A little bit about myself: I am an Irish dancer, I've been doing it for two years and I'm back with it after a six-month hiatus. First of all, I want to put out there that I have a lot of respect for the sport--because that's what it is. When you boil it all down, we work just as hard as a lot of athletes. The girls and guys who do competitive Irish dancing and Irish dance shows on a daily basis bust their asses harder than most people ever will. I've done it for two years and I still have so much to learn.
I started Ugly Solos because, honestly, a good percentage of Irish dance dresses are just that. At least they are in my opinion. And nothing that I say on this blog is law. If you think some of them are pretty, you have the right to that opinion. As the old statement says: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Same goes with ugliness.
--Anyway--
We (by "we", I mean the Irish dance community as a whole) have gotten to the point that Irish dance is really not about the dancing anymore. It's about who has the most hair or the most stand-out dress and year after year it's getting more and more ridiculous--designwise and pricewise. We've even thrown color theory out the window. And the result? A lot of dresses look like the fabric store threw up on them. And it's almost impossible to get one for under $500, even used. It's part of the reason why I'll quit competing once I hit Prizewinner--it just gets way too pricey after that point. And it wouldn't be as bad if how far you go in competition wasn't directly related to how many thousands of dollars you pour into it. Personally, I'd rather use that money to take my family on a nice vacation than spend it on a dress I'm only going to dance in a handful of times.
How many dancers are in this situation? Dancers who may WANT to go to Nationals or to Worlds and have the talent and ability to do so and really can't because, I hate to say this, mom and dad can't afford it. The economy sucks. People are out of work. Fundraisers help, but a lot of the expenses are out of mom and dad's pockets (or in my case, my own). Not every girl can afford a brand-new solo dress--which easily run into the thousands of dollars USED--every year, or the travel expenses from going cross-country to a feis every other weekend. And if you or your parents can, you're fortunate. Sadly, aside from the dancing, those are the two things that are really going to get you far in the Irish dance world. And, unfortunately, that fact isn't going away anytime soon.
Because I'm not one to complain without taking some sort of action, and the ugly dresses aren't going away anytime soon, I have a plan. I want to hold some kind of fundraiser for one Irish dancer in the St. Louis area whose parents may not have the money to buy her a dress. I've been there (not with Irish dance), and I know how disappointing it is as a child to not be able to have the same opportunities as other kids your age because mom or dad can't afford to give them to you. I want to find a truly talented, truly deserving dancer and I want to be able to buy her a dress. Even if it is, in my opinion, butt ugly. As long as it makes a deserving dancer happy, I can live with that. Because at the end of the day, ugly is only in the eye of the beholder.
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Wow. I knew I liked you just from the sense of humor you put into all your blog posts, but now I have to say I agree with every word you just said. That's the thing I don't understand with these dresses. It's all well and good to have your own style and taste and all that, but the argument "somebody loves it" can only go so far. What I can't understand is why. most times they are not flattering in color or cut.
ReplyDeleteBut, as an Adult dancer who never got to dance as a child cause my parents couldn't even afford classes, not to mention all the "stuff" that goes with it, I would love to see people/groups that pick less affluent dancers and help them realize their dreams. Congrats on a good and noble idea. Karmically speaking, I think doing that allows you to bitch over all the ugly dresses out there all the live long day. ;)
I think as a dancer with two whole years experience and still competing in the grades, you're not really in a position to say that irish dance is "not about the dancing any more". I'm not saying you're not entitled to your opinion, just that your opinion is remarkably ill-informed and really, just a nice soft excuse that people love to fall back on when they/their kid don't do as well as they want. Try sitting through a World Championship, without your blinkers on. You might then realise that in actual fact, judges don't give a toss what you're wearing. The best dancers are at the top, the others don't recall, regardless of what they have on.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with what Studying says. You only have 2 years of experience, which doesn't put you into the position to know everything about how Irish dance was, or what it is now, or how it's "not about the dancing anymore"
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying you don't have the right to say anything, just when you're about to insult someone, or their dress, think twice. Keep in mind that the Irish dance trends are WAY different then real world trends.
In the end, it doesn't matter what you wear, it's how you dancing.
Sorry if that came out as rude, it's an interesting blog you have. I just saw someone post on dance.net that you commented on her doll that she made. She wasn't completely insulted, but just remember, a little girl who's dress you may have insulted may see this page one day..