The Functions Of A Ballroom Dance Dress
Appreciating And Understanding The Design Of Ballroom Costume
Mar 23, 2009
Since there is little need to show the lady dancer's leg line in Ballroom dances, the Ballroom/Standard style dresses are usually long and up to ankle length cut with maximum flare.Flaring of the dress is absolutely necessary to enhance that turn and sway, rise and fall of the various Ballroom dances along the dance floor.
In some cases when the dancer really wants to emphasize such flare, the hem of the dress may be "hooped". These hoops are formed by sewing a fishing-line type of wire to the hem of the dress. Due to the natural resistance of the fishing line, the hem of the dress will curl up into whirl of stiff circles. Alternatively, dress hem can also be layered or ruffled to emphasize the flare.
While the bottom of the dress is always flared, the upper body is always tight fitting with a reasonable exposure of the neckline as well as an open back. The sleeves can either be long and hooped to the middle finger (to prevent sliding upward especially when the arms are raised), or the dress can go completely sleeveless.
Accessorize With Floats
It is very common to have "floats" sewn at each cuff of long sleeves, or at both wristbands in the case of sleeveless Ballroom dress. A float is a piece of handkerchief or scarf-like decoration cut from the same fabric as the dress attached and dangled at the wrist. The floats help to emphasize the top line of the female dancer, create flows, and give a sense of direction. Sometimes a float can also be found at the back of the neck attaching to a choker if there happens to be one. No matter where they are, the floats tend to guide the audiences' eye movements to focus on the dancing couple.
Use Of Color And Crystal Embellishments
Since the Ballroom Dance styles are more elegant and graceful, any soft pastel colors can be applied on the female dancers' dresses in the various dances of Waltz, Quick Step, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz as seen in competitions. However, dark serious colors like red and black are used widely on costumes for the Tango in a dance show. This has a lot of do with the character of the dance where there is much emotion, passion to interpret.
A Ballroom costume is never complete without stoning or crystals. It is up to the designer or even the dancer herself to decide how much and where to stone a ballroom costume. The various sizes and colors of crystals will reflect light in different angles as the dancer travels on the dance floor. Crystals are usually embellished on the front and back bodice and elsewhere on the dress. The more grosses of crystal stones (1 gross = 144 pieces) used, the more glittery and eye-catching the costume becomes – and of course more costly.
The Lady Is Always the Center Of Attraction
No matter how a designer may create a costume with fancy adornment, a typical Ballroom dress style stays within its basic functional limit, that is, it must be ankle length with flare. Various examples of Ballroom costumes can be found on this website. Unfortunately, the costumes of the male dancers stay mainly with a gentlemanly tail suit in most cases with nothing too exciting. That is the main reason why the audiences always exclaim at the female Ballroom Dance performer in her glittery costume as she graces the floor in any performance.
