Men wearing dresses at contras/squares
Nancy Mamlin
I'm crossposting this to rec.folk-dancing, as that group is more likely
to include those of whom you speak...
On Tue, 20 Aug 1996 ward...@interport.net wrote:
> Over the last year, I have seen a number of men wearing dresses at
> contra and square dances. Not just skirts, but real women's dresses.
> And somebody told me it was a "Northeast" thing. Can somebody comment
> on this phenomenon? Is it a response to more-men-than-women or what?
I won't comment (being a woman) other than on the geography of the
phenomena. Having gone this summer on a tour between the two contenintal
divides, and having a fair amount of knowledge about the dances in both
the East and Southeast, I'd say your assessment is correct. The further
West we went on our tour, the less likely we were to see skirts, and I
don't think we ever saw a dress. In Asheville, NC there are a few guys
who wear skirts fairly regularly. I can't think of seeing a bona fide
dress South of DC or West of I-95...
Hmmm....
Nancy
Dave Goldman
> On Tue, 20 Aug 1996 ward...@interport.net wrote:
>
> > Over the last year, I have seen a number of men wearing dresses at
> > contra and square dances. Not just skirts, but real women's dresses.
> > And somebody told me it was a "Northeast" thing. Can somebody comment
> > on this phenomenon? Is it a response to more-men-than-women or what?
Here in Portland, Oregon, I can think of one regular male dancer who often
wears a skirt, and one who usually wears a dress. I'm reasonably sure that
neither does so because of more-men-than-women.
-- Dave Goldman
Portland, OR
Steve Goldfield
In article <Pine.PMDF.3.91.9608201...@conrad.appstate.edu>,
Nancy Mamlin <maml...@conrad.appstate.edu> wrote:
#>I won't comment (being a woman) other than on the geography of the
#>phenomena. Having gone this summer on a tour between the two contenintal
#>divides, and having a fair amount of knowledge about the dances in both
#>the East and Southeast, I'd say your assessment is correct. The further
#>West we went on our tour, the less likely we were to see skirts, and I
#>don't think we ever saw a dress. In Asheville, NC there are a few guys
#>who wear skirts fairly regularly. I can't think of seeing a bona fide
#>dress South of DC or West of I-95...
#>
#>Hmmm....
#>
#>Nancy
I've seen a few skirts on men out this way but not many. I think
I saw a dress once or twice, too. But I don't often go to dances,
so maybe one of the BACDS regulars will add a more thorough
comment.
--
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Steve Goldfield :<{ {>: ste...@uclink.berkeley.edu
me...@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu
In article <96234.10...@wvnvm.wvnet.edu>, Kathy Fletcher <U3...@wvnvm.wvnet.edu> writes:
> I always thought men wore skirts/dresses for dancing because they're
> cooler (temperature, not style) than pants/shorts and they like the feel
> of the fabric swishing on their legs. Or maybe that's why I wear skirts...
>
> My husband was taking photographs for the Augusta Workshop catalog one year
> and he found it challenging to take pictures of the Dance Week students
> without displaying guys in skirts (per his orders from above).
>
> My only wish is that the guys would take a friend shopping with them for
> a second opinion on how the skirt/dress looks on them.
>
> ~~~~~~~
> Kathy, Morgantown WV
"Cross-Dressing Night" at Mendocino English Week (what, you mean all YOUR
Campers Nights aren't cross-dressing nights? ;) ) had several men who either
had good advice or possessed an excellent color and fashion sense when it came
to skirts. In fact, just about every man in a skirt looked pretty good.
And the men in dresses *really* had their act together.
Vanessa
P.S. - I'm considering getting one of those fake plastic "Fabio-chests" to wear
next year so that I can enjoy the wind blowing through the holes in my
fashionably tattered old camp T-shirt (and showing off my rippling muscles).
Phil Good-Elliott
I began seeing men in skirts and dresses on the dance floor at Kimmswick
Dance Festival in St. Louis, MO, about 9 years ago (I joined in the fray
and now almost always keep my swing skirt in my dance bag whenever I go to
a dance camp or weekend - it's very freeing to dance in it after having to
wear pants all the time...) In addition to Kimmswick, I've seen men in
skirts and dresses over the years at Buffalo Gap (Capon Bridge, WV), Sugar
Hill (Bloomington, IN), Breaking Up Thanksgiving (Chicago), Balance and
Swim (Centerpoint, WV), Augusta Dance Week (Elkins, WV), and the Ann Arbor
Dawn Dance (MI). Additionally, I've known men from Wisconsin, Minnestoa,
Kentucky, and Tennesee to bring their skirts and dresses to these dances.
So, I've always known it as a "Midwestern thing." In my experience
there's almost always been an understanding that the skirts and such will
be worn late on Saturday nights. Sometimes the women will organize a
"fashion show" for the men to "show off" their attire. It's a real hoot!
Of course, it's gets really crazy when you have two men in skirts/dresses
dancing as a couple. I believe I once saw an all men's square in the
Cheesecake Squares dance-off contest at Balance and Swim (the winners get
to share a Cheesecake baked by Charlotte). All the men were wearing
skirts and dresses, hooting and hollering - and everyone in the hall was
laughing along uproariously. They didn't win the contest, but certainly
won the crowd. *<8*)
Phil
Bill Blevins
>>>>In article <4vcqfg$m...@park.interport.net> wardhill wrote:
>>>>>Over the last year, I have seen a number of men wearing dresses at
>>>>>contra and square dances. Not just skirts, but real
>>>>> women's dresses.
>>>>>And somebody told me it was a "Northeast" thing.
>>>>>Can somebody comment on this phenomenon? Is it a
>>>>>response to more-men-than-women or what?
>>
>>>dances for a while, and nobody's said a thing to me about it.
>>
>>Well, yes, I see your point. And I've always considered myself
>>open-minded (but I guess everybody thinks of themselves as such). If
>>it were just skirts, I think I could deal with it. But I have seen
>>several bearded men wearing flowery, ruffly dresses. I even saw a man
>>and his girlfriend wearing matching dresses (again, with ruffles). I
>>just thought maybe somebody here knows THEIR rationale for dressing
>>so.
Not a very interesting thread - no pun intended
Let's hear from some of the contra/square dance cross-dressers. Any
one out there?
bb
Kathy Fletcher
David Elek Kirchner
Nancy Mamlin (maml...@conrad.appstate.edu) wrote:
: > Over the last year, I have seen a number of men wearing dresses at
: > contra and square dances. Not just skirts, but real women's dresses.
: > And somebody told me it was a "Northeast" thing. Can somebody comment
: > on this phenomenon? Is it a response to more-men-than-women or what?
: the East and Southeast, I'd say your assessment is correct. The further
: West we went on our tour, the less likely we were to see skirts, and I
: don't think we ever saw a dress. In Asheville, NC there are a few guys
: who wear skirts fairly regularly. I can't think of seeing a bona fide
: dress South of DC or West of I-95...
My observation since I moved to the midwest a year ago is that men do not wear
skirts and dresses at regular weekly dances but do so often enough at dance
weekends and camps that it is not remarked upon. As far as full-scale dresses
(i.e. not skirts), I can think of one dancer (but only one) in the Midwest I've
seen wearing dresses.
Can others who've danced out here longer confirm or refute these observations?
--
David
dav...@artsci.wustl.edu
occasional skirt wearer...
Lee Billings
In article <4vfa61$1...@solaris.cc.vt.edu>, Bill Blevins says...
>
>>>>>In article <4vcqfg$m...@park.interport.net> wardhill wrote:
>>>>>>Over the last year, I have seen a number of men wearing dresses at
>>>>>>contra and square dances. Not just skirts, but real
>>>>>> women's dresses.
>>>>>>And somebody told me it was a "Northeast" thing.
>>>>>>Can somebody comment on this phenomenon? Is it a
>>>>>>response to more-men-than-women or what?
>>>
>>>>dances for a while, and nobody's said a thing to me about it.
>>>
>>>Well, yes, I see your point. And I've always considered myself
>>>open-minded (but I guess everybody thinks of themselves as such). If
>>>it were just skirts, I think I could deal with it. But I have seen
>>>several bearded men wearing flowery, ruffly dresses. I even saw a man
>>>and his girlfriend wearing matching dresses (again, with ruffles). I
>>>just thought maybe somebody here knows THEIR rationale for dressing
>>>so.
>
> Not a very interesting thread - no pun intended
>
>Let's hear from some of the contra/square dance cross-dressers. Any
>one out there?
>
>
>bb
>
>
in skirts. And if the skirts are ruffledy dresses, what difference does
it make? Besides, they _swirl_ so nicely. Why should us gals have all the
fun?
Kiran Wagle
Nancy Mamlin <maml...@conrad.appstate.edu> writes:
> and having a fair amount of knowledge about the dances in both
> the East and Southeast, I'd say your assessment is correct. [...]
> I can't think of seeing a bona fide dress South of DC or West of I-95...
Speaking only of dresses, which are distinct from skirts (it's amazing
how many women misuse these terms where I dance),
There are only three people I know of who regularly wear dresses at
contra dances. ALL of the venues they dance at regularly are west of I-95.
(Both Glen Echo and Summit Church are slightly west of I-95, and
Brattleboro (VT) and related venues in MA are two hours west of I-95.)
~ Kiran "accuracy on the net, whatta concept" <ent...@io.com>
Barbara Ruth
In article <4vgcn5$a...@news.chattanooga.net>, bill...@chattanooga.net
(Lee Billings) wrote:
> >>>>I don't know what it's a response to, but I've been wearing pants to
> >>>>dances for a while, and nobody's said a thing to me about it.
> >>>
> >>>Well, yes, I see your point. And I've always considered myself
> >>>open-minded (but I guess everybody thinks of themselves as such). If
> >>>it were just skirts, I think I could deal with it. But I have seen
> >>>several bearded men wearing flowery, ruffly dresses. I even saw a man
> >>>and his girlfriend wearing matching dresses (again, with ruffles). I
> >>>just thought maybe somebody here knows THEIR rationale for dressing
> >>>so.
> >> >
> >
> Well, I'm not a cross-dresser myself, but I get a kick out of seeing guys
> in skirts. And if the skirts are ruffledy dresses, what difference does
> it make? Besides, they _swirl_ so nicely. Why should us gals have all the
> fun?
Oh no, not the "men in women's clothing" thread again :)
My general impression is that a lot of men wear skirts or dresses because
it is an opportunity for them to be playful with clothing, that is not
afforded in other areas of our culture. Let's face it, men's clothing is
pretty boring. Dressing up and playing with dress really can be fun if
approached with the right attitude but is pretty much restricted to
women. The contra dance community, being full of whackos of the nicer
sort provides a safe, reasonably accepting environment for men to
experience that.
Of course, I am speaking my observations/speculations as a woman since
none of the regular cross-dressing men, being shy and retiring have spoken
up. Or maybe they just don't have net access.
arm...@vms.cis.pitt.edu
There have been a lot of posts about observations of this phenomenon, but
unless I missed it nobody's commented on *why it's happening. Are the
cross-dressers really cross-dressers in the more commonly understood
meaning of the term? Are they making a political/social statement?
Is it meant to be all in fun, a joke? Is this a cutting-edge ground-
breaking rebel kind of thing? Or is there just such a nice breeze
when you twirl that it's a comfort issue (never having worn a dress, I
wouldn't know!)?
Joe, wearing pants
arm...@vms.cis.pitt.edu
David A. Kaynor (Amherst RSD)
Barbara Ruth:
"...men's clothing is pretty boring."
What? Boring?? Maybe just the outerwear...
Dancing, for me, is generally OK in pants, considerably more
comfortable in shorts, and superb in a skirt. I tried wearing
my kilt a few times, but there were all those questions about
what was underneath and whether I was wearing it because sheep
can hear zippers. A number of women twirled me with unusual
alacrity on some of those occasions.
I have been known to dance in a dress or gown, but mainly for
the entertainment and/or shock value.
There is an interesting story about a Pinewoods week a few
years ago.
David Kaynor
--
Phil Good-Elliott
Barbara Ruth recently posted:
>
> My general impression is that a lot of men wear skirts or dresses because
> it is an opportunity for them to be playful with clothing, that is not
> afforded in other areas of our culture. Let's face it, men's clothing is
> pretty boring. Dressing up and playing with dress really can be fun if
> approached with the right attitude but is pretty much restricted to
> women. The contra dance community, being full of whackos of the nicer
> sort provides a safe, reasonably accepting environment for men to
> experience that.
>
> Of course, I am speaking my observations/speculations as a woman since
> none of the regular cross-dressing men, being shy and retiring have spoken
> up. Or maybe they just don't have net access.
I recently posted in rec.folkdance that I like to wear a skirt at dance camps/
weekends for the fun of it. It's *fun* to twirl in, cool to wear on a hot summer
night, and get's lots of attention (my wife was getting a kick reading this
thread - she saw me wearing a skirt the night we met.). Those are *my* reasons
for wearing one. As mentioned before, the women at Kimmswick have thrown
"fashion parties" for the men to show off their attire - some of the women even
brought extra skirts and dresses for the guys. I remember one evening when there
must have been about 15 men on the dance floor at any one time wearing skirts or
dresses. With those kinds of numbers, it feels pretty "safe" from homophobic
comments and/or violence. I don't know of anyone who's been hassled for wearing
a dress or a skirt at a week/weekend camp or festival. I guess that's the most
important part - dealing with the homophobia of being labelled "gay" or known as
"gay" whether you're gay or not. For example, I only knew one man who wore a
skirt to regular "home" dances on a regular basis - and he was/is a rather unique
kind of person with little fear of rumor or consequences.
Hope this helps those wondering...
Cynthia M. Van Ness
On 21 Aug 1996, Bill Blevins wrote:
> Let's hear from some of the contra/square dance cross-dressers. Any
> one out there?
As a woman, I don't qualify as a contra cross-dresser yet, as I have never
found the perfect tuxedo <smile>, but my partner owns 3 skirts that he
dances in at every opportunity, in such places as Buffalo, Rochester,
Fredonia, and Dance Flurry, all in NY. (Maybe in your set you came upon the
handsome, mustached guy with the white, long-sleeved gauze shirt and the
navy gauze Indian-print skirt!)
His rationale(s)?
1. They're fun. They swirl.
2. Better ventilation than slacks or shorts.
3. You guessed it--gender subversion. Women have been able to wear
slacks in public (without suffering ridiculous abuse) only for about 50
years. As recently as 1969, my older sister was sent home from a public
high school for wearing jeans. Since women now enjoy the option of
wearing slacks, why shouldn't men enjoy the option of wearing skirts?
-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-
Cynthia Van Ness, M.L.S. | Co-moderator, Buffalo Freenet genealogy page:
af...@freenet.buffalo.edu | http://freenet.buffalo.edu/~roots
** If information was power, librarians would rule the world. **
Cynthia M. Van Ness
On 23 Aug 1996 arm...@vms.cis.pitt.edu wrote:
> There have been a lot of posts about observations of this phenomenon, but
> unless I missed it nobody's commented on *why it's happening. Are the
> cross-dressers really cross-dressers in the more commonly understood
> meaning of the term?
Personally, I think that "men in skirts/dresses at dances" is a new
phenomenon, one that does not fit into current categories. They are
"cross-dressers" only in the sense that they are wearing apparel assigned
to the other sex. But if that is the case, so is any woman in a blazer,
oxford shirt, and chinos. (I plead guilty to owning these very clothes,
and (gasp) wearing them IN PUBLIC.) So the term "cross-dresser" is
arbitrary and not especially helpful in this case.
They are not "transvestites," because these are (usually) defined as
heterosexual men who put on women's clothing for an erotic thrill, as a
fetish, even. Not usually done in public, except in support groups &
clubs for transvestites. I think we can agree that most male dancers in
skirts don't fit this category.
They are not "drag queens," because these are (usually) defined as gay
men who invent an entire female persona, with much effort given to
realistic appearance, dress, and manner. Quite often done in public as an
art/entertainment form. (Draq queens are pretty big here in Buffalo; I
have yet to see any take an interest in folk dance. Though as a
dance organizer, I would want them to feel as welcome at my dance as
anyone else is.)
They are not "transsexuals," because these are (usually) defined as
someone who feels wrong and out of place in their biological sex and wishes
very strongly to live (with surgical, hormonal, or only cosmetic
alterations) as someone of the other sex. In our delightfully varied
world, there must be a few contra dancers who identify as transexuals,
but I doubt that these folks are the men who show up in skirts.)
I applaud the development of "men wearing skirts when skirts are
appropriate" (such as when dancing) just as I applaud the development of
"women wearing slacks when slacks are appropriate" (heavens, when are
they *not?*). I might add that "dresses" (o.k., gowns) are required for
judges and many clergy(men), so there certainly is precedent for ordinary
men to wear them.
Kiran Wagle
barbar...@yale.edu (Barbara Ruth) writes:
>Of course, I am speaking my observations/speculations as a woman since
>none of the regular cross-dressing men, being shy and retiring have spoken
>up. Or maybe they just don't have net access.
I think the three people I know who regularly wear *dresses* do not,
in fact, read this newsgroup.
But several of the men who dance in skirts do read this newsgroup.
Why aren't *they* speaking up? Perhaps because they aren't
cross-dressers, any more than women who wear pants when they work
on ladders are cross-dressers. If skirts have some characteristics
that make them fun to dance in, and not so much fun to climb ladders in,
then it seems those characteristics would apply to men and women alike.
Labels are a funny thing. In the dance community, I've never heard
anyone refer to men who wear skirts at dances as "cross-dressing"--with
one notable exception, the No Snow Ball in Oakland some years ago.
And in some circles, "cross-dressing" is a technical term with a clearly
defined meaning. So if men who dance in skirts aren't cross-dressers
and/or don't think of themselves as such, maybe they have no
particular incentive to post to a thread about some other group of
people *they* don't quite understand.
~ Kiran "climbs ladders in skirts in the dark at Glen Echo"
Nate Goldshlag
In article <barbara.ruth-2...@ruthb.med.yale.edu>,
barbar...@yale.edu (Barbara Ruth) wrote:
> Of course, I am speaking my observations/speculations as a woman since
> none of the regular cross-dressing men, being shy and retiring have spoken
> up. Or maybe they just don't have net access.
Or maybe they are too busy shopping for nice dresses! <g>
Nate
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nate Goldshlag "People ask me why I don't get fat
na...@reflection.com it's cause I like to dance like that.
http://www.ziplink.net/~nateg I eat as much as I can hold
Cambridge, MA and go out and do the zydeco."
-- Marcia Ball
Betty or Bob Barcode
arm...@vms.cis.pitt.edu wrote:
>There have been a lot of posts about observations of this phenomenon, but
>unless I missed it nobody's commented on *why it's happening. Are the
>cross-dressers really cross-dressers in the more commonly understood
>Is it meant to be all in fun, a joke? Is this a cutting-edge ground-
>breaking rebel kind of thing? Or is there just such a nice breeze
>when you twirl that it's a comfort issue (never having worn a dress, I
>wouldn't know!)?
>
>
wasn't always this way. It must have had something to do with
the company I was keeping. Visiting school gymnasiums and
church basements full of hundreds of of twirling, sweaty,
excited dancers exposed me to an aging hippie radical fringe of
the folk dance community. (smile)
This really isn't cross dressing as I understand it. I am not
trying to pass myself off as a woman. The bushy mustache and
deep voice are adead giveaway. Wearing a skirt to dance
encourages me to move in a more fluid manner. The skirt
twirling out near waist level or brushing my legs is pleasant
to see and to feel. It doesn't matter whether I am leading or
following, partnered with woman or a man. Mostly, I just wear
my skirts because I enjoy them.
Challenging gender role rules is a secondary but significant
reason. Along with freedom of movement, I get freedom from
societal constraints and hopefully encourage others to
reconsider the rules. Remember, all clothing is costume and
the acceptable clothings are as much to identify our social
status as to provide protection from the elements. I am no
more the skirt that I wear dancing than I am the suit and tie
I wear to a business meeting or the hardhat and toolbelt I wear
on a construction site.
Aron Krasnopoler
I agree wholeheartedly with all the reasons listed above as to why men
wear skirts. I first saw men dancing in skirts when I danced in
Seattle, then at dance camps here in North Carolina. So, I decided to
give it a try and I liked it. It's fun to play with as you dance such
as hiking it a little bit on a hey-for-four and, of course, the twirl
factor. It's also a lot cooler to dance in, even compared to shorts,
which is important here in the South. I've gotten many nice compliments
at dance weekends and at regular dances. It is a chance to dress up a
little,something men rarely get a chance to do.
I don't consider wearing a skirt cross-dressing in the usual sense. I'm
not trying to be a woman though I do enjoy dancing the woman's part
occasionally. It's especially fun in a skirt because one gets to twirl.
So, maybe the two are related. It's just another opportunity to do a
little gender-bending.
I am concerned about being labelled as "that guy who wears skirts." It
has been annoying to be asked, "Where's your skirt?" in a mocking tone.
I don't know if anyone else has run into this.
--
Aron Krasnopoler Duke FEL Laboratory
1800 Sprunt Ave. P.O. Box 90319
Durham, NC 27705 Durham, NC 27708-0319
(919) 416-9440 (919) 660-2656 Fax: (919) 660-2671
gary or martina or other worden
What's the big deal about men with skirts? What each gender should
wear seems to be such an arbitrary cultural artifact. If you like
feeling the air on your legs, wear a skirt.
I like to go to festivals wearing a kafhtan. My legs are free, it's
decorative and festive.
What about a ties? Such a useless, non-utilitarian piece of cloth,
yet they are practically mandatory for business dress.
me...@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu
In article <DwLnw...@freenet.buffalo.edu>, "Cynthia M. Van Ness" <af...@freenet.buffalo.edu> writes:
> On 23 Aug 1996 arm...@vms.cis.pitt.edu wrote:
>
>> There have been a lot of posts about observations of this phenomenon, but
>> unless I missed it nobody's commented on *why it's happening. Are the
>> cross-dressers really cross-dressers in the more commonly understood
>> meaning of the term?
>
> phenomenon, one that does not fit into current categories. They are
> "cross-dressers" only in the sense that they are wearing apparel assigned
> to the other sex. But if that is the case, so is any woman in a blazer,
> oxford shirt, and chinos. (I plead guilty to owning these very clothes,
> and (gasp) wearing them IN PUBLIC.) So the term "cross-dresser" is
> arbitrary and not especially helpful in this case.
>
> They are not "transvestites," because these are (usually) defined as
> heterosexual men who put on women's clothing for an erotic thrill, as a
> fetish, even. Not usually done in public, except in support groups &
> clubs for transvestites. I think we can agree that most male dancers in
> skirts don't fit this category.
I want to take issue with this category above, or maybe ask that we add another
one, as you do, because I have been personally acquainted with men and women
who dress in clothes of the opposite sex *because that is how they feel most at
home with themselves*.
I hearken back many years ago to the first time I entered a gay bar, whereupon
I saw what seemed at first to be a large man hunkered down at the pool table.
After a few minutes I realized that it was actually a large woman, dressed
as male to the point that she passed as one, to my untutored eye. When in
conversation with my companions I questioned the "weird sexual impulse" (my
exact words) that would lead someone to do that, my friends told me promptly
that (their exact words) "It's not some 'weird sexual impulse,' it's how she
feels most comfortable." And later she told me essentially the same thing.
Since then I've heard approximately the same from a couple of cross-dressing
men, albeit only a couple. (Not "transvestites" by the above definition. I
think.)
Seems to me that we're looking for strict categories when what we're really
dealing with is *gasp* a spectrum of possibilities. And almost no one here has
mentioned the "shock the bourgeoisie" aspect of Guys in Skirts, though someone
did say skirts make it easier to pick up girls. Or at least to get dance
partners. Yeah, yeah, you're just wearing the skirt because it's cooler,
uh-huh.
> I applaud the development of "men wearing skirts when skirts are
> appropriate" (such as when dancing) just as I applaud the development of
> "women wearing slacks when slacks are appropriate" (heavens, when are
> they *not?*). I might add that "dresses" (o.k., gowns) are required for
> judges and many clergy(men), so there certainly is precedent for ordinary
> men to wear them. > >
Total agreement here. We're living at a time when a lot of definitions are
being shaken up, redrawn, even eliminated. I'll bet that we couldn't have had
this discussion even 10 years ago. In some places around here, men aren't
just wearing skirts because they're "appropriate" on the dance floor, they're
wearing skirts on the street. (They're these little plaid schoolgirl numbers,
coming up to mid-thigh at best; they look like 1990s versions of those leather
Roman gladiator skirts.) Right now, these men wear these kilts, as they're
called, out of fashion. But soon they'll be wearing them *because it's how
they feel most comfortable*.
Vanessa "Hoping to live till I see that Very Special Issue of GQ" Schnatmeier
Barbara Ruth
In article <grooDwM...@netcom.com>, gr...@netcom.com (Kiran Wagle) wrote:
> barbar...@yale.edu (Barbara Ruth) writes:
>
> >Of course, I am speaking my observations/speculations as a woman since
> >none of the regular cross-dressing men, being shy and retiring have spoken
> >up. Or maybe they just don't have net access.
>
> But several of the men who dance in skirts do read this newsgroup.
> Why aren't *they* speaking up? Perhaps because they aren't
> cross-dressers, any more than women who wear pants when they work
> on ladders are cross-dressers. If skirts have some characteristics
> that make them fun to dance in, and not so much fun to climb ladders in,
> then it seems those characteristics would apply to men and women alike.
snip
> ~ Kiran "climbs ladders in skirts in the dark at Glen Echo"
Kiran,
You are completely correct. The use of the term "cross-dressing" in
this context makes little sense for all the reasons you put forth in your
complete post, and I apologize for any inadvertant insinuations my use of
it might have suggested. However, I do think that for some fellas there's
more to wearing skirts and dresses than just the fact that skirts are
structurally more fun to dance in than pants (and by skirt I include also
the "free-hanging part of an outer garment" as defined by Webster's, i.e.,
a skirt can be a separate item *or* part of a dress). When guys where
silver sequined gowns or slinky black cocktail dresses they aren't doing
it just 'cause skirts twirl well. They are getting into the fun of
clothes as *costume*. Which just harks back to my original point.
Women's clothing, at least in the latter half of the 20th century, has a
lot more play potential than men's.
Barbara Ruth
In article <1996Aug23.1...@k12.oit.umass.edu>,
daka...@k12.oit.umass.edu (David A. Kaynor (Amherst RSD)) wrote:
> I tried wearing
> my kilt a few times, but there were all those questions about
> what was underneath>
You know the proper response to the question of what is worn under a kilt,
don't you?
Nothing's worn. It's all in perfect working condition.
> There is an interesting story about a Pinewoods week a few
> years ago.
Well ?????
David A. Kaynor (Amherst RSD)
Barbara Ruth, in Article #16383:
"Well ?????"
And...
In article #16366, Aron Krasnopoler <kr...@popserv.duke.edu>
writes:
"I am concerned about being labelled as "that guy who
wears skirts." It has been annoying to be asked,
"Where's your skirt?" in a mocking tone. I don't
know if anyone else has run into this."
Ah.
Pinewoods. Engish - American Week, 1987 or 88. The first
evening. Temperature: One hundred and ninety degrees.
Humidity: One hundred and twenty per cent. Air movement:
Nonexistent.
One dance into the evening, cotton pantlegs dripping and clinging
and slapping wetly against each other, I opt for shorts. Two
dances later, it's like a steaming, festering quagmire under them
(details available upon request).
Aargh. My kingdom for some air, some moving air. Who will lend
me a lightweight skirt? Carla! A thousand thanks...
And the air moves, and dancing becomes a LOT more fun, except...
Except...
"Oh, thay, thweetie, don't you look nithe!!" Other uninvited
remarks and verbalizations. Flapping fingers and hands. Mincing
facial expressions and pantomimes of kissing. Even sloppier and
more flaccid than usual allemandes with other men.
"Well, men don't wear skirts at Pinewoods," I am informed.
The evening thus passes in relative physical comfort and
repetitive exacerbations of outrage. The dance ends. Off with
the skirt; on with the shorts for most subsequent activities from
then on through the next day, up until the sauna-like Sunday
night dance, whereupon the skirt returns, and a lot of the same
crap happens all over again.
To hell with this. If it continues, I'm wearing this skirt every
night.
It does. I do.
By Thursday night, though, unpleasantries have largely subsided,
and dancing is fun. Temperatures plummet into the arctic
seventies. Tee shirts hung up five days earlier suddenly dry.
Spirits lighten.
Jim Morrison, during Friday dinner:
"For a sort of ceremonial Final Dance feel, the musicians are
thinking of dressing in white. Sound OK? Yes? Got any white
pants? No? Want to try on a pair of mine?"
They fit!
Looking my purist and most virginal, I go off to play fiddle for
some requested hambo and schottische review in C Sharp Minor
prior to the dance. Finally, I exclaim, "It's past time to head
for C Sharp!" and pack up. Oddly, the dancers all disappear in
peculiar haste.
I hustle up the stairs onto the C Sharp dance floor, there to
stand obtuse and emptyheaded among a gathering throng and puzzle
at the rising chuckling and giggling and only after a long, foggy
time realize what has happened; that every person, including
every man...
...the entire camp...
I am the only one in pants.
Laughter swells into applause; the dance begins; a spirited,
enthusiastic evening unfolds. Some of the men actually stay in
skirts the entire time!
While playing, I stay in Jim's pants. When out on the dance
floor, however, on comes the skirt, and I dance up a storm, and
it is totally, utterly fun.
David Kaynor
--
Caroline Fahrney
Kiran said....
: on ladders are cross-dressers. If skirts have some characteristics
: then it seems those characteristics would apply to men and women alike.
I'm not a guy but I once wore pants to a dance by mistake, early in my
contra experience. It was such a downer, compared to the skirted experiences
I'd always taken granted. Never did that again.
Then again, most guys (who haven't tried it) probably don't know what they're
missing. Once you wear a skirt to dance in, I predict you'll stop asking this
question "why wear a skirt?" Instead you'll say, "why did I wait so long?"
Caroline Fahrney
dancing in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and parts farther south for the last
four years and seen oodles of skirts. Didn't see any in LA .
Kiran Wagle
me...@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu writes:
"Cynthia M. Van Ness" <af...@freenet.buffalo.edu> writes:
>> On 23 Aug 1996 arm...@vms.cis.pitt.edu wrote:
>>> unless I missed it nobody's commented on *why it's happening. Are the
>>> cross-dressers really cross-dressers in the more commonly understood
>> Personally, I think that "men in skirts/dresses at dances" is a new
>> phenomenon, one that does not fit into current categories. They are
>> "cross-dressers" only in the sense that they are wearing apparel assigned
>> and (gasp) wearing them IN PUBLIC.) So the term "cross-dresser" is
>> arbitrary and not especially helpful in this case.
>I want to take issue with this category above, or maybe ask that we
> add another one, as you do, because I have been personally acquainted
> with men and women who dress in clothes of the opposite sex *because
> that is how they feel most at home with themselves*.
Indeed. That sounds like a good first-draft definition of
cross-dressers to me. Note that they dress in clothes "of the
opposite sex" and not just clothes that are "suited to the job at
hand." In my experience, men who wear skirts at dances do it for
*exactly* the reasons (and not just *some* of the reasons) that women
do. (Barbara correctly points out that men who wear dresses may have
some other motive, such as playing with costume, that motivates them
to wear things most women would *not* wear to contra dances on a
regular basis.)
>After a few minutes I realized that it was actually a large woman, dressed
>as male to the point that she passed as one, to my untutored eye. When in
>conversation with my companions I questioned the "weird sexual impulse" (my
>exact words) that would lead someone to do that, my friends told me promptly
>that (their exact words) "It's not some 'weird sexual impulse,' it's how she
>feels most comfortable." And later she told me essentially the same thing.
Did she mean "feels most comfortable" physically or psychologically? <g>
Many of the reasons men wear skirts to dances stem from claims of
physical comfort--they are cooler, more fun to twirl in, &c. However,
most of the [male] cross-dresers I know wear women's clothing *because
they feel most *psychologically* comfortable in <EM>women's</EM>
clothing*. For example, they wear women's clothing even when that
clothing is jeans or t-shirts, which are pretty much equivalent to men's
in terms of physical comfort. The fact that it's *women's* clothing
(in the case of male CDs) is important. The gender-of-marketing seems
to be literally irrelevant to men who wear skirts at dances, and (in
my experience anyway) certainly doesn't hold any positive value.
> And almost no one here has mentioned the "shock the bourgeoisie"
> aspect of Guys in Skirts, though someone did say skirts make it easier
> to pick up girls. Or at least to get dance partners. Yeah, yeah,
> you're just wearing the skirt because it's cooler, uh-huh.
Why, no, *I* am wearing them for exactly the same reasons that *you*
wear them. One of which is that you probably get asked to dance more
often in a skirt than in pants. Another of which might be peer
pressure--if all the hottest dancers at the Soiree are wearing
skirts, and you want to join our club (or more precisely, be
perceived as a part of it) you might get out an even shorter and
wilder skirt. And many women I know agree that skirts are both cooler
to dance in and more fun to twirl in than pants are.
As for picking up girls (or women), if wearing skirts confers any
advantage there (and the women can speak up about this one as well)
it's a fringe benefit of the fact that only a few men wear skirts at
dances. If everyone did it, any advantage that an individual doing it
might have would go away. I suspect that women who wear makeup to
dances have some advantage based on that, too (if attractiveness
enters into that dance group's partner-selection criteria) precisely
because many women don't wear makeup to dances.
~ Kiran <ent...@io.com>
Eric Conrad
What do you think? Are there too many men wearing glasses to contra
dances? Should they get contact lenses? Should nearsighted men even
be allowed to dance?
Kiran Wagle
eco...@math.ohio-state.edu (Eric Conrad) writes:
(<ROFL> Thanks, Eric. LTNS.)
>What do you think? Are there too many men wearing glasses to contra
>dances? Should they get contact lenses? Should nearsighted men even
>be allowed to dance?
I find that I have MUCH better peripheral vision and depth perception
when I wear contact leses--and even just when I take my glasses off
(and I'm pretty darn nearsighted.)
So yes, I think they should get contact lenses, since depth perception
and peripheral vision are important parts of dancing safely,
especially when doing the Wizards' Walk.
And it's easier to pick up girls (or women) in contact lenses. :-)
Nothing like a straight answer to a silly question huh.
~ Kiran <ent...@io.com>
Eric Praetzel
In article <grooDwM...@netcom.com> gr...@netcom.com (Kiran Wagle) writes:
>But several of the men who dance in skirts do read this newsgroup.
>Why aren't *they* speaking up? Perhaps because they aren't
>cross-dressers, any more than women who wear pants when they work
stats:
- lots of guys wear tights
- anyone wearing tights was male
- anyone wearing floor length skirts was female
- if someone was wearing something like a skirt but it was not floor
length then they were male or female
- anyone wearing a very short jacket (pourpoint, coteharde) was always
male; although several had the audacity to not wear a codpiece
Myself I have a very nice outfit that many people look at and say
"that's you wearing the skirt!!" when in fact it is not a skirt. It
is a set of basses designed from a study of a surviving example from
1510. It was a very common outfit thru northern Italy, Switzerland
and even England (look at Henry the 8's armour).
In fact all of us in the SCA dance in our medieval (or pre-medieval)
outfits just like the vintage people dance in outfits from their era
and the Playford people from theirs. I tend to bring outfits to contra
dances as a way to test them. Yes I've gotten funny looks; but the crowd
tends to be a lot more accepting than any other group in society.
As far as I know none of the people in skirts are actually cross-dressing;
they are just dressing up.
Personally, I prefer a renaissance style ball or even a Playford one; but
beyond that mens clothing gets pretty boring.
- Eric
Donald B. Larson
Speaking of Kilts: Men who would like to have air flow during their
dancing
can most certainly wear kilts to the contra dance. There may be less
discomfort
or whatever about the choice of attire.
Paul J. Stamler
Kiran Wagle (gr...@netcom.com) wrote:
: And it's easier to pick up girls (or women) in contact lenses. :-)
But any girls or women you'd pick up in a contact lens would be awfully tiny.
Peace.
Paul
Andy Bettis
> And it's easier to pick up girls (or women) in contact lenses. :-)
Only if you have very large contact lenses, or very tiny women.
Rev. Andy
Dexter Horton
Eric Conrad (eco...@math.ohio-state.edu) wrote:
: What do you think? Are there too many men wearing glasses to contra
: dances? Should they get contact lenses? Should nearsighted men even
: be allowed to dance?
A long time ago, a friend of mine was a cross-dancer, not that
there's anything wrong with that, mind you. He would show up at contra
dances wearing wire supported glasses, long hair and a few days worth of
beard.
Well, my friend would always cross-dance. He always wound up in
the wrong line. I don't know if this was intentional or on purpose!!
Many of the dancers wondered if he was gay, not that there's
anything wrong with that, mind you. Well, he would always answer, yes, I
am very happy as a cross-dancer.
JLR Snyder
This is getting pretty weird. Actually, I thought the original post
about the appropriateness of men wearing glasses at contra dances had a
(albeit sarcastically presented) point: If we continue rating various
modes of dress by some standard of appropriateness or group
approval/disapproval, we may find ourselves, as did MWSD, moving toward
a dress code - whether explicit or implicit. What do you think would be
the response if we started a discussion of the wearing of pants at
contradances by women?
David Newitt
Donald B. Larson wrote:
>
> Speaking of Kilts: Men who would like to have air flow during their
> dancing can most certainly wear kilts to the contra dance.
> There may be less discomfort or whatever about the choice of attire.
I've worn a kilt many years for scottish dancing, for which it is quite
wonderful. The few times I've tried contra in it it hasn't felt as good.
I would guess the feel is very different from a normal dancing skirt,
though I've never worn the latter (we won't mention the ridiculous red
tutu I got talked into wearing for rapper sword fooling:-) ). A men's
kilt has , I believe, 7 to 9 yards of wool in it, as opposed to a couple
yards of cotton in a skirt - i.e. it is heavy and quite warm! It's also
rather revealing in swings. (Giving away scottish national secrets is
frowned upon by the clans). Finally, if you are thinking of buying one
to try out, be prepared for some serious sticker shock! I believe they
are up over $400 by now!
david newitt
scottish, english, contra dancer
Dasboyer
Dear Dancers,
I think you're overanalyzing this "men in skirts" thing. Simply, they're
practical and fun!
From my dancing experience, they're more common in the Midwest. At the
July 6 dance in Valaparaiso, Indiana, I got a group photo of 10 men in
skirts. We're blowing it up into a poster. My parents saw the photo, and
my mom wanted to know how many of them were "you know." I had to reply
"None of them." Many of them were wearing skirts made specifically for
male dancers by a female Chicago dancer.
When a man wears a skirt for the first time, we call it his "coming out."
My dancing menfriends who wear skirts know they're fair game for butt
pinching. None of them wear underwear. The styles range from Scottish
plaids to tie-dyed to animal prints. One Kentuckian calls his outfit
"Celtic Warrior." I call it Central American gaucho. At Sugar Hill this
year, one guy had a ruffled skirt with Christmas garland attached. One of
our Indy dancers has been seen in a skirt, lace vest and fishnet hose.
But all of these outfits are tame compared with the costumes at our Gypsy
Moon Ball.
My parents have seen pictures of so many men in skirts they find them
ho-hum. When I explain to outsiders that sometimes the men wear skirts,
they look puzzled. If I follow up with a reference to kilts, they are
more accepting. I get a charge out of bending people's minds.
At Balance and Swim two years ago, I heard some women say they would never
date a man who wore a skirt. I also heard a woman say she wouldn't date a
man who did not wear a skirt.
From childhood, boys are more limited in their clothing expression.
That's not fair! They're limited to brown, black, blue and green. I've
sold airbrushed children's clothing, and it's amazing how many dads would
not let their sons wear brightly colored clothes. They project their own
fears on their sons.
Let the males have fun. Why should women have exclusive rights to colors,
fabrics, textures. That's like dictating certain foods and scents be
limited to women. Both sexes have five senses. Enjoy them.
After all, don't many of us join the contra community because we find a
group of open-minded people, unlike those folks we have to deal with on a
day-to-day basis?
So, men, whether you wear traditional khaki shorts with polo shirt or
full-blown tie-dyed outfit complete with headdress, it would be a pleasure
to dance with you.
Indy's Dance Gypsy
Debra Ann Boyer
Dasb...@aol.com
P.S. If you really want to analyze dancers, let's discuss nudity among
contra dancers.
Dave Goldman
In article <505m8h$m...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, dasb...@aol.com (Dasboyer)
wrote:
> My dancing menfriends who wear skirts know they're fair game for butt
> pinching. None of them wear underwear.
> ... At Sugar Hill this
> year, one guy had a ruffled skirt with Christmas garland attached.
Um, attached to what?
-- Dave Goldman
Portland, OR
mc...@vms.cis.pitt.edu
> My dancing menfriends who wear skirts know they're fair game for butt
> pinching. None of them wear underwear.
There were a lot of good things said in this post, but I have to take strong
exception to these statements.
I've worn a skirt when appropriate, but that MOST DEFINATELY DOES NOT make me
"fair game for butt pinching". What I wear underneath is not NOT public
knowledge.
If some male made similar claims about women dressed incertain ways, how would
the women here respond ? ( "It's OK if I pinch her butt, dressed like that she
is asking for it"... oh, REALLY ?)
Are there clothes that make someone's butt "fair game" ? ( Well...probably,
but not that could be worn in public or at a dance)
Michael Young
Pittsburgh, PA
Pat68054
I am glad to see all this happening.
Clothes should be something you put on to fit your mood.
Pants one day -- maybe to go to work.
Skirts and petticoats -- definitely to dance.
So what's the problem?
Merilee D. Karr
In article <dave-30089...@ip-pdx02-22.teleport.com>, da...@rsd.com
(Dave Goldman) wrote:
> In article <505m8h$m...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, dasb...@aol.com (Dasboyer)
> wrote:
>
> > My dancing menfriends who wear skirts know they're fair game for butt
> > pinching. None of them wear underwear.
> > ... At Sugar Hill this
> > year, one guy had a ruffled skirt with Christmas garland attached.
>
>
> Um, attached to what?
>
>
> -- Dave Goldman
> Portland, OR
So, Dave, do we need to go on a shopping trip for you before dance camp
this fall?
Merilee
--
Merilee D. Karr
Portland, Oregon
Lois Hornbostel
I understand cowboys are getting into the swing of things now. They're
wearing pantihose under their Levis to prevent saddle sores.
elg
In article <506r0e$e...@usenet.srv.cis.pitt.edu>, mc...@vms.cis.pitt.edu
says...
>
>> My dancing menfriends who wear skirts know they're fair game for butt
>> pinching. None of them wear underwear.
>
>
strong
>exception to these statements.
>
>I've worn a skirt when appropriate, but that MOST DEFINATELY DOES NOT
make me
>"fair game for butt pinching". What I wear underneath is not NOT public
>knowledge.
>
anywhere else) is at all appropriate. Even more important to me, it isn't
at all friendly. I can see it as a joke, between 2 good friends, but
*not* as generally accepted open season.
I don't mind dancing w/men in skirts, tho I have been known to say that I
won't dance w/a man whose skirt flairs better than mine <grin>.
Go for it guys!
Edith Goldman (DC area dancer)
Dasboyer
Apparently, there has been confusion and offense taken regarding my
comments on butt-pinching men in skirts as well as the status of their
undergarments (or lack thereof). Therefore, I am proposing the following
guidelines:
Guidelines for Butt-Pinching Gentlemen in Skirts
1. The practice of butt-pinching is reserved for close friends, that is,
consenting adults. Participation in skinny-dipping, sauna parties, coed
showers and nude cocktail parties may, in some cases, substitute for close
friendship. When in doubt, ask the intended pinchee. (See #2.)
2. When in doubt about intended s consent tobe pinched, it is appropriate
to ask May I pinch your butt? (See Guidelines for Date Rape
Prevention. )
3. Butt-pinches, by their very nature, serve the purpose of a greeting
and/or surprise. They are performed with an air of playfulness, never as
a prelude to any lascivious activity. They can be given both on and off
the dance floor.
4. A butt pinch bestowed on a dancer in another line can add to the
mystery of the dance. However, great care must be taken to maintain the
rhythm and continuity of the dance.
5. By administering a butt-pinch, the pincher is, in turn, giving
permission to be a pinchee.
6. Butt pinches must never result in injury, intended or otherwise.
Women (and, in some cases, men) with long nails should use restraint and
observe safe butt-pinching practices.
Guidelines for Undergarments of Men Wearing Skirts
1. It is noted that contra dancing has strong Celtic roots and that the
traditional kilt worn by Scottish gentlemen featured no undergarments.
(See Braveheart. )
2. It is never proper for a gentlewoman to ask a gentleman if he is
wearing undergarments beneath his skirt. Nor is it proper to conduct
hands-on research to determine the existence of said undergarments.
3. A gentlewoman never discusses the inadvertent discovery of the status
of a gentleman s underthings.
4. While respect for male modesty must be maintained, a gentleman s
admission--either verbally or by demonstration--that he is indeed wearing
no undergarments gives the listener or observer permission to comment on
the status of the aforementioned gentleman s former unmentionables.
But seriously, folks, strangers should never be fair game for
butt-pinching. (I did refer to the ones whose butts I pinch as dancing
menfriends. ) And it is the men who admit they are wearing no underwear.
As I responded to another dancer Your butt is safe until I know you
better.
My dancing travels have shown me there are regional differences in dancing
styles. Some are technically better, but I think you ll find we know how
to cut loose and just have some wacky fun here in the Midwest. After all,
Dave Letterman is an Indy native.
Speaking of regional differences. I find butt-pinching a lot more
innocent than the increasingly popular, full-body contact, let me get my
jollies, sleaze swing that I ve encountered in the Southeast. Save that
for late night sleaze dances where they belong.
Keep Dancing,
Debra Ann Boyer
Indy s Dance Gypsy
Dave Goldman
In article <50g7vv$d...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, dasb...@aol.com (Dasboyer)
wrote:
> Apparently, there has been confusion and offense taken regarding my
> comments on butt-pinching men in skirts as well as the status of their
> undergarments (or lack thereof). Therefore, I am proposing the following
> guidelines:
>
> Guidelines for Butt-Pinching Gentlemen in Skirts
>
> ...
An excellent posting! Perhaps the CDSS will wish to reprint these
guidelines in their newsletter?
-- Dave ("ouch!") Goldman
Portland, OR
Toby Koosman
>Guidelines for Butt-Pinching Gentlemen in Skirts
Well that was certainly worthy of Miss Manners. Thank you.
>
>Speaking of regional differences. I find butt-pinching a lot more
>innocent than the increasingly popular, full-body contact, let me get my
>jollies, sleaze swing that I ve encountered in the Southeast. Save that
>for late night sleaze dances where they belong.
>
No kidding. Is this strictly a Southeast phenomena? I don't mind
consensual dirty dancing especially to the right music but in my opinion
it don't work to fast fiddle tunes (Kathy Anderson has suggested
subjecting some of these couples to a video of themselves to see how off
the music they are, but I doubt they care) and I don't care for people
insisting upon the one-step swing substitution even if they are willing to
keep their crotches at a safe distance. I'm thinking about adding to my
standard basic "how to swing" demo something about how it is imperative
to give your partner the option of a conventional swing - there
are a noticable minority of dancers who seem totally committed to this
very un-contralike movement and force their partners to adapt.
Interestingly where I live some of the most aggressive crotch-grinders
are women, who can be even worse about assuming consent.
Toby Koosman
Knoxville, Tennessee USA
tkoo...@utkux.utk.edu
--
Kiran Wagle
Toby Koosman writes:
> Debra Boyer writes:
>> Speaking of regional differences. I find butt-pinching a lot more
>> innocent than the increasingly popular, full-body contact, let me get my
>> jollies, sleaze swing that I ve encountered in the Southeast.
Oh, that thing is WONderful. <grin>
>No kidding. Is this strictly a Southeast phenomena? I don't mind
>consensual dirty dancing especially to the right music but in my opinion
I've never seen it outside of Western NC myself.
> and I don't care for people insisting upon the one-step swing
> substitution even if they are willing to keep their crotches at a safe
> distance.
Hrm. If people are doing it non-consensually, it might be worth
pointing this out and suggesting that they should know their partners
well before attempting this kind of thing. When in doubt, ASK.
While I am all for more sleaze (and more exuberance, and more skill,
and more of a lot of things) in contra dancing, I think it's a VERY bad
idea to impose it on others without their consent. Ask first, and
dance in the sleazy line. ;)
>Interestingly where I live some of the most aggressive crotch-grinders
>are women, who can be even worse about assuming consent.
Heh. I'll have to dance there more often.
~ Kiran "possible co-inventor of the double hip bump balance" <ent...@io.com>
(Brent, do you remember any of the details of that one?)
GarrHVF
I think a lot of these responses have digressed from the original post!!
As an eyeglass wearer, I have never felt that it was a problem, until a
recent dance after just getting a new pair of glasses with plastic lenses,
which were much lighter than my previous glasses. At one point in the
dance as my partner was turning to allemande with her neighbor when her
hand caught my glasses and sent them flying across the dance floor. She
was very embarassed and both of us couldn't stop laughing. It was a good
thing that we were at the end of the set and didn't disrupt the flow of
the dance too much as we retrieved my eyewear and composed ourselves.
So you may have a valid point, but I'm not sure I would enjoy dancing
without my glasses. I like to be able to see what is going on around me
and my partners face. And I will not invest in contacts just for safer
dancing!!
Garry