Imagine someone who dances in front of a large crowd wearing something that was cut out seemingly unprepared. As if the dancer was informed minutes or seconds before the performance proper that is why he or she didn’t afford any more to prepare and look as decent and amazing as possible.

Now imagine someone who goes up on stage, confident and prepared. Someone wearing a really well-tailored costume that suits its body figure combined with complementing colors and stirs just the right amount of excitement and mystery on to what kind of performance this person is going to showcase.

Who would get your deserving attention more-- the one that bothered and came prepared or the one that did not bother at all?

Of course, we choose the one that came prepared, right? It is the performer that knows what he or she is doing, that knows that audiences could be pretty demanding when they want the best out of what they are watching.

Costumes play a vital role in a dance performance, or any acts for that matter.

“By definition, a costume is really just a set of clothes that comes from a specific era in history or from a particular country. From the very ancient days of early man to the fads and trends that are more familiar to us in our modern era, most costumes that we use to dress up in today have their roots somewhere in the past.”

It pays to know that it is important to look your best once up on stage because it creates an immense first impression on your crowd.

It’s like attraction at first sight. Your audiences will fall for the way you carry yourself and be please to stick and see what a beautiful performer can offer them.

You need to get your crowd’s attention the moment you step on the stage. That is the only time that you make them see that they need to pay attention on your performance or they will regret it if not. You need to convince them of the performer you are with the costumes and makeups that you are wearing, to make it more believable and convincing the message you are trying to send them.

In any performances, costumes are carefully designed to complement with the plot it intends to deliver to its audiences. The costume itself speaks for what it tries to represent even before the performer starts its act.

“When a critic pointed out to the designers that the men’s socks of the 1800's or the women's caps under their bonnets would never be seen by anyone (the audience or the other actors), one designer replied:

Although other people will not know the actors are wearing these things, the actors WILL, and that will have an effect on the way they walk, talk, sit, move, and in general their entire performance will be more convincing. They will be convinced they are the person they are depicting.

The shapes, colors and textures that a costume designer chooses make an immediate and powerful visual statement to the audience. Creative collaboration among the costume designer, the director and the set and lighting designers ensures that the costumes are smoothly integrated into the production as a whole.”

Aside from the aesthetic concept of wearing a costume, of course it is important that the performer can properly move without being conscious while checking from time to time whether he or she’s getting peeked up or what, especially for the ladies.

Costumes demand intricate hands for it to work out beautifully and comfortably, both for the appeals it will bring to the performer and to that of the act.

So, here are other things to consider when being sceptic to whether or not invest on costumes.

Do your audiences deserve enough to witness a quality show?

Yes, of course! More than anyone inside the room, they are after all the reason why there are performances being created and put up on stage.

Does it add to the overall look of the production?

It does. It definitely will add a little extra expense to the budget but it is worth all the costs. After

all, it mirrors what kind of production there is when paid attention even to the slightest of details.

Will it help the performers perform better if wearing good costumes?

It will, in a major way! While performers are equipped with enough trainings and techniques to

how to pull off an ideal act while on stage, it helps that they also feel confident and assure of themselves. That way, it radiates naturally thus making it in a way a lot easier to perform and look at their best at the same time.

Is it all worth it?

Sure it is. Especially when all curtains are down and all you could hear are howling and endless

applause from the audiences, that is when the production can claim that sure it is all worth it; the additional expense, jumping to risk to have a quality production and the attempt to give what the spectators deserve to see, a 100% effort, no more no less.

No efforts, be it big or small, is ever unappreciated especially if its intention is to create a masterpiece so beautiful that the world needs to see. Costumes is just but one of the elements of a bigger picture of performances and productions but sure it is one of the most important to consider.

So the next time you plan on putting up a production, be sure to put costume plotting on your top list and costume coordination is properly in place because you do not know how greatly it can affect the overall look of the show.

Create a production that audiences will have a hard time forgetting about it. As one cliché goes,

“Dance every performance as if it were your last” because you are only as good as your last performance so might as well give your best shot.