Classical Performance Tutus-Head To Toe Coordination Counts

Head To Toe Beauty

Dance Competition Couture Tutu by Costume Creations U.K.

One of the things that makes a dance competition ballerina have the look of a winner is knowing how to choose the proper accessories. An expensive couture tutu can be enhanced by the right choice of accessories. Wearing the wrong accessories with a performance tutu can seriously detract from the beauty of the costume and from the professionalism of the dancer herself.

Check The Tone Of Shoes And Tights

There So Many Different Tones Of Pink In Tights And Ballet Shoes

One of the biggest challenges that a dancer faces is choosing the right shade and tone of tights and shoes. Not only should they match the color palette of the performance tutu, they should coordinate perfectly with each other. As you can see by the photos above, the color “ballet pink” means different things to different countries, brands and dance apparel manufacturers.

Mix And Match Buying Can Sometimes Cause Color Confusion

Many ballet students shop for accessories and shoes that they can find at a discount. One might get ribbons on sale from Grishko, tights from Capezio, pointe shoes from Russian Pointe and elastic from Freeds. Once the items are home, the student realizes she has 4 differing shades of pink that don’t match each other. If at all possible, try buying shoes, tights and elastics from the same manufacturer.

Match The Tone Of The Tights And Shoes  For The Most Professional Look

Ballet tights that have orange undertones worn with ballet shoes that are a blue-based pink will look unkempt. If the tights are more on the nude-pink side, peachy-pink shoes would look better. Blue-based pink shoes look better with rose-pink tights.

Of course, with so many different shade variations of accessories to choose from, it can be more time-consuming  to perfectly match shades. It will be worth it when the dancer ends up looking like a regal, royal and elegant princess on the stage during her performance.

Carefully chosen accessories will enhance the beauty of the classical tutu and present a stunning appearance from head to toe.

Dance Competions-Grace Under Pressure

White Classical Tutu by Costume Creations UK

Ballet dancers seem to spend a great deal of time in the preparation stage. Young students begin taking classes in soft ballet slippers in preparation of wearing pointe shoes.

Repetitious warm-up exercises are done in preparation of the rigors of class. Everything in ballet has to be pre-prepared. The costumes, music, choreography and all the little details that have to be attended to before a dance competition.

A young dancer preparing for a dance competition has many things to attend to. She has to practice, practice, practice her routine. Then she has to practice more. There is, indeed, a lot of physical preparation necessary if she is going to have a chance at winning.

Young Dance Competition Contestants Can Face Many Challenges

Getting up on a strange stage in front of thousands of people isn’t something that most of us will ever get a chance to do. The majority of those involved in the ballet world are simply people who enjoy watching the dancers perform. Many of us don’t realize the obstacles and challenges that may await a young dancer preparing for a dance competition.

Dancing On Unknown Theater Stages

Ballet students at the local and national levels typically never get a chance to practice their routine on the competition stage in  advance. The student is going on stage “blind”. The stage floor is often slippery and designed in a raked or sloped fashion that can be smaller than the practice studio the dancer is used to. Dancers can feel like they are going to fall off the stage during turns.

Hard To Find Venues And Cramped Facilities

Sometimes, simply finding the competition venue can be difficult. Students, teachers and moms can experience high levels of stress and nervousness. Then everyone  has to sign in and  rush to change in facilities that are often cramped and confusing. Nervousness can lead to many last-minute trips to the restroom which makes everyone rush around even more. That sounds like quite a time for these young competitors, moms and teachers!

Preparing In Advance Makes Competition Day Run Smoother

A lot of the pre-competition jitters can be alleviated by planning things in advance:

• Find out the exact location of the venue and any parking or transport requirements well ahead of the competition day
• Allow plenty of time for booking in, this process can take a long time
• Allow extra time for toileting and changing
• If possible, make-up and hair should be done in advance
• Schedule  food and drink at the proper time so each student doesn’t eat  too close to her performance time

Are Dance Competitions Worth It?

The art of starting young in the ballet world makes sense when you realize what these preparations teach ballet students. They learn to plan ahead. They learn about auditioning and professional performing. They learn to adapt to their dancing environment. They learn confidence, organization and best of all, grace under pressure.

Classical Tutu Design For Elegance

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Showstopping Champagne And Lace Tutu

The very first time that I saw this gorgeous creation I thought “rich and elegant”.  This costume is extremely flattering to the dancer. The champagne tones of the tutu skirt and the gorgeous satin bodice look beautiful on this young ballet student.

Nothing says rich like the color of champagne

The color of champagne is a warm, burnished shade of ginger/cream that gives fabric an heirloom appearance. It is a regal color used to describe things of immense value like champagne diamonds, or the paint finish of an expensive automobile.

It is the fine attention to detail that makes this classical tutu a winner. The young dancer in the slide show above looks like a queen wearing the color of champagne.  The satin bodice  is beautiful. The lace appliques along the top of the tutu skirt are perfectly placed. The fit of the costume is flattering and exact.

Bodice detail is designed for maximum stage presence

The striking bodice detail of this costume was created by using three different shades of Swarovski crystals. Using three coordinating shades of crystals causes a beautiful 3-D effect on stage under the lights. The dancer appears to be a living, moving diamond as her bodice embellishments sparkle under the glow of the stage lights. Doesn’t that sound like magic?

Champagne Wishes To The Young Ballerina Above As She Prepares For Her Dance Competition

Ballet Competions-Where Perfection Counts

Preparing The Young Dancer For Competition
Ballet competitions are typically held once a year in major cities around the world. Depending on the age group allowed to participate, ballerina’s as young as the age of nine will need to prepare well in advance for the big day. The young dancer will need to practice, practice, practice to perfect her routine.

The competition judges will expect each contestant to perform one variation of a classical ballet and one of a contemporary style. The student will need to decide which variations she will learn because this will affect her ballet costume design.  There will be a lot of excitement and activity around the young dancer as teacher, parents, and costume designer work together to make competition day a success.

Why Are Ballet Competitions Held?

Ballet competitions were created to allow serious students a means by which to showcase their talents. They were also created as a recruiting method for the best ballet companies and schools. Gathering young talent together in one dance competition is much easier than trying to find raw talent by going from one ballet school to the other.

What Can Winning A  Competition Mean For A Ballet Student?

Competing in and winning a ballet competition can have many positive perks for the young dancer:

• The judges in the audience have the power to advance a dancers career quickly and assist her in obtaining her goals in the best way.
• An unknown but very talented young dancer with much promise can finally receive public recognition in the ballet world.
• The best perks about winning ballet competitions are the ribbons, medals, scholarships and  contracts that a dancer can obtain.

What Do The Judges Look For?

• Technical ability
• Choreography
• Musicality
• Composition
• Stage Presence

All of these factors are taken into consideration when judging a dance contestant. All competition judges look for perfection in the details of the dancers appearance.

• Is the hair properly pulled up into a professional bun?
• Do the shoes and tights match the ballet costume?
• Does the ballet costume look professional and age appropriate for the dancer?

With all of  this attention to detail, I must give credit to all the young dancers who can overcome their nerves and actually go out on stage without fainting.  What pressure they must feel! Everything must be as close to perfection as possible if a dancer wants to wow the judges. Especially her appearance.

I don’t know if the young dancer in this video was ever aware that the tulle on the back of her tutu skirt was slightly drooping away from the body of her costume.**  Some costume designers rely on the hoop of the tutu skirt to hold it up and skimp on the extra tacking and precision pleating that would have prevented this.

All of the classical ballet tutus that are made by Costume Creations are hand-tacked and precision pleated with care to avoid the “dreaded droop” that makes a tutu flop on the stage.

**This post is not intended to discredit the beauty and skill of the young dancer in the video above and is only an example of the mechanics of tulle.  In order to show how tulle can separate from the body of the tutu skirt, I had to provide a living example.Many professional ballerina’s in the finest dance theaters have also experienced issues with their tutu skirts during performances. I applaud the bravery and dedication of all  young dance competition students, including the lovely ballerina in this video.

Classical Tutu Design For Dance Competitions

Every year, thousands of hopeful, young ballet students enter dance competitions. These young dancers need all the edge they can get to compete for the winning spot. That includes having a flattering, well-fitted dance costume that functions perfectly on stage.

Dance Competition Costume by Costume Creations.UK

Can you imagine how nervous and excited a dancer must feel when she is preparing to dance in a competition? Not only does she have to rehearse her part until her ballet technique is near perfection, but her appearance will be judged as well. That can be quite a lot of pressure for a young dancer!

Experienced ballet costume designers are used to working with dance competition students and do much to alleviate nervousness over appearance. The young, beautiful ballerina in the photo above made a wise choice to have her competition tutu designed by Costume Creations.

Everything comes together as far as design to give this ballerina a great start to winning a competition. Notice the impeccable fit of the bodice on this dancer. Every seam on the bodice is placed to enhance natural curves giving her a  beautiful shape. The embellishment placement on the bodice and tutu skirt give what I call the “magical” effect. There is never too much nor too little embellishment on the most regal of ballet costumes. Experienced designers have that “magic” touch with embellishments.

Combined with the magical appearance of her costume, and her ballet technique, the young ballerina in the photo above won a bronze medal in her dance competition. Mom must have been proud. Congratulations!