Hey George. Not today buddy.

@@Lisapreps Actually, I wouldn't mind a discussion about costumes, makeup, and hair in competitive Irish dancing. IMO the extremes of the above detract from the dancing itself. I'd like to hear an argument of how they enhance the dancing. My theory is that parents of young women dancers feel that this is a way to get the judges to notice their daughters. Am I wrong?

@@georgem7965 As a male dancer, I can only speak to some of it, however I have about 13 years of dance under my belt. But the costumes, wigs, and makeup are not the choice of the parents. It is just expect throughout the sport. Costumes and hair mostly serve to catch the judges' eyes as dancers walk on stage, or to help the girls all look more uniform in a team setting like this. Aside from buckles and white tape/laces, most of this stuff has very little to do with the dancing at all. Irish dance has an aspect of pageantry to it, and so there are some outdated ideas that stick around. The men need to look masculine and strong, their steps should be loud, powerful and quick. The ladies should be pretty and graceful, their steps full of long lines and slow, elegant extension. You choose a sport that has cultural influences that go back hundreds of years, and ideas are going to stick around for a bit.

Oh and basically every costume/hair/makeup decision is made by teachers (from what I have experienced).