How to use costume to enhance your dance

You’ve decided on the genre, you’ve picked the music after careful deliberation and the choreography is finally perfect after endless hours of tweaking and perfecting, so to the outside world all the important checkboxes are ticked, right? But you know, in reality, that the process is far complete. Without a costume that’s made from top-quality, reliable materials and that balances with the attitude of the combination of music and routine, the struggle is far from over.
Here at Diva, we like to think we know a thing or two about the dancewear world and we would like to offer some specialised advice that helps you find a costume that meets your requirements, which we know can sometimes be a bothersome and time-consuming affair.

Here are some tips and tricks for choosing that special piece:
Making your dancewear part of the story. 
As with any sector in the creative world, having every element of your art piece following a theme is crucial to conveying the emotion and story you intend. Ultimately, only you know what fits with the vision you are trying to create, so you’ve got to put the time into deciding what you want to sweep across the dancefloor in, not settling for any less than perfect. Choosing an exquisite costume will complement, elevate and enrich the story you’re going to be telling. 

Never forfeit practicality for design
No matter how much you love a design, if it’s not practical, don’t purchase that costume! As an experienced dancer, you will know that certain dance styles and routines are not suited to certain costumes and the last thing any dancer wants on stage is restricted movements or wardrobe malfunctions, but even knowing this it can be hard to resist something you have fallen in love with.
To reinforce why sacrificing practicality is a no-go, we’ll simplify this issue. Let’s look to ballet dancers as an example. You would never tell a ballet dancer to perform in washed-out jeans, embroidered with flowers, just because the gentle nature of the tones fits the soft tones of their choreography just as you would certainly never tell a ballet dancer to buy cheap, knock-off point shoes, as the quality of those are critical to each performance.

Ensure the design complements the movement in your performance
Often certain costumes are created for certain routines, which is frequently because of how different dancewear can either complement or clash with the movement in a performance. The right costume should never be a hindrance to your chosen dance style, instead helping make every movement look controlled and purposeful.