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What to Consider When Buying Team Dance Uniforms

Kathe Jones — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:00:28 +0000

When buying team dance costumes or uniforms, there are several things to consider before making the purchase. It’s important to think beyond the first performance. If your uniforms are going to be used more than once — which they should be — you need to think about their care and maintenance.

Are they easy to care for or will you need to iron them between each use? Does the fabric move with the dancer? Are the colors likely to bleed or fade after washing? How do you launder the uniforms? Do they need to be hand washed, dry cleaned, or can you just throw it in the washing machine with all of your other laundry?

Of course, the routine being performed and the venue where the routine is performed are also considerations to keep in mind, but there are plenty of good-looking uniforms out there. The biggest question should be one of durability and quality.

Durability is a key consideration. No one wants a wardrobe malfunction, so it’s important to make sure the item is stitched up properly and securely. Are there sequins and beads sewn on the costume? If so are they secure so they won’t come off, fall on the floor and cause yourself or another dancer to slip and fall? You do not want to cause an accident because you have something that could fall off or swing around and hit another team member.

You also want to make sure that the fabric is as simple to take care of as possible. You do not want to have to steam clean it or iron it before each performance, especially if you have to wear it more than once a day. Dancers change their outfits several times during the day; the costume gets bunched up and thrown into a bag until it is time to wear it again. If the fabric wrinkles easily, you end up wasting a lot of time ironing. You also want to make sure that the fabric is flexible. You want major durability with each costume for flexibility and comfort with the dancers, if it doesn’t have either of those characteristics then reconsider buying that costume.

Not all costumes and uniforms are high quality pieces, there are some that are just quickly stitched together which may fall apart with the rigorous movements required in team dancing. Make sure you buy the highest quality costumes to get the most wear out of them. What you spend upfront might just save you a lot of time and money down the line.

Photo: Kevin Coles

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Different Styles of Team Dancing

Kathe Jones — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:00:07 +0000

Team dancing has many different styles. It really depends on the choreographer and what kind of dance style they are most comfortable teaching and performing. While all styles of team dancing have a few things in common such as dance uniforms, dance costumes, and all members of the team basically performing the same movements, there are some notable differences between the different styles of team dancing. If you or your children are interested in team dancing, it’s important to know the differences when scouting out some of the different schools and teachers.

Lyrical Jazz Team Dancing is a style that blends ballet with jazz movements. The songs or music the dance team moves to tend to be slower and more ballet like. The dance team uniforms tend to be designed in the ballet fashion. The movements are slower and flowing.
Prop Team Dancing is just what it sounds like. The dancers use props in their performance. The props can range from books to stuffed animals, or whatever the routine might call for to illustrate the vision the choreographer wants to showcase.
Pom Team Dancing is more like the standard cheerleading most people think of, using pom poms to accentuate the moves the dancers make.
Hip Hop Team Dancing is an exciting routine that incorporates not only hip hop dance movements to fast-paced songs, but also the dancers dress in urban street clothes rather than traditional dance costumes. The movements are raw and synchronized at the same time. The music is loud, has a deep bass beat, and gets everyone fired up.
Modern Team Dancing is a form of team dancing that incorporates modern dance into its routines. The dancers move in an often chaotic pattern. The dance uniforms can be wild or outrageous depending on the routine. There really is no form to modern dance, so this team dance has the most variety to it.
Novelty Team Dancing is similar to prop dancing, there is a theme to the dance and often exaggerated costumes are used to illustrate the change from standard team dancing. Think of a routine that uses country line dancing with the team members wearing jeans, cowboy hats and button down shirts, clothing dancer don’t usually wear except when there is a theme to showcase.

Today, dance teams incorporate many of these different styles of team dancing in to their routines. It depends on the choreographer to put it all together into a performance the dance team is able to perform, and the audience is most likely to enjoy watching. There is no set in stone style that must be used. It is simply the preference of the team and choreographer.

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Why Costumes Are Important in Team Dancing?

Kathe Jones — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:00:13 +0000

Team dancing costumes and other articles of teamwear clothing are not necessarily uniforms. Oftentimes, they’re more than that. Just depending on the event, or what the team is looking for in their teamwear, will often define what a dancer will wear.

It’s important to remember that these costumes will be performed in many times, they are not a one-time deal, like many traditional dance costumes. When ordering uniforms, use a catalog specifically for teamwear. There are costume catalogs and uniform catalogs. Make sure you know which catalog you are ordering from. If you need a uniform order from a uniform catalog, if you need a costume make sure you are getting it from a costume catalog.

Many uniforms and even practice wear are very flexible when it comes to adding and subtracting other articles and accessories. There are many styles of both, but durability is important when choosing performance costumes. That’s why many teams and schools will purchase practice wear and convert it to costumes: because the outfits have to last well beyond the first or second performance, usually for more than one year.

Motionwear dancewear is built to last from one year to the next. The colors don’t bleed or fade and the pieces can be used interchangeably. For instance a team might purchase a pair of black pants and zebra patterned spandex top for one routine, the next routine might require a leopard print spandex top and therefore only the tops need to be changed. The pants can be used for both costumes. So our dancewear has to be able to handle the versatility and the extra workload.

Costumes are all about the mood that is set either by a song in the routine or by the type of routine performed. Uniformity is important, all the dancers need to look the same, but this does not mean the costume is a uniform.

In addition to being durable, costumes must be flexible enough for the dancer to move and at the same time snug enough to show off the dancers fit physique. Costumes must breathe so the dancer is as comfortable as possible. Team dancing is an extremely physical sport, obviously the dancer sweats when performing such a physically challenging routine, it is imperative that the costumes that are chosen allow the dancer to move as freely as possible and without causing the performer to overheat.

Photo: Doug Waliing

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What is Team Dancing?

Kathe Jones — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:00:23 +0000

If you have never participated in team dancing or seen it performed, you might assume that team dancing is the same thing as cheerleading. While both are very challenging sports, there are several key differences between the two.

Like other forms of dance, team dancing is something you have to train for. It is a very competitive area of dance and you have to have experience. There are tryouts, and the dancers are expected to have knowledge of dance, and to know what it takes to become a team dancer. There are many things that are required for a person to know in order to be considered for a spot on a team.

People who participate in team dancing usually have many years of dance training under their belt. Team dancing is not a sport you just decide to try out for one day and get picked to join the team. Team dancers have been practicing their art since they were children, just like hockey, golf or any other sport.

It’s actually quite easy to tell the difference between cheerleading and team dancing, once you know what to look for. For example, team dancing has heavy jazz and hip-hop influences. In cheerleading, there are more flips and cheers. Ultimately, it really depends on the choreographer and whether they were influenced by dance or cheerleading. The Boston Celtics have dancers and not cheerleaders while the Dallas Cowboys have a cheerleading squad.

There are specific schools and teams that focus solely on dance or cheerleading, and different philosophies and outlooks for each sport. Team dancing is a team sport, and is never about an individual, everything is about unison. With cheerleading, there are opportunities to express your talents individually. It really depends on what style a person is looking for.

So the next time you’re watching a game on TV, and the cheerleaders take to the floor or field, pay particular attention to what they’re doing. Are they dancing? Are they doing flips and kicks? You’ll be able to say with confidence what that squad is actually doing.

Photo: ZenMama

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Are there different types of dancewear for different dance styles?

Bob Wilson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:30:26 +0000

Are there differences in what dancers wear for the different types of dance? Are the fabrics and materials the same?

In a word, yes. First and foremost the footwear for each class (ballet, jazz, hip hop, etc.) is going to be different. As for the dancewear itself, it usually boils down to style rather than, say, fabric or fit.

For example, Motionwear might use the same fabrics for a jazz leotard as a ballet leotard, but the look of those two leotards is going to be markedly different.

So, what are the different types of dancewear “looks” for the three big styles of dance?

Ballet

Ballerinas are conservative. Partly because it’s a strict requirement of their school and partly because that’s just the style. Ballet is an old form of dance steeped in tradition and part of that tradition is the dress. So, you’ll typically see ballerinas wearing either pink or black leotards (unless their school dictates otherwise) with tights. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room in ballet (pardon the pun) for personal expression through attire.

Jazz

Jazz, like the art form itself, definitely tends to be a lot more “free” in its dancewear choices. Here at Motionwear, we sell a lot of tanks, booty shorts and bra tops for jazz dancers. They tend to like the flexibility of separate pieces that are both comfortable and versatile along with the range of colors and prints.

Hip Hop

A big part of hip hop dance is the attitude and part of that attitude is personal expression. Personal expression includes dancewear and in hip hop, almost anything goes.

Depending on your studio, you could probably get away with wearing jeans to class if you wanted to (after one sweaty sesssion, you’d probably never want to do it again, but still). So, hip hop dancers don’t tend to snatch up the leotards and instead will gravitate towards the more colorful and modern separates.

A dancer could wear the same leotard to every dance class, but they don’t usually. Instead, they opt to wear clothing styles that fit the style of dance they’re practicing at that time.

Photo: Lieven SOTE

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Things parents should consider when choosing a dance school

Bob Wilson — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:30:39 +0000

Location and price aside, these are the things parents should always look for when choosing a dance school:

The studio owner

Try to find out where the studio owner is from and where his or her foundation is based. Did they just graduate college? Do they have their major in dance? Did they travel with a troupe? Were they part of a company?

Getting a good understanding of a studio owner’s background lets you know where they’re coming from and how much experience they have. Many parents choose someone who was with a well-known company. They feel that gives them the experience of being both a student and a performer.

The teachers

Look for a variety of teachers. When a dance school is diverse, I see it as more opportunity for a student to branch out and learn new styles and techniques. For example, a great studio may have a teacher who’s incredible at ballet, another who’s into hip hop, and yet another who’s a phenomenal modern dancer.

Diversity in the staff leads to diversity in the dancer.

Presence in the community

The best experience you can give a dance student is performance experience. That’s why I recommend looking for a dance school that’s active in the local community and performing locally.

A few recitals a year isn’t enough to build up that performance experience. But if a dance school is running performances at local events, it’s a great opportunity for students to really find their stage legs.

Inspiration factor

This one is all about personal preference, but look for a dance studio that’s going to inspire your children. If you go in and the ceiling’s leaking and half the flickering fluorescent lights are broken, they may not be inspired as an artist (and you won’t be inspired as a parent). So, always take a tour of the studio before you enroll your kids. Make sure it’s a welcoming environment that brings out the dancer in your child.

Photo: Bisgovuk

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The Five Pieces of Dancewear Every Serious Dancer Should Have

Bob Wilson — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:30:32 +0000

If you’re hitting the studio more than once a week, your dance bag should never be without your:

Favorite Leotard

Every dancer needs at least one leotard that she feels comfortable in, loves to go to class in and wears to almost every class. It’s your go-to leotard, the leotard that you’d consider fishing out of the laundry hamper if it wasn’t washed in time for the next class. Motionwear strives to make that kind of leotard.

Tights

You need a pair of tights that are comfy, not too hot, won’t ride up and don’t feel scratchy. Trust me, a good pair of tights are worth their weight in gold.

Warm-Ups

A comfortable and cozy set of warm-ups are often forgotten on the list of essential dancewear, but they’re important. You don’t want to run into a studio in your leotard and just start dancing, that’s dangerous. You need to warm up and a pair of leg warmers, a jumpsuit or even some little knitted shorts are great for those first 5-10 minutes of class.

Cover-up

Most dancers I know pack a ballet skirt or a pair of dancewear shorts in their bag. It’s nice to have during practice if you’re not comfortable wearing just a leotard and you want to cover up a little.

Safety Pins

While not technically dancewear, safety pins are definitely a dance bag essential. You never know when a strap, lace or ribbon is going to need a little assistance. We strive for long-term quality here at Motionwear, but we can’t help it if our leotards are so comfy that a dancer wears them into the ground. Even our leotards can’t withstand years of constant beating. So, just be on the safe side and pin a couple to your bag.

Photo: AutumnLeaf

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Dancewear Delivery IS a Big Deal

Bob Wilson — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:09:45 +0000

Because we sell products you might conclude that we are in a product business, but I don’t see it that way. I see Motionwear as a service business and that it is our job to deliver the best product on time as promised.

Sometimes I hear about competitors of ours not delivering goods for one reason or another – miscalculations on up front ordering overseas or computer mix ups with delivery dates on orders. While it is not my practice to worry about competitor’s practices it is my business to set the standards for the way WE do business.

So in many cases we end up getting the last minute call to see if we can deliver something pronto. And 9 times out of 10 we can say “absolutely.” We understand the panic a customer or retailer feels when this unfortunate occurrence happens and we try to alleviate that stress as easily as we can.

We Don’t “Bump” But We Still Try to “Save the Day”
Of course, we take care of the folks that pre-plan and put in the forethought about their orders and never bump them for the last minute guy, but we understand that things happen and we are set up to be the “go to” guys when the crisis order is needed. We hear often that we have that reputation as the go to company because we do pick up the ball and get the goods delivered and often, I am proud to say, save the day.

My theory is that we do what we say we will do.

Our goods arrive on time because we know how important meeting deadline is. We tell customers upfront what we can and cannot do. If we say it will be there we will go to any extent to keep our word. I don’t believe in the practice of telling customers one thing and calling up two weeks later with another story. It hurts our reputation and business, it damages the retailer or distributor who is selling the goods and more importantly it lets down the end user – the kids.

Bottom line is… If the costumes or uniforms do not arrive by performance times the kids are left undermined and deflated. We just won’t have that.

99% Success
Many organizations have to watch every penny when placing orders and may be swayed by someone promising price and delivery. They put faith in this business without knowing their reputation or history. Then delivery date comes and the order is late or wrong or not of the quality they’d been promised. We get the call and get the job done right. Of course, when it’s the next time to order I hope they remember us and make us the number one choice.

I’d say we have about a 99% success rate in making deadlines. Yes we have had the occasional glitch and my policy is to take care of the customer so we do just that. One time we had a customer in Texas whose dance team uniforms didn’t arrive on time for the first football game of the season. Our mistake. So I went out to my team and asked who wanted to see a football game tonight because I was going to put someone on a plane to get those kids their uniforms. It turned out we were able to make other arrangements but I think that is the only way to do business, you mess up you fix it, whatever that takes.

Since we do not want to make this type of delivery often, we build in checks and balances to insure that we can do as we promise and have the system also set up for those last minute panic calls:

“I NEED uniforms by TOMORROW, can you help????”

How nice to respond with a big:

“Sure, tell me what you need.”

Since everyone has one of these “crisis” stories, please share with us and let us know what you did to rescue the situation.

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The Latest Trends in Ballet Leotards

Kathe Jones — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:07:31 +0000

Part of my job here at MotionWear is to watch dancewear trends. I keep my eyes on the runways of New York and Paris too.

Why?

For one, I am a fashion nut but primarily because we know the fashion-forward runway styles are what eventually and inevitably trickle down to ballet dance and performance wear.

Well, imagine my surprise when I was flipping through coverage of Paris Fashion Week and I discovered that the ballet leotard was actually inspiring the runways.

That’s right, ballet leotards are one of the hottest fashion trends for this year. Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel and Sonia Rykiel all showcased a range of ballet-inspired pieces and leotards in their collections this year. It was inspiring from basic leotards to full tulle skirts, it was all there, prancing down the runways of Paris.

For the first time since the 1980’s, dance is inspiring fashion.

Wearing a Ballet Leotard as a Fashion Piece
Most of the designers I mentioned featured a classic ballet leotard paired with either a pair of long, skinny jeans, tights or a flowing dancer’s skirt. The look was either sleek and dancer-chic or bohemian, depending on how it was accessorized. The Yves Saint Laurent leather number pictured above seems to defy classification, I’m guessing it’s more dramatic than functional.

Meanwhile, other and lesser-known designers like Gareth Pugh put out a few dresses and skirts inspired by ballet tutus, a look first made popular in the mid-90s by the Carrie character on Sex and the City.

The Price of Looking Good
The thing is, these designer ballet leotards are selling for a mint. A basic black Marc Jacobs’ black leotard costs close to $200. Meanwhile MotionWear offers authentic, high-quality ballet leotards in a range of trendy styles starting at about $25. We have almost every neckline, sleeve length and color combination you can think of and we don’t do leather leotards.

It all starts with a base leotard and then use your imagination and creativity to accessorize a unique look of your own.

Unless you are a million dollar designer, there is no wrong way to do it!

photo:Marc Jacobs Fall 2009 Ready-to-wear collection

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5 Fantastic Jazz Dance Costume Ideas

Kathe Jones — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:29:37 +0000

As a former dance instructor, I know how hard it can be coming up with new costume and recital ideas season after season and year after year. It can be especially difficult in less-traditional schools of dance like jazz.

So for all you frazzled dance instructors out there, here are my 5 favorite jazz dance costume ideas for 2009:

1. Bollywood
Blend together the music of India, the dance moves of Bollywood and the costumes of the continent and you’ve got an incredible, fast-paced and highly entertaining routine on your hands.

For your costumes, think bright colors, sheer fabrics, lots of gold and a spirit that invokes the Indian ocean. For inspiration, look up costumes from popular Bollywood movies and note the vibrant shades, flowing scarves and eye-catching metallic trims.

2. Viva Las Vegas
With a Viva Las Vegas theme, the song choices are endless (Viva Las Vegas, Luck Be a Lady, Vegas Girls, etc) and the costume choices are obvious. Think gold, flash, sparkles, feathers and the freedom to go as far over the top as you please.

3. Circus Circus
With a strong recognition in popular culture and a recent popularization by Britney Spears, the circus theme is hot right now and very simple to pull off. For a jazz routine and costume selection that’s edgy, opt for circus macabre, a blend of circus and dark gothic styles.

4. Heroes and Villains
After lots of exposure to the the hit television series Heroes and popular movies like Iron Man and the Dark Knight, kids and audiences are superhero-obsessed. Using music from the films, use this theme to create a world of heroes and villains in constant conflict.

The jazz dance costume ideas are pretty obvious and easy to create from basic dance leotards. Add lightning bolts, crests, capes and letters for heroes and dark makeup and masks for villains.

5. Underwater (great for pre-school classes)
One of the best children’s jazz routines I’ve ever seen was done to Octopus’ Garden by The Beatles. It was a darling underwater routine that not only showcased the fluidity of jazz movement, but also really embraced the theme.

For jazz dance costumes, you’re limited only by the number of creatures and plant life in the ocean, which is vast to say the least. From octopuses to brightly colored coral, you have a seemingly endless array of vibrant costume possibilities.

Once you have your apparel inspiration in mind, check out our dancewear collections or give us call to make them a reality.