The flowing movements with sharp steps are seen in contemporary dance. The contemporary dance costume is used to beautify the body lines of a dancer. The costume must be according to the theme and story of the dance. The costume must be similar to the choreography of the dance. The manner of the storytelling on music and the emotion requires a costume that is well suited with both. A dance costume decides the value of the performance of the dancer. A costume must be accentuating the union of sharp precision and flowing motion.
Tips to select a good contemporary costume
- The costume should be according to the music. If you are dancing to the theme of a lion. It is not necessary to be dressed in the suit of a lion. You should use a drown color beautiful pattern fabric for your costume. You can make a tail and ears with the fabric also.
- Your contemporary dance costume must be according to the light effect. The choreographer should understand the advantage of your costume. This is can be done by the color scheme of your dance costume. The dance costume should be designed in those colors in which the moves of the dancers are more prominent.
- In contemporary dance, the dancer selects many costumes to change during his performance. A little change in the costume is sufficient. You can use some accessories instead of changing the complete costume. You can fix the leotard and change other small items of your costume.
- Try to use a skirt during your contemporary dance. The skirt makes the movements more bouncy. In a contemporary dance tight costume is mostly required. You can also use a petticoat. As petticoats life skirt away from the body. This will create a more playful act.
- Try to stay away from white color. If you want to wear white color then make sure that the fabric is thick. A see-through costume puts you in a spotlight. This is necessary for a dancer who has reached his teenage.
- If you have abs and want to show to the audience then go for tight clothes. If you are a bit hesitant to show your body then tries to use loose clothes and dark color fabric.
- You should keep in mind the budget of your costume. As a dance costume can mostly be worn on dance competitions. If you have the same theme. Mostly a dance costume is worn only once.
- If a child especially a girl wants to perform a contemporary dance then she should select pink tights. This is because pink is a good color and she will be able to wear it again except for her dance performance.
- The most important tip is that when your contemporary dance costume arrives you should try it as soon as possible. This will help you to alter the costume if you want. If you will not try the costume then at the time of the performance you cannot fix it. This will create a bad image of your dance performance in front of the audience.
Types of contemporary dance dresses
There are many types of contemporary dance dresses according to the theme of the dances. A contemporary dancer mostly uses a fit costume. Some of the commonly used costumes are:
Baby Doll Dresses
It is the best costume for a woman performing a contemporary dance. Women use the waistless and hemless costumes. They look very gorgeous in those costumes. People love to watch their dance. If she wears a baby doll dress with her shorts then she will give a beautiful look in her competition. Baby doll dresses come in many watercolors. They are easy to afford. You can find these dresses in any print easily. A girl wearing a baby doll dress looks more dramatic and stunning. These dresses are easy to sew. These dresses come in almost all watercolors and solid colors. If you are performing in a team then dresses can be bought for the complete team. This is because they are according to your budget.
Handkerchief dresses
These dresses are made up of stretchable fiber Lycra or spandex. These dresses come with sleeveless tops that are connected to a skirt. These dresses come below the knees. The handkerchief dresses also have spaghetti straps. This a more classical option for a contemporary dancer. If a dancer wants to look more modest then he should select a handkerchief dress. In these dresses the hemline is uneven. This provides a more graceful look to the dancer. Contemporary dance is full of new and flexible movements so these dresses are made up of spandex. Spandex is a stretchable fiber found in a piece of fabric. It is very much different from polyester.
Unitards
Unitards are used to provide a sharp and fluid look. They are full-bodied leotards. These dresses mostly end with shorts or Capri pants. The unitards are either tight fitted or a tank top. The unitards also come with a hood or attached foot coverings. These dresses have unique patterns and may consist of attached scarves, skirts or anything else that will make your team entirely different in the competition. As a beginner, you should start with a basic unitard as it is inexpensive.
Conclusion
Contemporary dance is a combination of ballet and modern dance. The movements in this dance different traditional dance movements. The dancer wants to show the audience a mixture of earth-bound and air-bound movements. In this dance, strong and controlled legs, feet, arms, torso and hip work are required. Most of the contemporary dancers perform solo but some also make teams perform in different competitions. The moves in a contemporary dance require muscular body and skills. Contemporary dances are full of energetic movements and hard work. The dancers have a good lean body. So, the costume of a contemporary dancer must be designed so to expose the lines and form of his body.