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Why Custom Costumes Help Lyrical Dance Expressions
The role of emotion in dance in lyrical dance costume design
When working to custom design a costume, a designer considers the the meaning of the piece, the intended movements of the dancer, and the emotion of the accompanying song. Off-the-rack costume designs and fabrics often clash with the meaning of song, and song, and do not facilitate the intended movements. Custom lyrical dance costumes solve this problem by incorporating design elements that help the performer to appear to extend the length of jumps, and appear to elongate a suspension. Custom costumes help to extend the dancer’s movements and the emotion of the accompanying song using the following design elements. Through the use of a dance-proper fabric, the costume will assist and extend the feer and body movements. Custom lyrical dance costumes design meaning and emotion into the costume, and enhance audience’s perception of the performance.Insight: Custom lyrical costumes strengthen storytelling coherence.
The National Dance Association 2023 survey, which examined 210 dance groups across the United States, found that about 87% of the participants had placed orders for custom lyrical costumes. The participants report improved storytelling consistency across all dancers in the group as the main reason for the custom costume purchases. It is clear that the perception of dance costumes as pretty things for dancers to wear on stage for an event has shifted. Dance costumes are now viewed as part of the performance. Custom costume designers can do things like have the costume's fabric flow in conjunction with the movement of the dancers' feet, have the appropriate colors for the dance under the stage lights, and provide additional coverage for the dancers during partnering moves. This attention to detail can help to keep the focus on the performance and enhance the expression of the dancers.
Main Design Principles for Lyrical Dance Costumes
Color relations and visual flow of the group: creating unified yet expressive lyrical stage presence.
To effectively use color, it must be used to tell a story. During slower sections of the music, it is more appropriate to use cooler colors such as slate blue or mist gray as they help the audience draw upon deeper thoughts. During big moments, a warmer accent color such as rose gold or burnt sienna help highlight the moment without overshadowing it. For confusing stage moments, it is best to avoid abrupt color changes and instead use gradual changes in color or layer colors in a way that is reminiscent of the phrasing of the music. This is how each individual performer can be distinct while still playing a part in the cohesive whole, and it helps ensures the audience is guided along the emotional journey of the performance.
Movement-first construction:
Why 4-way stretch, >92% recovery, and reinforced seams are critical for lyrical articulation
When considering lyrical movement, a need for the dancer’s fabrics to move with the dancer, as opposed to fighting the dancer, is a must. The dancer needs to be able to execute those deep developpes, jump and be airborne, and maintain balance during an adagio sequence without any restriction. Also, the materials used need to stretch and recover quickly after being stretched. This ideally needs to be >90% according to the standard tests, because the clothes need to be able to defy the laws of gravity so they will not sag or bag out during performances. And as for seams, just as the fabric, the construction of seams is just as critical. Good construction of a garment should consist of gusseted crotches, comfort spiral seams, and reinforced stress points with bartacks. These critical features ensure that fabric and clothing integrity are not irreparably compromised during long phrases of dance, floor work, etc.
Safety and durability standards: testing fabric tensile strength and seams for repeated lyrical rehearsals and performances
Both safety and testing for consistent durability starts here at our lab. Under ISO 13934-1 guidelines, we are able to test our fabrics for tensile strength. For a fabric to pass testing, it must at least meet 300 Newtons in both the warp and weft directions. When it comes to lift and partner work, or any floorwork in the dance, this is extremely important. Snagged seams are a real injury risk. For durability, we reinforce the stitching in the seams. Once production is done, we send samples out to be tested for over 50 industrial washes. After all the abuse, the fabric stretches less than 3%. With these measures, we can be confident that the costumes will withstand a lot of rehearsals and competitions. Dancers are safe, move comfortably and look great, again and again, all the way to the regional finals.
Guidelines for Producing Custom Lyrical Costumes
Choreography Brief to Final Tech Fitting: An Easy 6-Stage Process for Lyrical Troupes
Discipline is an important part of the process. It helps to combine the imaginative aspects of the design to the functionality of the costume. It all starts with the choreographers, as they define movement. Designers watch for as long as they can, identifying moments of emotion and interactions between dancers. These observations help inform costume design decisions around their shape, the fabric weight, and the focus of the construction. Regarding design development, we settle books to rough sketches and sample fabrics. We test materials with a high degree of stretch and high recovery, meaning they bounce back after exceeding 90% stretch. For our technical testing, we construct sample garments and perform the dance routine to see if the seams give, if the dancers can move freely and if the fabric allows airflow during extended dance sections.
Next, the ensemble goes to try on the respective costumes to evaluate how well the design accommodates different body types, how well the fabric wicks moisture, and if the dancers can move freely without restriction during the practice runs. The design phase is a very serious step in the costume-making process. The areas that are most crucial, such as, armholes, waistbands, and funny gusset things are double-stitched. The dye lots will be the same on all pieces, and every seam will be individually checked before the costume is approved. The final hurdle is a dress rehearsal where the costumes are use for the first time under the stage lights and are subjected to the actual choreography. This is how we evaluate if the costumes are visually cohesive, hold up to the physical demands of choreography and remain cool through the heavy execution of lifts, falls, and floor work. The process of each step minimizes the risk of last minute changes and results in costumes suited specifically for each choreography.
Common Questions
What are advantages of custom lyrical dance costumes?
Custom lyrical dance costumes storytelling, ease of movement, and visuals, and costumes can work with the emotions and storyline of the dance.
Why do costume designers like made to order costumes?
Costume designers appreciate made to order costumes because of the support in movement, storytelling, and the freedom in color and fabric selections to achieve the purpose of the performance.
How does the number of participants affect the time frame for making costumes?
The greater the number of participants, the longer the time frame to the complexity of sizing, quality control, and dye lot management; larger quantities can add an additional 3.5 weeks to the time frame.