There’s a reason why the job outlook for dancers is expected to increase by 5% over the next decade. Whether you’re a child preparing for dance competitions or a professional ballet dancer, there’s no denying that dancing enriches both the lives of the performers and audiences.
However, there is one underrated aspect of preparing for dance that often goes ignored: choosing the perfect costume. This is especially important for lyrical dances. Lyrical dance costumes need to not only be functional, but match the mood, lyrics, and narrative of the music.
So how do you go about choosing the perfect lyrical dance costume? If you want to discover the answer to this question, you’re in the perfect place. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about this important part of the performance.
Make Sure You or Your Child Understand Lyrical Dance
To choose the perfect lyrical dance costume, you or your child first need to understand the intricacies of this dance form. Lyrical dance combines multiple forms of dance including jazz, modern, and ballet.
While the form of lyrical dance can vary, its ultimate goal is to express the form of music through dance. Sometimes, if a song is instrumental, a lyrical dance might try to express the emotions that the music draws from it.
Or, if the song has lyrics, then the dance might attempt to express unique storytelling. Because of this, lyrical dance not only requires a wide variety of technical skills but also emotion and creativity.
However, when it comes down to it, you can only learn so much about lyrical dance through reading. If you want to understand it you need to take a class. The good news is that there are a wide variety of lyrical classes available.
And they’re not just for adults. You can also find lots of excellent lyrical dance classes for children.
Proper instruction is a great way to learn the ins and outs of the medium. Once you understand it, choosing an outfit will be much easier for you when dance season rolls around.
Think About the Movements Involved in the Dance
The problem with dance customs is they need to be both beautiful and functional in a dance routine. You might have the perfect costume to go with your dance piece.
However, if you can’t properly dance in it, then it’s useless. As such, you want to think closely about the movements involved in your dance. If you have an incredibly dynamic piece, that might rule out some potential costume materials.
If you plan on being picked up during the piece, you’ll want some lightweight material like chiffon. Or, if your dance involves a lot of splits and flexible moves, you’ll need something flexible. Jersey material and spandex are both great for this purpose.
Match Color With Mood
Ideally, you want the color of your costume to match the mood of the song you’re dancing to. For example, if you’re dancing to a love song, then pink and red colors can complement it.
Or, if you’re dancing to a sad song, then blue and black shades might be more appropriate. Remember that color can be a powerful emotional tool that heightens the emotion already present in your dance.
However, be careful about matching colors with dances or songs that don’t make sense. For example, if you’re dancing to a song about death or heartbreak, you might want to avoid bright cheerful neon colors.
At best, this type of costume adds nothing to the lyrical piece. At worst, it can distract your audience from enjoying the dance.
Incorporate Storytelling Into Your Costume
Not all lyrical pieces will be able to do this. However, if you have a narrative-based song you’re dancing to, consider incorporating elements of it into your costume.
For example, if you’re dancing to a song about a princess, you might wear a crown or other elements to put yourself in the perspective of the character. It doesn’t need to be traditional either.
Some modern lyrics might be from the perspective of punks, street individuals, addicts, soldiers, or more. Think about how you can incorporate some of these identities into your dance costume.
Don’t Forget About the Details
Many people think that small details aren’t important in a dance costume. However, remember that things like the cherry on top can end up making the sundae. The same goes for a dance costume. Small touches, like an embellishment of rhinestones or an extra splash of red lace, can mean the difference between a good lyrical costume and a fantastic one. You might also be able to incorporate certain details into your dance. For example, if you wear a hat you may be able to include it in certain movements you’re performing.
Do Your Research and Compare Sellers
If you have sewing skills, you might be able to make your lyrical dance costume from scratch. However, if you don’t then you’ll need to find a good seller.
When choosing a seller you first need to decide if you want a mass-produced option or a custom piece of clothing. While custom is more expensive you do get a lot more freedom both with the design and the material being used.
Regardless of what you choose, make sure the person you’re going with has positive reviews from their past clients or customers.
The last thing you want is to spend a lot of money on a costume only to find one small problem that ruins the whole thing. When comparing different sellers you can usually also save money by finding the best price.
Appreciate Learning How to Choose Lyrical Dance Costumes? Keep Exploring
We hope this guide helped you learn more about finding the perfect lyrical dance costumes. It’s important to remember that the perfect costume for your needs will depend on the factors surrounding the dance, like the budget and purpose.
A child’s showcase will likely have vastly different criteria than a professional company. However, as long as you follow the advice in this guide you’ll have the best chance of finding the best lyrical costume for your needs.
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