Being Inspired And Inspiring Others
Many people get into dance because of a ballet called The Nutcracker Suite. It’s easy to see why. This dance is evocative, surreal, dreamlike, beautiful, frightening, hilarious, and strange. It’s an intriguing piece of art that has transcended many decades to become an integral feature of holiday performances worldwide.
You may not even remember the plot of this performance, but you remember certain aspects. You remember the sound of the music, that big broad crescendo, and the simple rolling melody which aurally silhouettes the dancers. Then there’s that crazy rat king, who is ultimately a frightening portion of the performance.
In short, ballets like The Nutcracker Suite affect viewers on an emotional level which undercuts the psyche. Whether or not you’re interested in dance, or have seen such a performance before, if you can be introduced to it in an environment free of prejudice, you’re likely to be affected. This is what art acting as a “muse” does. It inspires you subconsciously.
You may not necessarily understand why, but after viewing such a performance you may just want to dance. This desire is precisely the same which will prompt two ten-year-old kids to commandeer broom handles and have mock sword fights after seeing Star Wars. Lightsabers are cool, and they like to play-act that they’re Jedi.
Certainly, different people will ultimately be inspired by different things, but when you’re inspired enough to pursue some artistic undertaking to its fullest conclusion, as you perform you transmit that inspiration to future audiences who will eventually do as you’ve done. It’s an upward spiral of artistry.
The Need For Costuming
But to that end, if you don’t have the proper performance accoutrements silhouetting your varying performances, instead of inspiring audiences into emulation, you’ll inspire them into parody. If the “rat king” is this big mascot-looking critter jumping around in black tights, he’ll look so ludicrous audiences will forget the dreamlike quality of The Nutcracker Suite.
Ideally, the rat king is supposed to be nightmarish in presentation, which predicates a seriousness to costume design. Likewise, if Darth Vader’s frightening inhuman appearance were slightly less, he might be like Spaceballs’ Dark Helmet as played by Rick Moranis: ludicrous and ineffective.
Costuming is a key component of any performance that requires the utmost consideration for fullest effect. If you do the job right, it can even help make up for certain performance gaffes likely to happen during a live show. This is one of the exciting aspects of live performance: there will always be errors, and the cast of a given production must overcome them.
Effective Costuming
When you can costume your performers such that the willing suspension of disbelief translates to the audience, and even appears to be a realm of enhanced reality on stage, you’ll be more likely to impart your message and emotionally affect viewers. When it comes to dance, this is an integral component of a show.
According to JustForKix.com, dance costumes can: “…make or break the look of a show, so it’s not an item you should leave off the checklist under any circumstances.” There are definitely choreographers who leave this step until the last moment, and so end up compromising their own show.
When it comes to costumes they can’t just convey an aesthetic, they must additionally stand up to the rigors of rehearsal and final performance. This means they must be more flexible than they appear to be. Costumes must be designed by passionate professionals who understand dance, or they’ll be a hindrance rather than an enhancing agent.