Behind the Scenes: Costume Sizing
The preparation for your dancer’s big moment onstage begins months before the curtain opens. One of those behind-the-scenes jobs? Costume sizing!
Over the next few weeks, our staff and veteran dance parents will be sizing dancers during class. It’s a practical part of preparing for performances, but there’s more thought involved than simply asking what size your child usually wears.
Why costume sizes can look surprising
Just like shopping for everyday clothes, sizing can vary between brands. Dance costume companies have their own sizing, and different styles can fit differently, too.
A dancer’s costume size may look different from the size on their favorite leggings or T-shirt. Costume sizing is unique, varies between manufacturers, and may not match typical clothing sizes. It’s important to us to make sizing as positive as possible, and are very mindful in both how we size and measure and how we talk about the process. Sizing and measuring are simply tools to help us find a costume that fits.
We want dancers thinking about how they feel and move in their costumes, not the letter or number on the tag.
Why we size dancers ahead of time
Costumes need time to be ordered, produced, and shipped, which can take months! Then, after we receive them, they need processed and organized, distributed, and evaluated for fit and function. This may seem like the timeline for ordering a major garment, like a wedding dress, and that’s exactly right!
This means we’re thinking about the dancer who will wear the costume in June, not just the dancer standing in front of us today. And kids grow! Finding the right fit means considering comfort now and room to grow over the coming months.
Why fit is about more than appearance
A costume needs to do more than look beautiful. Dancers need to reach, bend, turn, and move comfortably while wearing it. Costumes are carefully selected by our instructors to match the vision for their unique piece for their class, and reviewed by our director to ensure they’re in line with our studio’s artistic standards, come from vendors we trust, align with the budget allocated from monthly costume payments, and do not conflict with another routine in the same show (or recently worn by dancers of the same age in a past performance). Costumes look amazing - and there is so much more to the selection process than just “find a cute sparkly costume”.
Different costume styles also have different fit needs. Stretchy fabric, fitted bodices, straps, and sleeves can all affect how a costume feels and moves. Our goal is to help each dancer feel comfortable and confident when it’s time to perform.
A lot of help from experienced dance parents
We’re SO grateful for the veteran dance parents who help our staff with this process. They understand the excitement of costume season, the many variables that go into selection and sizing, and bring valuable experience to the details that help everything come together.
It’s one of the many small pieces of preparation that support a joyful performance experience. Making dance great for kids and easy for parents includes taking care of these details along the way! 💙
