Does performing without tights complement every dancer? Is one inch of fabric adequate crotch coverage for her, they, or them?
These are questions I ask myself while adjudicating dance competitions in which I’m viewing aspects of the dancer’s body that I wish remained unseen.
Dance expresses who we are without using words. In the presence of bright stage lights and powerful zoom features on cameras, costuming does the same.
I easily pardon the occasional loose thread, wrinkled fabric, or flyaway strand of hair. But when I see cheeky cheeks, razor burns, bumps, or bruises, I’m thrown off my seat.
Audiences want to be enchanted, not distracted. We want dancers to wear costuming that allows them to perform like nobody’s watching, while at the same time they remain mindful that . . . people are watching.
Dress rehearsal anyone?
“It’s called “show business”—not “show ‘your’ business.” ~ LaurieTALKS