You may need Christmas dance costumes if you or your children are in a Christmas pageant or ballet.
Wearing Christmas Dance Costumes
Ballets and musical plays are the most common reason Christmas dance costumes are worn. The following are some popular ballets that are most often performed during the holidays:
- Nutcracker
- Peter and the Wolf
- Swan Lake
Nutcracker
The Nutcracker Ballet by Tchaikovsky is probably the most popular Christmas dance production. Tchaikovsky based his musical dance production on the story The Nutcracker and the King of Mice by E.T.A. Hoffman. The story comes to life as a young German girl named Clara dreams of a Nutcracker prince. A fierce battle ensues as the Nutcracker leads a battle against the evil mouse king. The Nutcracker dance costumes needed for this production are as follows:
- Clara: Nightgown
- Fritz:: English schoolboy clothes
- Nutcracker: Full nutcracker or toy soldier costume
- Sugar Plum Fairy: Beautiful ballerina tutu and tiara
- Mouse King: Full mouse costume with a crown
- Spanish dancers
- Arabian dancers
- The Russian Dance
- The Chinese Dance
- Waltz of the Flowers
Peter and the Wolf
Peter and the Wolf is often performed as a ballet or musical at Christmas time. The story is about a young boy who goes out into a snowy meadow against his grandfather's instructions. Peter wants to catch the wolf that has been terrorizing the townspeople. The following characters from Peter and the Wolf will need to don a costume:
- Peter
- Grandfather
- Hunters
- Duck
- Wolf
Swan Lake
Swan Lake is a Russian folklore adapted by Tchaikovsky into a ballet that is usually performed during the holidays in addition to other times of the year. The story is about a princess named Odette who is turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer. The costumes needed for Swan Lake are:
- Odette
- Odile
- Prince Siegfried
- Evil Sorcerer
- Swans
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is often performed as a musical that may or may not have dance numbers. The gathering of the Whoville residents around the Christmas tree is one of the most common scenes for a dance. The costumes needed for this performance would be:
- The Grinch
- Max the Dog
- Cindy Lou Who
- The townspeople of Whoville
Renting Costumes
Renting dance costumes may be the best option for your production. Many of these costume ideas are very elaborate and expensive and not worth purchasing for one show. Costumes can be rented by the day or for several weeks at a time. Rental companies will often offer price breaks for renting more than one costume and for greater lengths of times. Following are a couple of websites that have costumes for rent:
Buying Costumes
Some dance costumes are best purchased and kept for your ballet company. Dance costumes that will be worn for years to come or that are versatile enough to be worn in a different production are worth purchasing. Accessories such as slippers and tights are always purchased on an individual basis. A few places that sell ballet costumes online are:
Storing Dance Costumes
Ballet costumes are generally made of tulle and a satin-type material. Both of these materials may be difficult to keep in pristine shape. Keep in mind that dance costumes do take a beating and may become tired looking if worn several weeks at a time. Proper care and repair is a necessity when owning the costumes. Taking your costumes to a professional cleaner is a must. Proper storage throughout the year to prevent crushing and creasing is important as well.
