Stoning – to apply a myriad of colorful (or clear) crystals to a pair of ballroom dance shoes or to a costume in order to create the illusion of sparkling glitter on the dance floor.
Well, at least that is my definition. Costume stoning is an art, and not just any art. It takes an enormous amount of patience, steady hands, and strategic planning…you only get one shot at doing it right. Without stoning, competition floors would lose a large portion of the glamour that the sport is known for, and would not have the same appeal as a spectator sport. Sometimes there only needs to be a few stones applied in strategic areas, and at other times it becomes a head-to-toe ordeal that simply amazes the viewer with a glittery eye-candy that never ends. And these are not the plastic rhinestones that you get from the craft store. The crystals used in ballroom costuming are high-quality and truly stunning.
Arlene Forconi is an Orlando ballroom stone artist, as well as a veteran ballroom dancer and competitor. She and her husband, Dr. Rion Forconi, began their dance careers in 1993 at a Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Inc. in Winter Park FL (no longer open). One of the female instructors at the studio attracted Arlene’s attention with her dance shoes, which were always decorated with beautiful crystals. It made such an impact on Arlene that she developed a hobby out of stoning her own dance shoes, which then led to her being asked to stone others’ shoes and costumes. Arlene has continued to do stone art on ballroom costumes since, and her work was always on display at The Dance Dresser, which recently closed.
Arlene’s stone art can now be seen and is available for purchase at the recently-opened Dancer’s Boutique, owned and operated by ballroom student Kia Malone. The Dancer’s Boutique is located inside of Dance It Studio (please click here for more details). Arlene’s products include wrist, arm, and neck bands in any color, as well as shoes and costumes. She can do custom work, and can be reached at DanceLeen@aol.com.
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