Happy Holidays!
I trust you've been working on your dance moves and your dance clothes.
On this topic, one of our dancing buddies wrote me recently explaining that he wanted his dance clothes to look their best but he had only a limited budget. Here’s what I had to say:
First thing to keep in mind: You don't NEED to spend a fortune to have your dance clothes looking great. You will need to spend a few bucks, but you don't need to hock any body parts for a nice set of clothes. The most important part of a great set of clothes is a clear and thoughtful overall 'design'. Does it look like one cohesive set of clothes when worn? Or just a bunch of borrowed items thrown together in a hurry?? Yes, even the items you borrow should work with and compliment the rest of your dance clothes.
Second: Find jpegs of 3 or 4 dancers you really like the looks of and send ‘em to me. If these 3 or 4 guys all look very different from one another, I'll know you've not quite settled on a look you like. If these guys look like variations on the same theme - you'll be off to a great start. Look hard, think about what you're looking at, make notes on why you like a set of clothes, start with making a pile of images you like and then keep sorting through them until you get down to what it is you really want to look like. It will be some effort, but it will make all the difference in both the look of your clothes and how easily we can accomplish this task.
Clothing items: there are just 3 things you'll want to spend some serious money on – if you’ve got it to spend: a sweet roach; a pair of nice mocs (they can be partially beaded which will cut the cost); and I'd say a pair of beaded cuffs (not being part of a set they're going to be quite affordable). You can get by without any beadwork, but just a pair of cuffs will really bump up the caliber of your dance clothes.
The rest of the clothes:
Yoke/Apron set - cheap. Do you have anyone handy who'll sew for you?
Body covering - cheap. Even the good stuff is only gonna cost you $20 or so.
Bells - they don't need to be expensive - they just need to sound good.
Goats - cheap
Bustle - A few bucks spent on some nice feathers can make a world of difference.
Armbands - they can be brass, German silver, deer legs, quill work - you name it.
Knee bands - cloth, quill work, etc.
Hand articles - a mirror board and an otter hoop and you're set. Or similar items
Belt - a variety of possibilities will work nicely
See what I mean? The most important part of your clothes is having a CLEAR idea as to what you want them to look like. Once YOU have a clear idea, we'll be able to help you pull it together. You know we can help you to look your best - as far as you clothes go.
And find a couple of crafty adults around you who are good with their hands and willing to help you put together these clothes. I'll provide them with all the info they want or need. They will surely prove very useful.
Even more important than spending a lot of money on dance clothes is spending a lot of time on your DANCING and MUSIC KNOWLEDGE. I know you're all busy, but if you plan to be a serious competitor in a DANCE competition you're gonna have to find time to improve your dancing. We all have to. (I just saw some videos of me Chicken Dancing recently and man, do I need to straighten up my back and stick out my butt! Worse yet, the song they sung was a Duck & Dive - anyone watching could tell I didn't really know the song all that well. Shame, shame on me!)
Focus on finding the photos. Ryan just loaded a ton of photos in our Blog. Make this your Christmas Break project.
Let's stay on this and you'll very soon have a sweet set of dance clothes.
Until the next time,
Tim.
