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Lv 6
? asked in Arts & HumanitiesDancing · 10 years ago

Latin & ballroom dance in one night. What do I wear?

Having done salsa for a while I typically wear:

- low cut, open back spaghetti strap tops

- A-line mini skirt

- double layer pantyhose

- tall socks over the pantyhose

- a pair of knee high boots with 3" heel

The pantyhose & socks are for padding and the 3" heel is great as a lot of salsa dances are done on the forefoot.

Ballroom dancers usually wear dresses with longer skirts. Should I keep the spaghetti strap top & knee high boots for both dances and just switch to a longer skirt for ballroom?

Update:

@Charles - Thank you very much for the detailed reply! I guess I will bring 2 skirts, mini for salsa, below the knee for ballroom. 3" heels are great for dances like the samba de gafieira where a lot of of moves are down on your forefoot. The smooth leather bottoms allow multiple spins very comfortably. The double layer pantyhose and thick socks inside my boots are padding which makes the tall heels a lot less tiring. However, for ballroom, are a lot of steps done on your forefoot or not?

Update 2:

@Fruit_Filling - First off, thank you for trying to help me out! ...... The ballroom part of my evening will be strictly ballroom music for waltz, tango, foxtrot, two step, etc. I was not sure if my mini skirt would be appropriate so I will switch to a longer, loose fit below the knee skirt. My padded boots have smooth leather bottoms specifically for gliding on a wooden floor. However, I am experienced with salsa but am new to ballroom. Does ballroom have a lot more going backwards then salsa? I am beginning to suspect ballroom dance uses the forefoot a lot less then Latin dances?

3 Answers

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  • 10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Is the ballroom going to be strictly ballroom (i.e. only waltz, tango, foxtrot, quickstep, viennese waltz), or will it include latin dances (most ballroom events I have attended play both types of music)? If it is only going to be ballroom dances, then you should go with a long skirt. If there will be latin dances played at the event, then a knee-length skirt would be appropriate. Either way, the skirt should not be tight, because in ballroom, your partner has to step between your legs.

    Footwear-wise, the ladies I know wear 2" or 2.5" heels, but they are specialized dancing shoes. In ballroom, you will do a lot of walking backwards, so try walking backward in your boots, and decide if you are comfortable enough to wear them. You also might consider bringing a backup pair of shoes with a shorter heel, in case you find the boots to not be good.

  • 1. Take out the mini-skirt for the ballroom...it is not proper to wear a mini-skirt in ballroom. Instead, a skirt that goes down to at least 1 foot down from the kneecap would be adequate.

    2. A "3" heel would be good for ballroom, but I strongly suggest not to wear high heels either in ballroom or in Latin. The "3" heel in the quickstep might place a big strain on your knees and joints because of the constant hopping that occurs in quickstep....not just on the quick "chasse steps". And in Latin, especially in the samba and cha-cha where the fast turns are involved (like the chaine turns, promenade spins, and solo spins), the heels will also place a painful number on you. Best to wear low heels instead....so you can keep dancing...that could be the best for you..........1-inch heels would be enough.

    3. Tall socks will be good for ballroom and Latin if they are black colored. Black is still best when used as underwear.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    For the main area gentle and oftentimes happening confer with the comparable dances reported interior the respond via Blundt Cake above. notwithstanding, gentle is used greater whilst touching on American form ballroom dancing (additionally referred to as American gentle ) on an identical time as the term prevalent is used greater whilst touching on worldwide form ballroom dancing. on an identical time as they are modifications between the two types, they positioned on the comparable footwear. the girls human beings s sandal form is used for latin/rhythm a version on the pump is used for gentle/prevalent. you ought to use the latin footwear for prevalent, yet no longer the prevalent footwear for latin. Blundt Cake became into additionally precise with regard to the reason of nude colored footwear - elongates the leg and disappears. bear in mind that it s a chew of activities kit, and prefer athletic footwear, distinctive manufacturers of dance footwear have distinctive costs. a reliable high quality pair of dance footwear will cost with regard to the comparable as a reliable high quality pair of working footwear or running shoes. (finished disclosure - I ve worked on and stale in my relatives s ballroom dance shoe keep considering that i became right into a toddler)

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