresses before and therefore know what ballroom dress design would suit you best. A good ballroom dress tailor will always recommend you how to save on a dress if you have a limited budget. For instance the tailor may design the dress in a way so he could add more decorations or extra floats/feathers/skirts later on. The only possible disadvantage of a custom-made gown is that it takes some time before it is ready.

Pre-owned gowns

If you need a ballroom competition dress quickly you may consider buying a second hand gown from other dancers. The pre-owned gowns come in all shapes and sizes, priced extremely differently. From cheap “home-made” gowns, to brand new “designer sponsored” dresses, which were only worn once and are now offered for sale with a discount.  Sponsored gowns are usually beautiful, heavily stoned, but imho quite expensive for a beginner.  Still, the range of gowns is very big so you are likely to find something appropriate for your level and your pocket.

When buying a pre-worn gown be sure to ask how many times this dress was worn, require a closer picture of the dress and possibly agree on a return in case the dress turns to be not quite as “brand new” as promised.

Ballroom dress rentals

Renting a ballroom dancing gown is another option you might consider. If you are not sure about what design or color would suit you best, don’t have more than 200 USD to spend and still want a nice professional competition dress – consider a dress rental. The rentals would usually let you choose between two or three dresses, too. And some would even let you buy the dress, if you loved it too much to give it back.

 
To be continued…

Part II of the article “how to choose your first ballroom competition costume” will feature recommendations on how to choose the color of a ballroom dress, your image as a dancing couple, and some handy advice on how to check if the dress really fits.

By Maria Chitul

Ballroom Sparkle Studio

Ballroom Fashion tips by Maria Chitul
Maria is the owner of Ballroom Sparkle studio <http://www.ballroomsparkle.com>, designing gowns for ballroom dancers all over the world. At her site you will find a lot of gown designs, articles about ballroom fashion and style advice for beginners.

Continue reading "Choosing your first ballroom competition dress - Part I" »

The final results show of Dancing with the Stars aired last week; a big subject of conversation amongst dancers and non-dancers is still "who won." The top 3 were all amazing; each one deserved to win. I was personally happy that Apollo Ohno won since his background, like Ali's, was not a dance background. He was in very new and foreign territory and improved dramatically. I still can not fathom how they were able to learn 2 or 3 dances in one week. I particularly enjoyed Apollo's quickstep, tango, and paso doble. Joey's swing was out of this world. Laila's smooth dances, like her waltz, were all beautiful. The professionals were all fantastic ... especially 18 year old Julianne. Very inspiring performances. Now to practice, practice, practice!

Latin action is easiest to learn in a dance like merengue ... where you're stepping on every beat. Some things to keep in mind: think one knee straight and one knee bent; as one straightens, the other bends. Practice first with feet slightly apart and shift the weight from one leg to the other ... as if waiting at a "bus stop" ... and the bus still doesn't arrive ... then shift again, etc. You can also practice going up stairs slowly; as one knee bends, you step onto a bent leg with no weight; that leg then straightens as the other knee bends and you repeat the action onto the next step.
You'll use latin action in other dances like rumba, cha cha, mambo, salsa, bolero, and even in east coast swing and jive. When you "rock back" in the latin dances, pretend there's a rubber ball under your heel ... so you can not sink all the way to the floor. You could very lightly touch the floor with the heel ... as in a light "kiss." Do not let your rear end sink down or fall back away from your dance partner.
When traveling forward ... as in forward walks in rumba, you step with a "flat foot" rather than a heel lead. The ball of the foot very slightly lands first; the weight is toward the inside edge of the foot; the foot is slightly turned out so one is not "pigeon toed."
Practice your styling slowly first. When working on the styling in cha cha, first isolate the latin action on individual counts. For example, just do the hip action (leg action) on the "2" count; or just on the "1" count; unless you're really proficient, do not incorporate the action on the "4 and." (Cha Cha is counted "1, 2, 3, 4 and.") Remember to feel grounded and earthy rather than light and bouncy.

A nice exercise to practice for your ballroom dance postion: start with your arms relaxed down to your sides. Lift the arms out to the sides with the arm muscles ... not by letting your shoulders come up with tension; then simply fold the forearms in ... leaving the elbows wide. Think about pulling the shoulders down and away from the ears. You want to have a "wide back" for a nice dance frame. This is especially true in the smooth dances: waltz, foxtrot, tango, quickstep, and Viennese waltz.
Men: in a ballroom dance hold: keep the fingers of your right hand together when in the dance position so your hand does not look like a spider on the lady's back. The hand should be placed just under her shoulder blade; that allows the lady to lean back and away.
When you're in an open position ... as in Cha Cha in a crossover break, as in Bolero or Waltz in an open break ... pretend like you are holding an egg softly with the thumb and middle finger. That's a nice generic hand position you can count on.
In swing keep your fingers pointed in toward your dance partner ... not with the finger nails digging in. You need to maintain "tone" in the fingers -- and equal pull and push with your partner. You do not squeeze with the fingers; you also do not use any pressure with the thumbs as the hands have to be free to rotate in various underarm turns.
Communication throught the dance position, hands, and arms is important in good social dancing. Offer tone and strength without being rigid, tight, or too loose.