Do they have to b "ballroom" dresses?

The biggest difference between ballroom dresses and blinged out special occasion dresses is that ballroom dresses usually have bodysuit and/or bra cups incorporated into the design. The bodysuit helps to keep the dress from riding up on the body and adjusting as you dance. it is also usually made of a more breathable material for comfort.

There are lots of options for used dresses and even unstoned ballroom dresses, if you are willing to stone yourself. I have also heard good things about StarDanceShop.
 
snapdancer said:
This sounds more like a closed studio competition than a showcase. A showcase is usually one couple on the floor at a time performing a completely choreographed routine which includes a few "wow" steps to impress the audience.
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AMDS uses the term 'showcase' to refer to a closed studio (or regional franchise) performance and competition. There are solo- and group performances, and single- and multi-dance competitive heats. You are correct that this differs from terminology outside their franchises.

It doesn't mean either usage of the word is right or wrong, but that we should be slow to judge those who use words differently as the different usage may also be correct.
 
raindance said:
This is good advice. And practicewear can be dressed up a great deal with blingy jewelry if you want. You can just get some costume jewelry to start off with. Sometimes stores that sell costume jewelry for special occasions (catering to teens shopping for proms, etc) can have cheap stuff with a lot of bling to get you started.

Later if you want, you can get ballroom quality blingy jewelry. This is generally more expensive, but will have better quality rhinestones and other features that work well for dancers. Start off with crystal AB if you go this route, since crystal AB jewelry can be worn with almost any dress.
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Be careful with the cheap jewelry. There are prongs on that stuff that can ruin nice practice wear as well as the teachers shirt. Better off not wearing anything beyond earring than ruining clothing. Wait on the jewelry until you can get real ballroom jewelry, there is usually no metal involved in the necklaces or bracelets
 
When I started with Arthur Murray, I wore nice cocktail dresses to my first few showcases and fit in fine. At least the ones I went to had a much looser dress code (at the lower levels) than the independent comps I've attended. And they were formatted pretty much like comps, but the lower levels were not competitive; I received (*very* general) judges' comments but no placements.
 
Welcome! A lot of women stone their own dresses. That's one way to save some money; you can buy the stones in bulk. There are many threads on stoning dresses here -- use the search function.
 
Hi Vanessa. Yes, Arthur Murray calls it a "Showcase". It is very similar to an independent Team Match, except that they also have a lot of Solos, then dinner and Pros in the evening. Since you are asking what to wear I assume that you are new. You would NOT be expected to go full out with a dance costume nor would you want to since you don't have the experience yet to know what you want to be "your look". At one time newcomers were not even allowed to wear costumes! The advice to get some practice wear and perhaps stoning it is great. Practice wear is specifically designed to move correctly when you dance. You may also consider simply dressing up the practice wear with bracelets, belts and other jewelry which you can use later, either for full on costumes or for shows. Talk to some of your more experienced dance sisters about where to get the stones and the tools you need to go about stoning in the most efficient way. Or you can ask people on this forum!! For bracelets, you can cover almost any type of plastic ring or bracelet with beige or matching fabric and glue on the stones. For belts just sew some matching fabric over elastic and stone it. Good luck and enjoy!!
Oh!! Also, one of your dance sisters may have jewelry that she can loan you!!!
 
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I would never invest in a real gown for a showcase, but I would more likely opt for a high quality practice dress than trying to make street clothes work
 
Where I might make something for a showcase, if I had enough leftover lying around... but otherwise, I'm shopping my closet. I have enough dance and regular clothing/accessories that there is zero reason for me to be buying something new, especially for a one-off. I'm a fan of practice skirt, regular or practice top and jewelry (often a belt too) as a "costume".

Wait, I lie. One time I did buy a pretty black stretch lace top from a teen store to pair with things I already had. Total cost = under $25.
 
There are a lot of cheap rental of proper ballroom dresses here (think $50-$100 for a $800-$1500 dresses). In fact if anyone is willing to pay rental for my older gown I'll probably be quite happy to do it. A lot of ballroom dancers are left with gowns they cannot use or got too bored with to use anymore. I have 3 that remain unsold for a while mainly because of my size.
 
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