Ballet Dance Costumes
Performance Tips



Ballet dance costumes bring a performance alive and help dancers feel more into character. Most typically, ballerinas are recognized for wearing the beautiful tutus which almost instantly give an elegant and graceful style.

The very first ballet tutu was worn by the ballerina, Marie Taglioni. This was in 1832 during the Romantic period and Taglioni was performing in La Sylphide.

The costume always works in relation to the ballet and it is always there to complement the story or character.

If you take a look at Swan Lake or Nutcracker, they will each have specific costumes that must be worn by the dancers.

Without the costumes, a performance is not finished to perfection.

There are many designs of dance costumes including different styles of dresses, tutus, leotards, unitards. Most typically, ballerinas will wear a graceful dress or tutu and the male dancer will wear fitted tights with a tunic.

Although ballet costumes look really spectacular and help make you feel in character, they can be very restricting at first and make a difference to your movements.

Dancing in ballet costumes always feels very different from just dancing in a ballet leotard. If you are used to practicing in just a leotard and tights, it will give you much more freedom than when you wear a long dress or round tutu.

Although professional ballet dancers rarely wear their entire costume in everyday rehearsals, the dress rehearsal is a key time for the whole ballet company to try out the costumes.

For dancers, they must feel what the costume is like and practice the movements. For the ballet teachers too, they must see what the costumes look like on stage.

The dress rehearsal is a significant time to check the fitting of the costume, as there are always little adjustments to be made such as tightening the straps or sewing any ladders.

ballet dance costumes
ballet dance costumes

If you are looking for a ballet dance costume, then first look at some pictures of the sort of style you want. The internet is ideal to browse around and get some ideas of what you need.

Ballet dance costumes can be very costly, which might result to thinking of alternative ideas - Can you hire a costume? Or make one with your family? Can you find the best bargin online?

Remember, when buying costumes online you need to take attention to  the size and measurements. Particularly with tutus, because they should be exactly fitted to the dancer in the bodice and skirt.

If you get no luck from the dance websites, then have a look in your local dance shops too and visit from your dance school to see if anyone can help.

Professional dancers are lucky enough to have costumes supplied by the wardrobe department, as it is part of the job. But if you need to find one yourself, then make sure the costume is significant to the dance and don't give up searching!

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