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,
I was asked to dance by two gentlemen at the same time. It felt awkward, and I did not know what to do. I think that I hurt one’s feelings. He did not ask me to dance again that night. How do you handle this situation with no hurt feelings and still get to dance with both?
Asked Two Dance
Dear Asked Two Dance,
Darling, that’s easy. Just say yes to one, while offering a later dance to the other.
Dear Poppy,
My dance partner wears baggy blouses and shirts. It is so hard for me to find her back, and sometimes I accidentally touch her in very inappropriate places trying to find her back. It can’t be appropriate to wear baggy clothing when dancing. How can I tell her what to wear?
What to Wear
Dear What to Wear,
You have to ask her nicely to wear more suitable clothing. Tell her that you want to be able to lead her. Blouses or shirts that are baggy, especially in the sleeves, do not allow the lead access to the follows back. Sweetie, as you know, the lead’s hands can get caught or end up in out-of-bounds areas.
