Dance costumes

The purpose of a dance costume is to improve the dancer’s body and the idea of the choreographer. “Costumes are clothes and they are art. They make the invisible ideas visible”. Dance costume has evolved costumes throughout time and involves a lot of different factors to create a costume that will connect the audience.

“Clothing damaged in dance training usually reflects period, culture, and performance traditions”. Throughout history clothing has turn into more cut down as dance costume becomes more physically demanding and free. In the past, costumes would dance in gardens and halls in elaborate and expensive costumes. However, in the eighteenth century they began to dance costumes in theaters and to “throw away cumbersome garments” by training in daily clothing. The ballerina Marie Tagline, in the nineteenth century discarded weighty costumes and began wearing what the standard costumes ballet uniform is today, a lightweight skirt. This change allowed the image of increased physical prowess. Marie Tagline also inspired the first tutu. As dance costumes increased in athleticism more of the body was revealed. The hemline of the tutu grew shorter until the leg was exposed and the pelvic area was framed in a minute kilt.