The Great Debate

Ah, the lengths we go to when preparing our young dancers for convention.  My first year, I thought it would be enough to just slap on a bra top and booty shorts that sort of matched for my girls’ first convention class.  If I’m being honest, I want to cringe when I look back on that day.  The other girls in that class looked like they stepped off the pages of a dancewear catalog; I swear, some of those outfits could have passed for stage-ready costumes.  Eye-popping designs, amazing colors, and gorgeous fabrics came together to create show-stopping looks, making those dancers stand out among all the others in the room.  Feeling the burn of shame creeping through my veins, I vowed to never repeat that severe misstep again.

Mistake Corrected

Since then, I have been on the lookout for beautiful (yet affordable) dance convention wear.  I carefully comb through catalogs, websites, emails, and the like for the latest trends. It can be quite challenging at times; I try to dress the twins in complementing outfits (not matching, because there will be mutiny if I buy them the same exact clothes) but am ever-mindful of our limited budget.  My search for great dancewear takes up more of my time than I would like, but that’s the price we pay, isn’t it?

The Epiphany

Recently, I asked my girls to try on the new dancewear sets I had just bought from one of the more well known dancewear design companies.  They burst out of the bedroom, proudly modeling their new outfits, when my teenage son came downstairs.  Before I could stop him from saying something snarky (he can ALWAYS be counted on for some snide comment, being all angsty and stuff), he mumbled, “Why are you wearing bathing suits?!”

To say the girls were insulted could possibly be the understatement of the year.  “They’re not BATHING SUITS!  They’re CONVENTION OUTFITS!” they bellowed in unison. But even as they were yelling their indignant replies, I experienced one of those “Wait a second…” moments. Once he said it, the picture snapped into focus, and his comment suddenly made so much sense that I was awash with shame. The brightly colored fabric, the tropical prints, the high cut of the briefs…sweet Jesus, they DID look like bathing suits!  I felt dumbfounded, duped, betrayed, and all of the other emotions a mom can feel when her smug teenage son points out something that should have been completely obvious to her in the first place.

The Way It Is

For some of the dance clothing lines, this is simply the direction their designers are taking them.  And of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!  The sets range from cute to breathtaking, and are sure to make a splash (pun intended) when taking the convention dance floor.

Now, every time I look at dancewear top/bottom sets, leotards, and monokinis, I ask myself whether they look too much like bathing suits or not.  It’s ridiculous, I know, but I can’t help it; it’s one of those things that, once you see it, you can’t UNsee it.  

Maybe I’m just too stressed to be reasonable about this.  I need a vacation, somewhere that I can lie by the pool in my bathing…ugh, never mind.

Work hard, have fun! – Danielle

For more dancewear problems, check out Winning Streak!