I'd propose that people wearing clothing styles that are contrary to tradition occurs where there's acceptance and encouragement for play and self-expression, generally.  From that perspective, I'm landing on the thought that it's not a "which came first," the flourishes or the skirts, but rather what came first is an environment that nurtures the extra curlicue or do-dad for no reason other than it's someone's idea of fun.

To share some of my rabbit hole as I explored skirted clothing and dance, here're a few videos I enjoyed seeing:

Skirts for dance without twirls:

"HAWAII - 1960s - Men and women perform hula dances in grass skirts in Hawaii."
https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-3417132785-hawaii---1960s-men-women-perform-hula

"Solomon islands - 1931 - in this ethnographic film, alleged cannibals of the solomon islands are introduced as a particularly bloodthirsty tribe."
https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-1110464247-solomon-islands---1931-this-ethnographic-film

Comic dance.
Swan Lake Act II - Little Swans - Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
https://youtu.be/F83BbbtoX8Q?si=2srNnSp3AzdFJjyx

Graham.

Martha Graham performing “Letter to the World” (also called “The Kick”), 1940.
Photo by Barbara Morgan (public domain)

Hope you enjoy those.

Rob

Conway, AR

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Robert Matson
Innovation Media Corp.
The Innovation Works, Inc.
Cell: (917) 626-2675



On Wed, Sep 11, 2024 at 8:30 PM David Chandler via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> I started dancing in NY/NJ in the 1970's, and called contra and English until mid-80's - and then had about a 15 year hiatus. Before my break I only remember one male (to judge from facial and body hair) who regularly wore dresses or skirts to dances. After I returned to dancing, there was a gradual increase, though in the beginning it seemed some men chose kilts as a way to mute the statement. And then....
>
> I should note that my memory is not known for being accurate, so this is just an observation, not a definitive statement. A source for more extensive information would be CDSS, which has pictures from camps for many years; and the Pinewoods archives also have many pictures. If one lives near the U. of New Hampshire, the CDSS archives are there and should be a useful source.
>
> David
>
> On Wed, Sep 11, 2024 at 7:42 PM Joe Harrington via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>
>> Seems the edge of memory here so far is around 1990. Does anyone have access to a photo or video archive from before, say at the CDSS?
>>
>> —jh—
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 11, 2024 at 7:25 PM Bob Hofkin via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> On 09/11/2024 15:11, Louise Siddons via Contra Callers wrote:
>>> > separate the garment from its gendered connotations
>>>
>>> Louise,
>>>
>>> I started wearing skirts because they were more comfortable than jeans
>>> over a fairly substantial knee brace. Turns out they are better for
>>> ventilation, too.
>>>
>>> I definitely enjoy the twirl effect, and find the skirt a practical tool
>>> for guiding the directionally-challenged through a hey. I've had fun
>>> making up silly answers when asked why I'm wearing a skirt, always
>>> trying to communicate the contra community's openness and acceptance,
>>> which goes far beyond fashion choices.
>>>
>>> Bob H (Nevada)
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>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
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