Good Gawd, Stevie Scarlett! What the fook is all this about? (taken from your link above)   


Why cotton? Because it absorbs perspiration and you will feel far less sticky when hot. Simple as that. Also your partner will find you feel less clammy. Folk dancing is tactile. If you don't like being tactile, take up knitting or stamp collecting instead. Brushed cotton is very sensual - especially on a woman (but I would think that, wouldn't I?). Apart from cotton there are some good manmade wicking fabrics but no doubt these are more expensive.

Limit jewellery to a minimum and preferably zero. This applies especially at folk festivals and 'fast' ceilidhs where you may mix with highly experienced people who dance more energetically than you do. Expensive watches may get ripped off your arms, bracelets may never be the same again (or may never be seen again). Studded bracelets as worn by 'new age' women are an offensive weapon and can rip men's arms (believe me, I know). Even a diamond engagement or other ring can be a sharp implement if dragged across someone's arm. Leave it at home! Necklaces can get snagged and spill their beads across the dance floor. You will not be popular.

Folk dancing is not a fashion parade. You are judged by your dancing ability not by displays of conspicuous consumption. Women do not have to spend a fortune on clothes - indeed many superb dancers make little effort dressing up - they know men will want to dance with them simply because of their expertise. Men who wear 'loud' shirts are a part of the scenery - and generally good dancers. A visit to a charity shop in an upmarket town can provide several outfits for less than the cost of getting to one dance.

Experienced dance teachers will tell you that over 80% of the reason why someone asks you to dance is simply how well you dance. Clothes make little difference. How you use your eyes can make a lot of difference. Before language was invented, primates communicated using their eyes and their fingertips. Many folk dancers still do. Loud shirts are just a sort of mating plumage, the male equivalent of an undersized mini-skirt.

Imagine you go to a dance on a cold winter's night. You may have dressed in 4 or 5 layers, You need to be able to reduce them to one layer for dancing once you warm up - aim for a well ventilated single layer. You are allowed underclothes as well - but these are optional of course.

For men, a short sleeved 100% cotton shirt can be ideal. I find close fitting T shirts are far too hot. Thin cotton trousers are ideal - and not too tight fitting. 60% cotton 40% polyester trousers are OK - but again not too tight. Jeans are too hot and quite heavy - but many people dance in them. They are often the people who sit dances out - to recover and cool down! Shorts are OK for men and women at ceilidhs and festival dances. They may be frowned upon at a club night! Wear the right clothes and aim to dance every dance! Silk shirts look good but can be so thin that they quickly get saturated and then stick to you. In my view they are suitable only for 'gentle' types of social folk dance. Aim for colours that don't change colour too much when wet - some are far worse than others. I should know why, but I don't.

For women, don't wear a tight figure-hugging skirt, short or otherwise. Flowing skirts (these can be quite short!!) or dresses work best - plan to allow your legs free movement. Loose fitting cotton slacks are obviously OK. Your top should either have buttons (preferably with several missing....) or be V neck and quite revealing anyway - it will help keep you cool and the men interested. A heavy sweater over a bra is a very bad idea, even if it is minus ten degrees outdoors. After two dances you'll want to take it off. I do sometimes advise women to take their sweater off before they dance with me - only to be told they have nothing on underneath. OK, so it's worth trying.

Tops should be cotton and NOT fashion parade sequins or comprising a latticework of beads - think of the men who will have their hands around your back. These things are suitable for dinner parties, they are impracticable for folk dancing. Any sort of stockings are likely to make you too hot. Dresses used with a strapless bar and that leave you with a bare back look very nice but can be intimidating for men - who will need to dance with you with their hand directly on your back. Some men find this unsettling. Also, you may not wish a succession of possibly clammy hands to be placed on your bare back! A skimpy cotton top is probably the best compromise. An attractive woman showing part of her midriff is fine (fine by me anyhow).

Socks should be cotton or cotton rich mixtures and short. Any colour - even if from different pairs.

Shoes should be flat soled, lightweight and not too bulky. They should be well secured to your feet - not a loose slip-on design. Stilettos are an offensive weapon and wholly unsuitable for many dance types which are 'flat' - that is you dance with your feet broadly flat to the floor, rather than up on your toes. Waltz is one example, Irish set dance is another (leaving aside the experts of Riverdance etc!). Trainers are OK but I don't much like them, the soles can be too 'grippy' on the dance floor. Leather soles can be too slippery. Many people wear sandals that provide lots of ventilation - but leave your toes more exposed to being trodden on. Proper dance shoes are ideal but are totally unnecessary for beginners. Whatever shoes you wear make sure they are comfortable with no 'tight spots'. These will soon become sore spots - or worse. Some types of dances require hard soled shoes, some require clogs. These are specialised types of folk dance not 'evening out' ceilidhs or general dances at festivals."

I'm sticking to Oysterband dancing, you can wear what you want, glow till dawn, slip, slide, fall, expose, cover up, dance naked, alone or together...Sooooooooo much more fun!

Stevie, you've turned into a Sidmothian!!! Leave the County, immediately!

:0)

WHO is Seered Steve, Will? Well, you could look in some of these threads... :0)