Ms. Poppy Chiffon – the doyenne of dance, the baroness of ballroom etiquette, the sultana of Southern hospitality — is pleased to answer your dance-related questions. Here are a few queries that Poppy deigned to extract from her mailbag this week. If you have a question that you would like Poppy Chiffon to address, please e-mail her at askpoppy@dancestationusa.com. Ms. Chiffon regrets that she cannot respond individually to questions.
Dear Poppy,
The Spring Showcase is days away and I don’t know what to do with my hair and make-up. Should I put my hair up or leave it down? Should I wear mascara or blush? Oh, Poppy, what would you suggest as a general rule for make-up and hair for a Showcase?
Almost Ready
Dear Almost Ready,
Honey, hair and make-up are a big deal. As as one wise dance teacher once told me, hair and make-up should be all that you worry about just before a showcase, so you don’t get nervous thinking about your dancing.
We have to style our hair for the dances we are performing. If you are doing a lot of Latin, then I would wear the hair up and out of the face. A showcase is usually more relaxed than a competition, so you could wear your hair down, or curled or styled. My advice is to wear it how you feel most comfortable. However, if you pull it back or put it up, it will stay out of your face.
Now I need to address make-up. I know most of us have heard that less is more. But when it comes to performing, darling, it’s the more that makes you stand out! You want to highlight your eyes, lips, cheekbones, etc. So use eyeliner and lots of mascara. Don’t forget to darken your eyebrows, too. Choose a complementary eye shadow to your eye color. Use long-lasting lip coloring and bring gloss to keep your lips looking moist and shiny.
Blush away on the apple of your cheeks and low-light your cheekbones. Again, makeup for a showcase isn’t as heavy as for a competition, but you do want your features to stand out. I’m sure you will look lovely, honey, and will dance happy!
Dear Poppy,
I am so tired of hauling my partner around the room. She dances very well, but I am so tired after I dance with her. What can I do? What can she do?
Fatigued Leader
Dear Fatigued,
You can explain this to her: When a leader dances with a passive follower, he is doing way too much work. He has to move her, place her, and make all of her decisions for her. Now, as much as your Poppy enjoys the attentions of a man, she does not take kindly to being told what to do — on the dance floor or off. But if your partner doesn’t respond to your leads, she is giving you no choice but to “tell” her what to do and where to go!
Again, a lead is an invitation for action from the follower. It is up to we followers to reply to that lead and be actively responsible for our movement. Explain to your partner that followers aren’t dishrags. Developing our respective dance roles makes dancing more fun for everyone. The most beautiful experience in ballroom dancing occurs when two skilled dancers move across the floor as one, easily and effortlessly. It only becomes a partnership when both partners are contributing, and creating the dance as one.
