When designing your own dance outfit, you want to it look great, of course. But you must also be able to perform without worrying about the integrity of your clothes. So always design for full range of motion, with flexible, durable fabrics that will not slip or show sweat, and choose well-made shoes that are appropriate for your dance style. With these basics in mind, let your fancy run wild to create your performance costume.

Performance Details

Is the outfit is for a solo, duet, or group performance? For duets, you will probably want to complement or match the design of your partner's outfit. If it is a group performance, you consider whether you want the costumes to coordinate with each other or match completely.

Style or Era

The style of dance or the time period is evokes will likely be a major factor in designing a dance outfit. For old-style Charleston or swing, think Jazz Era flapper skirts. For the hippie sixties, incorporate tie-dye and big flowers. For disco, don bell-bottoms and sequins. If the dance is traditional or folk, the classic cultural garb would be the most appropriate choice: for example, a grass skirt for the Hawaiian hula, a full layered skirt for flamenco, etc.

Use the Song

Use the lyrics of the song to help inspire the costume design. If the dance is for small children and the song is about an animal, create a costume to look like that animal. If it is a love song, try some romantic looking pieces like flowing dresses or shirts. If the song is about a specific location, think about how people dress there: for example, for a beach song, try sundresses and bathing suit pieces.

Performance Location

The location of the performance should also be a factor in designing your dance outfit. If the performance will be outdoors in chilly weather, you should work in some long sleeved tops with tights or pants. If the dance will be performed in hot weather, make the outfit as light as possible to avoid overheating. Dances performed in controlled environments, such as indoors on a stage, grant a great deal more artistic freedom in costume design, but still, consider your sets and backgrounds, and how your outfit will look from the audience of your performance venue.

Finding Pieces

Find pieces for your costume by searching through your own closet, thrift stores, department stores or dance-specific stores. Old vintage dresses can often make ideal dance costumes when paired with a leotard. When buying matching outfits for an entire group, department stores are the best due to their large stock quantities. Groups should always coordinate in some way, whether they are identical or share common elements or themes.

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Dance