Blinded by the sight

T

Tinydancergirl

Member
We all know how much importance is placed on the visual aspect of ballroom dancing. Having the right hairstyle, makeup, etc. My question is this- how much does the costume effect judging? I know that judges have probably "seen it all" when it comes to costumes, from the downright embarassing to the OMG factor. Are the judges immune to such visual distractions, so that they only concentrate on the technique, and not the faux pas of a questionable costume? I ask this because I just had a latin dress made. It is quite skimpy, (think Carolina outfits) and while I have gotten several positive comments on it, I haven't actually competed in it. I take my dancing very seriously and a lot of thought and design went into the making of this dress, however, I don't want this dress to overshadow my technique. I don't think it will, but you never know.
Tinydancergirl
 
IMO, if you have a great body and want to showcase it, go for it. If wearing it mentally affects how you dance in a bad way, don't wear it til you know you can rock it properly.

Oh, and pics would be nice :p
 
I don't think the judges pay too much attention to the costuming. They are judging the dancing, and can usually see past the costumes.

That's not to say that what you wear doesn't matter. A dress that complements your dancing well - showing off your strengths, hiding your weaknesses - can help you get better marks.
 
I think that costume will affect judging if you're inappropriately dressed, or if you don't look the part. I have a hard time believing that costume won't factor in if you are dancing pre-champ latin and your costume/hair/makeup looks like something someone at a lower level would wear.

However, I don't think that skimpiness is considered inappropriate for latin...so if you're comfortable and you look like you're rocking, I would say you're fine. And good for you!
 
Talking to some judges I know they've told me that good dancing is the number one thing they look for, if you dance much better you should win. However if things are similar, costuming and other things come into play. I've also heard that a good costume should enhance your dancing, showing off your strengths and hiding your weaknesses. If your body is one of your strengths and comfortable with it I would say rock it.
 
a beautiful body is an asset...but all things should be in good taste...even the firmest butt cheek isn't something we need to see...and it is not only distracting but inappropriate...if you have doubts about what you are wearing...you should wear something else
 
Agreed, but "skimpy" is what YOU called it. Will it be skimpy compared to the rest of them? My DP's first Latin dress had full length sleeves... swore that's all she'd ever wear. Now (years later), she has three Latin dresses that are sleeveless. You can probably guess she wasn't comfortable the first time wearing her first one. Might be worth it to go a 'little' outside your comfort zone, but it sounds like you're worried more about what others will think.
 
BasicsFirst said:
Agreed, but "skimpy" is what YOU called it. Will it be skimpy compared to the rest of them? My DP's first Latin dress had full length sleeves... swore that's all she'd ever wear. Now (years later), she has three Latin dresses that are sleeveless. You can probably guess she wasn't comfortable the first time wearing her first one. Might be worth it to go a 'little' outside your comfort zone, but it sounds like you're worried more about what others will think.
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I think I need to explain the situation a little clearer. I am very comfortable with the dress, in fact I love it. I'm 5'2" and 98 pounds and in very good shape, and, thank the Lord, while I do have a little something upstairs, I'm not really worried about anything accidentally popping out. ;) However, the dress does show a lot of skin. What I'm worried about is that just maybe the judges will look more at the dress than my dancing. For example, the last comp I was at, I wore a different latin dress and I had more people come up to me, (pros, amateurs, audience) asking where I got the dress I wore, was it for sale, how incredible it looked, etc. I was kinda disappointed, because I was hoping to hear how well I danced, not how great the dress was. I did place first in all my heats, so I know I did ok, and even thought the dress was gorgeous I really didn't want the dress to outshine me, ya know? I guess the only thing to do is to wear my new dress, observe the reactions of those around and then make my decision on how I want to design my next dress based on that.
Tinydancergirl
 
people compliment me on my gowns all the time...I wouldn't assume that meant they didn't see my dancing particualrly if I marked well....if you feel comfortable in it, wear it...but again 98 pounds still doesn't give you carte blanche on what is appropriate and I would bear that in mind
 
I think it's more to do with the over all presentation than just the costume as a fashion per se. It's more about how you dress to present yourself as professional or at least present appropriate for the dances.
 
fascination said:
people compliment me on my gowns all the time...I wouldn't assume that meant they didn't see my dancing particualrly if I marked well....if you feel comfortable in it, wear it...but again 98 pounds still doesn't give you carte blanche on what is appropriate and I would bear that in mind
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I had over ten fittings, from scratch to finish, designed by a top notch designer, so, yes, I feel very comfortable wearing it, because I know that it fits me like a glove and nothing, nothing inappropriate will show. I'm not sure why you blantantly think being 98 pounds would give me or anyone who's that weight carte blanche on what is appropriate. Do you think that anyone that size will always flaunt it? How about the dancers who try to squeeze a size 12 body into a size 3 dress? I'm sure many people in the audience have seen that one time or another and to me that is very unappropriate! See, that's what I find so frustrating about being the size I am. Everyone I meet wants to know WHY I am so small and how cute my figure is, and please, please tell me what are your anorexic secrets/tricks! (Huh? WTF? -how about this advice--eat healthy and exercise!) My typical outfit for the day consist of jeans, sandals and tshirt. Nothing special.
My post was in regards to judging and how a dress might effect a result. I take my dancing incredibly seriously and was looking for comments regarding judging, since I am rather new to the comp world.
Tinydancergirl
 
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