Dance Costume Rant - YouLookFab Forum

That's fashion related, right?
We had a dance performance for my dd today. (One down, 4 to go!) This was the first performance in costume for this class. They have had these costumes on all of twice before this- once to try them on, and once in dress rehearsal last week in class. This costume was on the expensive side- over $100. It has several fiddly pieces (hat, leotard with shirt tails that stick out with a belt that velcro's over it and either pants or a fringed short and fishnet tights- half have one half have the other, plus their choker and earrings). It's cute, but I hate costumes like this. The flower for the hat had to be glued on, the belt needed to be tacked down to keep it from spinning around, they needed velcro added to the tail of the leotard that goes over the shorts to keep it from creeping up and we had to buy nude tights to go under the fishnets- add about $20 to the cost of the costume for all of that stuff. Worst of all- several of the girls have gigantic holes in their fishnets, and one of the moms was sewing them closed backstage. What really makes me mad is that it is the same girls that show up with costume problems year after year. We managed to have all the dancers show up with all of their costume pieces, but one girl was short a shoe- just one! I keep telling myself that all of this will be over by July, but I hate dance season. I keep wondering what is wrong with the teachers who pick out complicated and expensive costumes when something simpler will do just as well.
Anyone else have a little dancer and can commiserate?

15 years ago

Tanya

Veteran

Hi Khris, rant away! I can certainly commiserate! I do not have a little one, it is about my own ballroom dance costumes. Their cost is in 4 digits ( luckily you can rent them), they are heavy ( tons of rhinestones) and sometimes incredibly revealing. Not to mention all the fake tanning sessions, fake nails, fake eye lashes, stage make up, tons and tons of gel and hairspray so that not a hair can move out of place. it takes up to three hours to get ready and the first thing I want to do is wash everything off. Oh, and sometimes we have to use body glue on the underpants that are usually built in the costume to prevent them from moving!

chewyspaghetti

Oh my gosh Tanya!
That's my daughter, too- I bring make up wipes so that she can take her make up off backstage and change as soon as the show is over. First thing she does when we get home is wash her face and brush out her hair. She loves dance, and has been doing it for about 6 years now (she's 11). She gets a ton out of it, and I gladly put in the time at the studio and pay her monthly dues, but every year at this time I start to have palpitations every time we walk into the studio- because there is always another fee, deadline, thing they want us to buy, rehearsal, competition etc. I also have the bad habit of thinking too far ahead- "How will we ever afford toe shoes on top of everything else..... What happens when my modesty threshold comes up against a costume or routine.......How will she ever survive on a dancer's income? ;P
*breathe*

Keep breathing! I know exactly what you are talking about! At least she is not doing ballroom dancing. There has been a bad trend recently with making children costumes look as provocative as adult ones. here is an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EKGxZD-jtI

edit: I have replaced the link with right age group, this is 11-16 .

Unfortunately, I think that is a trend in all forms of dance. It's really sad. Some of those dancers in that video are wearing more than some of the costumes at my daughter's studio. Last year, there was a class whose costume consisted of a bra top, with a couple of straps across the back (ie basically backless) and tiny little low rise booty shorts. These girls were high school age, and I did not think it was appropriate. The teacher for that class seems to have a really low threshold for modesty- both in costuming and choreography. She is a really good teacher, but I won't allow my daughter to take her classes. I was watching one of her dances today, and it just reaffirms my decision. Almost all of the costumes that she picks are midriff baring (from the 3-4 year old, up to high school)- and that's not something that I am ok with. All of her dances have some sort of bumping and grinding. My husband says they look like they are pole dancing without the pole. Not something that my 11 year needs to be doing. I guess it's just the way that our culture in general is going, but still- it makes me sad.

I hear you Khris. What type of your dancing is your daughter doing? I thought it was modern ballet but I could be wrong.

This year she is in ballet, tap/jazz, and Lyrical. that costume that I described was for a jazz class, I believe. I am trying to steer her more into the ballet/modern/lyrical vein because those tend to be more modest and are just better technique in my opinion. I have noticed that the more advanced classes in jazz/tap/hip hop and also cheer/gymnastics at her studio are the ones that I take issue with.

Sparky

I haven't even had a chance to post an intro thread (promise to get to that and introduce myself properly soon), and am a newbie to Angie's forum, but wanted to commiserate with you! My DD is almost 9 and in ballet. Most of the dance schools around here go all out at the end of the year with the recital, expensive costumes, extra rehearsals, etc. I lucked out finding a local ballet studio in our town that bucks the trend, and has good teachers to boot. The girls in each class are told what color/style leotard to wear for the year-end recital - for example this year DD needed a camisole style pink leotard. Most people end up borrowing what they need if they don't have it from others in the dance studio community; the teachers help with this. The studio has some tulle/wings/skirts/accessories in stock that the teachers work into a themed costume for each child to fit with their class dance. The girls also get a small fabric floral arrangement pinned into their hair that they get as a keepsake at the end. The only thing parents pay for the recital are the tickets. Can I tell you how much I love this dance studio?? The low-key, low-budget approach lets creativity shine through with simple costuming and lets the kids have the experience of performing and showcasing what they've learned without other distractions.

It may have a lot to do with the fact that this is classical ballet and not a competitive dance studio. In any case, July will be here before you know it - just keep telling yourself that!

bella

(website)

Totally OT: I couldn't help but notice that the first song (samba) that the contestants are dancing to is a Turkish song!:)

sparky- Welcome to the board. That is awesome! There are only a handful of dance studios in my area, and they all do it the same way.
Oh and you know- I thought with a group of older girls being backstage would be easier, but there was so much drama! I had two girls in tears, and I'm still not sure exactly what happened to the one. That's why I stay backstage. My dd is a silent martyr. If anything happened- she would never say anything to a teacher or another mom. I even have to pry it out of her.

taylor

Khris, my 4 yr. old granddaughter is in dance,and for their dance recital my daughter was told that they HAD to have the children's costumes made by the woman who ALWAYS makes all the costumes...it would be 45 dollars. Well because granddaughter is ~BIG~ for her age it would be additional 25 dollars...this was when she picked up the costume!!! Needless to say my daughter was not happy considering she was on stage for a total of about 5 min. Fortunately she only had 1 costume, the older children had 2 and the second was quite elaborate...sheesh sounds like this is just the beginning I!

Louise

Many moons ago when I was a young dancer I remember mum having to hand stitch hundreds of individual sequins onto a tutu!!! And then we all kept getting tangled up with each other back stage and the sequins would all come off so sounds like the dance teachers are getting no more sensible!!!

Sequins!!! UGH!!!
They literally make my dd break out in huge red welts. One of dd's teachers always wants to add pieces- barrette's, masks, props, etc. I hate it when they stick something in their hair. Either one of the kids is going to forget it, to it's going to fall off on stage and someone is going to trip on it.
Taylor- those last minute fees are a killer. Yes, it's just the tip of the iceberg for her.

Sarah

I don't have any kids, but my younger half sister grew up in dance. She started at age 3, and now at 19 is still going strong. She cheers for the AZ Cardinals. But I can remember when we'd be with our dad over the summers, her dance took up multiple nights (as well as many Saturdays) a week and was SO expensive. She took about four or five styles of dance, as well as theater, piano, and violin.
My husband and I each grew up with one extra curricular activity, and that sounds good to us. Even one can be a lot to handle, though.

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