Saturday night dances give "big beautiful women" and their admirers a chance to swing it with abandon.
By TRACY SMALL
Published April 11, 2004
Wearing big, beautiful smiles, these full-figured gals meet their admiring men every Saturday night at the big beautiful women dance.
The BBW dance, held weekly at Sidelines Sports Bar in the Comfort Inn at 820 Busch Blvd., is a place for people to meet, dance, play pool and throw darts without being judged by their waistlines.
"It's always given me a sense of pride," said Jan Borte, 51, who has been hosting the dance since last November, although the event originated in 2000. "It's an opportunity to get dressed up, feel good about myself, mingle with people of size and check out the latest fashions."
Looking around the room, you can see the men are wild about these "plus-sized" ladies, who are dressed in everything from leather to miniskirts to the teeniest of halters.
They primp, they curl, they sparkle. Then they shake their booties to a variety of music from '70s disco to hip-hop.
Bob Lundeen, a BBW admirer, said of his sweetheart, "We met online. We come almost every weekend. It's what's inside that counts, but my BBW makes a great pillow."
His girlfriend, Judi Battles, said of the dances, "I love it, being a BBW myself. I feel comfortable. I'm with my own kind."
Call them full-figured, thick, curvy or voluptuous, but don't ever call them fat.
"This country obviously has a problem with weight," BBW Cathy Mack said, "but in the meantime this gives us a place to go where there is no discrimination."
Of any kind, apparently. There is a definite mix of ethnic groups. Every week, about 150 people attend from all over the state; roughly 30 percent are men.
The Big Beautiful Women dances in Tampa and elsewhere are part of a worldwide size acceptance movement that has its own books, magazines, clothing lines and merchandise. The Tampa dance has gained a lot of its popularity from chat rooms on America Online and Yahoo.
"If we go to a club that is not BBW friendly, we get rude remarks," Borte said. "No matter what your size, you're welcome in our territory. But as far as the men go, if you're a "tiny heinie,' don't get your hopes up."
These ladies are definitely not counting their carbs, and neither are their men.
But these babes don't gather just to strut their stuff. They auction off volunteer dates for charities such as the American Heart Association and Moffitt Cancer Center, specifically for breast cancer research. They're planning a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association soon.
"It gives us a chance to help out, and we have fun doing it," Borte said.
They're a close-knit group. They celebrate birthdays and talk about the best places to shop for clothes.
"The people treat you like family," BBW admirer Steve Crumley said, "and the beautiful women make it a great place to be."
If you go
Admission is $5, which includes door prizes, snacks and the cost of the disc jockey. The dances run from 9 p.m. Saturday until the bar closes at 2 a.m.
For more information, call the Comfort Inn at 813 933-4011 and ask for Sidelines Sports Bar or e-mail newbbwdancetampa@aol.com
