In this lesson, I am going to show you how to create your own dance costume. Before you decide what kind of a costume you want, there are a few things that you need to think about. You need to consider the style of dance, the mood of the music, the cut of the costume that is most flattering to you and the overall statement, if any, that you are trying to convey.
Supplies:
- Top
- Skirt(s)
- Lace or other material
- Matching Thread
- Needles
- Pins
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine, optional
Directions:
- Choosing Your Costume
First, what style of dance are you going to perform? Is it best to have a skirt or a dress? If it is a lyrical routine, it might be best to have something long and flowing so that when you spin you see it spin with you and move with you. You might want something with a more snug fit. In a jazz routine, you might want the typical jazz skirt or possibly even shorts. When you think of this dance, really think about the song. What is the costume style that you should have with that song?
Second, you will want to think about the color – not only the words of the song but also the overall tone of the music. Is it uplifting and bright and cheery or is it dark and scary and morose and sad because you do not want to use a great pink when the song conveys something of sadness.
Third, what type of cut do you want? What about your neckline, or the length of the skirt. Really think about the cut you want. Do you want a square neck, a “V” neck, or a round neck? It is actually a lot simpler to come up with the idea of what you might want than you think. First of all, look at videos of other dancers notice what you thought about the costumes. What did you think was really pretty about those costumes – maybe it is the neckline, maybe it is the way the skirt flowed or the way it moved?
When you are creating a costume, it is really important that you do not pick something straight out of a catalog, straight from something somebody else is wearing. Change it up. You can take the parts of the costume and make them your own. Look in your closet and take a look at the necklines of the clothes that you wear. When you wear them, how do you feel? Think about what people say when you wear certain clothes. What are you wearing when you get compliments like, “Oh, my gosh! You look really good today!” What is the cut of that dress? What is the color?
Everybody has good parts to their figure and parts that they would rather not emphasize. So, think about that. If you have good legs, show them off. If you have nice arms and their length is really great, then show them off. If you like highlighting your face, then make sure that you have things up around your face so that it draws the judge’s attention to your face. Think about your facial expressions when you dance. If your facial expressions are not that great, if you are just starting to get used to making the correct face and the correct look for the dance, maybe you don’t want them looking at your face. Maybe you want them focusing on your legs instead. If your arms are not always straight, maybe you want gloves to deflect from them. These things will really change how the judges see you when you are on the floor.
So, let’s say you decided to go with a dress. I am going to show you a few different things you can do while you are deciding what kind of costume you want. Now your costume could be shorts. It could be pants. It could be whatever you want.
I am going to show you a few different ways to change it up because you do not want to take a simple piece, go out on the floor, straight from a catalog, because if you do, chances are there will be others with that same costume out on the floor.
For this demo, we are using a three layer skirt. You can make the skirt if you want or you can buy it. Another alternative is to layer three separate circle skirts and cut them in three different lengths.
For the top of this costume, I started with a regular black bra and added a simple lace piece. You can really see a lot going on with a regular bra. But, you could pick a sports bra or a bandeau bra if you prefer. I chose a black bra because it is simple. It will not distract you from the colors. But, let’s say you picked a lace piece as I have in this demo. It is really simple, really pretty. But, you could do lot of simple things to change it up even more. You can add rhinestones to it. You can take that same piece of lace and cut it so that you can tuck it in. The lace, or whatever you chose to use, could go up to your chin and over both shoulders, pulled to one side, gathered over one breast, gather it up over one shoulder. You could also cut the lace so that it goes over one shoulder and leaves the other shoulder bare. Whatever you do, you want to sew everything into place. If the changes are simple, most of these changes will probably be easier to just sew by hand. However, with other changes it may be better to use a sewing machine. You do not want the costume to end up with material coming off all over the place and things falling off when you are dancing.
You want to think about necklines that you like and those that you do not like. Let’s say you decided okay, I really like the cut of that top. It is kind of a sign of its own design, sewn on one side. Now, take this same dress – what can you do to it? You want to think about edges, make it a little more “you,” a little more unique. You could easily use some of the things mentioned above. Now, we have already changed it up a little bit so that it is no longer straight out of the catalog, but you could do more. For instance, let’s say that you used the black lace and draped over one shoulder. You could then use s piece of matching material or some type of complementary fabric and cover the other breast by just draping the second material over the cup on the other side of the bra.
Then, you can maybe add something to the waistline – maybe something as simple as a belt. It could be a belt that you have made with a band of fabric and rhinestones on it or it could be one that you have purchased. Possibly put the belt on at an angle. Try it and see what you think. You could always gather the skirt up on the side. Make it something different with a little change and something unique that nobody else around in the dance world will have.
So, when you are thinking about that costume, just close your eyes and think about what you see. Does it flow? Does it spin? Does it move with you or does it cling close. Just be creative. Pick out something that is unique to you and your personality. Try it on. Do not be afraid to look in the mirror and say, “Okay, well, I like a little pinch here, a little tuck there.” You can take those simple pieces and create a beautiful dance costume that is uniquely yours.
These are just some ideas of what you can do – ideas that can be a jumping off point to create more ideas that are yours alone. Have fun with creating your own unique costume. Be creative and make it your very own.
If you enjoyed this demonstration, make sure to look at our other demonstration or the Bdancewear videos on YouTube. You can subscribe to our channel so that you do not miss any of the amazing videos that we will have coming out. If you want to get our free complete dance costume DIY guide, go to bdancewear.com/DIY guide. Lastly if you have any questions or ideas for future videos or demonstrations, please contact us through our YouTube channel or on our website – bdancewear.com
Remember – be original, be colorful, bdancewear.com.
