Posts Tagged ‘Dancing is physical’
Dancing is physical so comfort is high on the agenda. With comfort also comes safety as a salsa dancer would not want to be wearing a full, bellowing skirt although they would when carrying out a ballroom dancing routine.
Dance costumes are specifically designed and constructed to aid the dancer in each particular dance, to be comfortable, unrestrictive and enhance the dancer’s for the dance. Dance is such a visual sport that costumes do play a huge role and they also help the dancer get into the role within the routine. A ballroom costumes for example will be flowing and give a graceful feel whilst an argentine tango costumes will be fitted and more revealing to match the style of the dance.
A man’s costume must enable him to lift the female if the dance requires it and in routines where he must slide along the floor, knee protection pads for example need to be added. These are all factors that need to be taken into account by the costume designer. With such technical specifications and purposes, the testing out of costumes in rehearsals is imperative especially before a competitive dance routine. The costumes must withstand the dance, protect the dancer and enable them to move freely. From an aesthetic point of view, it must also complement the dance.