Dance Costumes for Competitions

Whereas for a recital, a simpler look is usually more effective, dance costumes for competitions have to make as powerful and memorable an impact as your moves. Shop as carefully as you rehearse, because you’ve only got one chance to wow the judges.

Matching costumes make a big impression at a dance competition.

The most important part about choosing a good costume is complementing your personal style and style of dance. You may be attracted to a rainbow print covered in sequins, but if you’re dancing classical ballet, this is a costume that will distract and detract.

On the other hand, if you’re dancing a hot jazz number, you want to go for the gusto. Even so, bear in mind that it is very easy to overdo it. Less is often more and you don’t want the costume to overwhelm either your body or your work.

These points may seem obvious, but you only have to attend a few competitions to realize how few people know the value of classic style and simplicity. Even a red-hot number can be overwhelmed. Shop with friends you trust to give their honest opinion and think long and hard about the personality you want to convey through your costume before making your final purchase.

Once you have a sense of what style will work for you and your number, you then have a lot of hard work ahead. Dance costumes for competitions are about more than the look, they to fit and move well. If it’s too tight, you run the risk of it ripping, which would be awful. Too loose, and you won’t be seen to your best advantage. Online shopping is not ideal for getting a perfect fit, but so long as you allow plenty of time for either returns, exchanges or alterations, there is no reason you can’t save time and money using the Web.

Some good sites include:

• Dancewear Solutions: Dancewear Solutions’ selections of performance wear are essentially basic leotards and skirts but with a bit more pizazz, such as a touch of glitter, sparkle or shine. These do well for complex numbers where you want to be sure you have a good fit and striking but simple look that lets your footwork take center stage.

• The Costume Closet: The Costume Closet is an excellent choice because it offers consignment costumes for rent as well as sale, so you can save a lot of money. On the other hand, if you have plenty of money to spend and are willing to make an investment in an individual costume, they also offer custom designs. They cater almost exclusively to dance teams, which is a real boon because outfitting a group of dancers well can cost a fortune. With the money saved, you can purchase one of their 200 styles of wigs as well.

• Pumpers Dancewear: Offering custom designs at reasonable prices, all made in the United States, Pumpers offers a range of styles and fabrics, as well as plus sizes and a variety of men’s wear. They claim they can either copy something you’ve seen in a catalog or combine multiple designs into one. They swear by their on-time delivery, their motto being “No one dances naked because of Pumpers.” It’s not exactly catchy, but so long as your costume arrives well before the performance date, everyone’s happy.

• Everything Shiny: If you only look at one Web site when shopping online for costumes, let it be Everything Shiny. The selection is staggering. You can buy anything imaginable, but can also arrange for custom designs. Either way, know that each costume is hand-sewn and each sequin and bead put on one by one, guaranteeing durability as well as a more beautiful polish.

If you can’t afford a custom-made costume, but still want a unique look, you don’t have to be handy with a needle to devise something that suits you. Haunt your local fabric shop for trim and fabric remnants that you can sew or even glue on to give your costume its perfect sheen. Be as bold as you feel, you have nothing to lose and everything to hopefully win!.

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