Proper Square Dance Attire?
On the registration form for the National Square Dance Convention there is text at the bottom that reads, “Proper Square Dance Attire and Convention Badge are REQUIRED for entrance to the dance halls…” While this is not new for the National Square Dance Convention, I had heard it was actually being enforced at the 56th Convention in Charlotte.
If we want to continue Square Dancing in this country we have to change with the times. Believe it or not some folks find Square Dance attire a little out of date.
I am a former President of the SAGE Swingers Square and Round Dance Club in Maine. We are the largest club in Maine and probably New England with more than 120 active members. Every April we enjoy attending the New England Square Dance Convention with about 50 of our club members. During the day both men and women wear jeans and short sleeve polo shirts (many with our club logo on them). In the evenings we dress up, most of the women wear skirts and blouses and men wear slacks and shirts (most shirts are long sleeve, but not all). The point is we have a very large contingent of dancers that attend these dances but don’t dress according to the requirements set up at the National Square Dance Convention.
My wife and I attended the National Square Dance Convention in Denver in 2004 and dressed as we do for the New England Convention (jeans and short sleeve shirts during the day). We had a great time and were never asked to leave the dance floor. We also attended the 57th National Convention in Wichita and continued to dress as we did in Denver.
I know the published required attire caused us to think we might not want to attend convention and I wonder if it might be deterring others from attending or even joining us in this great social activity. I think the NEC needs to reconsider their stance on “Proper Attire” and focus on getting people to join our activity, not turn them away by rigid dress codes.
Rick Powell
http://SAGE.SquareDanceME.US
Posted in
I can’t tell when this item was posted on the NEC Blog, but it appears that it was quite awhile back which concers me since there hasn’t been a response posted by anyone from the NEC. What good is it to have a BLOG if it’s not going to be monitored and developed into a dialog? I happen to fully agree that the requirement for ‘Proper Square Dance Attire’ is outdated and contributes negativelly towards the square dancing community image and in attracting new dancers. At the Oregon National Convention, I was stopped by the ‘fashion police’ at an afternoon dance because I was wearing a short sleeve western shirt. It’s my view that Modern Square Dancing should include modern music and modern dress.
I feel that the dress code for the Day should be a little laxed, but the evening dances need to be in Square Dance Attire.
My goal is to encourage as many contra dancers as possible to attend future National Square Dance Conventions. Unfortunately, “Proper Square Dance Attire” does discourage some contra callers and dancers. From what I understand, the dress code has been relaxed and casual during the day, but required after 6 PM.
I hope that most will agree to allowing prairie skirts, or other dresses, for the lady contra dancers. The long sleeves for men may be a challenge, as most contra is more energetic and zesty than square dancing. It is my understanding that men are asked to wear long sleeves for square dance, so a lady does not have to feel a sweaty forearm in an arm turn. In square dance, we do hold forearms for alemande, and turn throughs. However, in most contra groups, most turns are performed using thumb grips, or hand grips, so there is no need for forearms to touch in contra.
On this blog, square dance attire has been discussed briefly. In my opinion, it is not a question of IF the dress code will be relaxed, but a question of WHEN it will be relaxed. If I were in a meeting, I would propose that some dance halls at National REQUIRE square dance attire, but some halls (including contra) have a relaxed dress code.
On the 61st National website, a video for contra is featured. Very few of the dancers in the video are wearing “Proper Square Dance Attire,” and all are having fun. In my opinion, that is what dance is all about — enjoying it. (The video is in the middle of the long page) http://61nsdc.com/callers.htm )
My goal is to encourage as many contra dancers as possible to join the square dancers in having fun dancing contra at the future Nationals. I feel a realistic and relaxed dress code will help that. If you do not agree, please understand that I will respect your opinion.
Gary Lillich
“A contra dance is like an amusement park ride we make for ourselves.” –Unknown
Since I posted earlier, a couple have sent me a message on facebook, voicing agreement. I would welcome feedback from all fellow square dancers and contra dancers.
Email iamgary48 AT yahoo DOT com
I am not a great dancer, so this means a lot to me—-
“Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their passion.”
― Martha Graham