If you have spent any time traveling to dance competitions, you won't need us to tell you just how stressful it can be. Arriving at the venue only to find the luggage containing your dance costumes has gone missing is a disaster of epic proportions that almost every dancer experiences at least once in their life, and there are a myriad of other problems waiting to catch the unwary out when competing in dance contests all over the world.

As professional dancers and costumers, we have a vast amount of experience taking care of competition and show wear, and today we would like to share our top tips for taking care of dance costumes when traveling, in the hope they will help you to avoid the most common issues encountered by underprepared dancers.

Our Top 10 Dance Costume Care Tips for Travelling Performers

Without further ado, here are our top tips for taking care of your dance costumes when on the road. These tips are sure to come in handy, whether traveling across the country to compete in regional ballroom dance competitions or flying across the globe competing and performing at the highest level.

1. Always Take a Spare Set of Essentials in Your Hand Luggage – The easiest way to avoid the horror of arriving at a venue only to discover your costumes have all gone missing is to carry a spare set of essentials in your hand luggage whenever you travel by air. In this way, you can ensure that, at worst, you always have at least one presentable costume and set of accessories to wear when flying to venues in other countries.
2. Pack Each Piece of Jewellery Separately – This is particularly important if you wear a lot of flamboyant pieces set with numerous sparkling stones. If you do not carry each piece separately in a bag, some stones may come loose as the pieces rub against each other during transit. In addition to reducing the chances of something like this occurring, the bags will ensure that even if one or more stones come loose during transportation, they will be very easy to find.
3. Pack All Liquids in Freezer Bags – The second worst calamity to befall traveling dancers, after losing a costume completely, is a liquid explosion in one or more costume-carrying cases. Fortunately, this potential disaster is relatively easy to avoid: simply pack all your cosmetic sprays and liquids in sealable freezer bags. If one of the containers is damaged during transit, any resulting liquid spillage will be contained within the bag in which it is being transported.
4. Don’t Leave Any Space – A common mistake that less experienced dancers make when packing for overseas dance competitions is to leave too much space in each suitcase. Only by using every available inch of space wisely can you stop everything from moving around on the way to your destination. Packing in this manner will also help you reduce the total number of suitcases you need to lug around on each trip you take.
5. Roll, Don’t Fold – Folding dance costumes is a rookie mistake that can have disastrous results. If you have ever unpacked a costume when preparing for an important performance and discovered it is badly creased and wrinkled, you’ll understand why most dancers are keen to avoid this potential scenario. Ironing out creases that have been formed over hours or even days or transportation in tightly-packed cargo holds is a thankless task that takes up far too much precious time when getting ready for a big competition.
6. Use Light Containers Where Possible – You may be tempted to use the strongest containers you can find when packing delicate accessories for transportation to far-flung venues, but this is not the best idea. Whilst such cases may provide a little extra protection for your jewelry and accessories, they will also increase the overall weight of your luggage considerably. We therefore recommend using containers that are both light and strong, such as old ice cream and margarine tubs.
7. Label Everything – Have you ever arrived at a dance competition venue with no time to spare and lost valuable seconds trying to locate the various components of the costume you had planned to wear for your first dance? If you have, you’ll remember the feeling of panic and fear that overtook you and made your task even harder. To avoid this situation, we suggest labeling all the tubs containing accessories and all the bags containing jewelry, shoes, dresses, etc.
8. Wrap Every Shoe Individually – If your shoes came in individual bags, use these to transport them to each venue. If not, we recommend wrapping each one in a soft cloth before packing to ensure it will not rub against its partner during transit.
   
   
   

   

   
   
   
9. Don’t Forget Comfortable Clothing – One of the simplest ways to protect your dance costumes when traveling is to change into comfortable clothing between performances. That way, you won't be sitting around in your best gowns, pants, and jackets, causing unnecessary wear and tear.
10. Take an Emergency Sewing Kit Everywhere – Even if you take all of the precautions we have suggested, eventually, you are sure to encounter a costume malfunction. It is for this reason we recommend carrying an emergency sewing kit wherever you go.

Follow all these tips when traveling with your dance costumes, and you will always be ready to wow the judges whenever you hit the dance floor.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out our extensive range of dance dresses and costumes, which includes a wide variety of gowns, catsuits, coats, jackets, pants, leotards, and bikinis. You'll also find plenty of headdresses and accessories under the Charismatico brand. If you cannot find what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are proud to be the brand name behind thousands of dancers, shipping costumes and accessories all over the world.