Dancing is a form of art that can be traced back to the earliest moments of known human history. From the time African tribes covered themselves in paint to some of the modern forms of dancing that exist today, it’s no doubt that dancing remained to be one of the most expressive forms of art we know today. Besides, dance has so many health benefits for the human body, from allowing you to stay fit and in shape, to improving blood circulation and lung function, and making your feel happy through the process of releasing so many feel-good chemicals in your brain. Moreover, some form of dancings brings people together and are done competitively, which provides a sense of community and belonging for people who share the same interests.
Today we can recognize diverse forms of dancing from traditional, to various forms of contemporary dances including modern ballet, hip hop, jazz dancing, ice dancing, etc. All these dances can be differentiated by the different moves and dance performance costumes that are being worn by the performers.
In this article, we will pay specific attention to the different types of dance performance costumes, but before we do that let’s first try to answer some common questions related to this form of art. Let’s begin by giving you a little bit of in-depth background knowledge about the origins of dancing.
Why Do Humans Dance and What is the History Behind This Form of Art?
According to some researches, the first form of dancing was recorded among ancient civilizations in some parts of the Middle East and India and among the aboriginal people of America, Africa, and Australia. These people performed diverse forms of spiritual gatherings and social events where rituals accompanied with some forms of dance movements and chantings were done, mostly as a way to connect to the Gods and make sense of the nature around them. For instance, Hindu people praised their god Shiva, known as Nataraja who was considered a Lord of the Dance in Indian culture and was being portrayed as a many-armed being, standing balanced on one leg.
Why is Costume Important in Dance?
We learn to move our bodies from a young age and although some of us don’t consider ourselves particularly good at it, we all dance in some form or another. But have you asked yourself why costumes are so important in every professional dancer’s life? Well, since young age kids have this inner pull to wear something specific while performing, singing, or doing any type of dance.
In simple words, dance costumes help bring to life the dancer’s inner feelings and expressions. They help to accentuate the dancers’ movements making them feel more in touch with themselves and allowing their bodies to flow and express themselves freely. They are exceptionally important during the performance stage as they give the dancer the needed boost of confidence, helping them to blend easily to the music and their style of dance.
What Makes a Good Dance Costume?
There are a number of things that make a good dance costume. From the choice of material to the type of shoewear that matches the distinctive style of dance you prefer.
Here we will go through some of the most well-known costume types designed for a variety of dance styles and movements. So, let’s have a look at each one of them separately, so you can better understand how to choose the right one for your individual needs, body shape, or dance style.
Types of Dance Costumes
A different form of dance requires diverse performing costumes. As we already stated above, there is an appropriate costume for every form of dance, including ballet, hip hop, lyrical, jazz, or traditional. Let’s have a look at the most prominent features associated with each one of them, see how they differ from one another, and what marks that particular dancing style in a distinctive way.
Ballet Costumes
Ballet is theatrical art dancing created by the movement of the dancer’s body. It is most often performed on stages for an audience to convey a story, concept, or different emotions. The ballets dancers utilize specific dance performance costumes which only add to create more magic, excitement, and elegance on the stage. The traditional ballet attire for ladies includes pink tights, a black leotard, and ballet slippers. However, one of the most quintessential pieces of costumes that women dancers wear during classical ballet performances is the tutu. Tutus have become the symbol costume of the ballerina.
It is typically a form of skirt consisted of multiple layers of tarlatan, muslin, silk, tulle, gauze, or nylon attached to a sleek fitting bodice. New advancements in theatrical performance played an important role in tutu development. Nowadays, for modern ballet, we know there is a wide range of diverse tutus available including classical, romantic, platter, and many other.
Jazz Costume
Since jazz dance is structured of some sharp and clean line movements, the type of costumes needs to ensure that there aren’t any restrictions to the dancer’s body movements, stance, and fluidity. Therefore, the dress code for jazz dancers is usually more relaxed than those who perform ballet. The present jazz dancewear has evolved to be more form-fitting than in the past. Most often jazz dancers are required to wear tights and a leotard which gives the wearer enough freedom of movement and flexibility to feel comfortable while performing. When it comes to the type of shoewear, jazz shoes are like ballet slippers except they feature a smaller heel.
Lyrical Dance
Lyrical or contemporary dance is considered a combination of ballet and a modern style of dance. The lyrical dance most often requires simple dance costume designs, which convey elegance and are made from lightweight and long flowing materials. These types of costumes additionally enhance the graceful body movement of the dancers and may often portray or relate to some characteristic, mood, or theme of the dance.
Moreover, during these types of dances, the dancer also uses their body language and facial expressions to express a diverse range of emotions such as anger, hurt, sadness, and love. Many people enjoy watching lyrical performances because they are relatable and can create a bond with the audience.
Ice Dancing
Ice dance is a discipline within the sport of figure skating that is historically related to ballroom dancing, from where it is believed to have originated and became to be known as a specific art dance. This type of dancing gives an emphasis on rhythm and musical interpretation while the skater performers unique skating moves on the ice wearing some of the most stunning pieces of dancing costumes.
Most types of dance costumes are individually handcrafted for every performer with the idea in mind that they are going to live the biggest moment of their life wearing them, so they need to wear something that truly relates to that. These types of dancer performance costumes are specially designed in accordance with the aesthetic requirements, and anticipated movements of the dancer’s body. They can be made to either fit loosely or enhance the body shape. They are often made from lightweight materials such as silk, or other stretchable fabrics such as chiffon, jersey, or lycra that don’t pose any restriction in body movement.