Leotards – practical and beautiful?

Certain items of clothing allow for almost infinite decoration and design, and many of these items are very well known – basic t shirts, for example, are worn the world over and vary from being plain, short sleeved affairs to being really jazzed up, designer items with great design, colour and, importantly, flair.  Leotards are very similar.  A basic item of clothing that is widely worn - albeit mainly in sporting and dance applications – which can be transformed from a plain design into something really beautiful or stunning.  Many dances are an artistic attempt to convey a certain message to the audience, and the right leotards can help to achieve this.  

Although dance is constantly evolving and advancing, with new moves and styles appearing all the time, there are certain forms of dance which are still more widely known than others, ballet is one of these.  Many ballets are performed almost like plays, in certain acts, conveying stories and feelings, a very famous example of this being Le Lac Des Cygnes (Swan Lake), which tells the tale of a beautiful princess named Odette, who is transformed into a swan by an evil sorcerer.  These specific tales need to be performed wearing appropriate clothing to help convey the correct story, and many other dances, both modern and traditional, share this requirement.  

Leotards, tutus, tiaras and slippers can all be used as theatrical devices to help create an impression upon an audience.  For example, in Swan Lake, Odette’s tutu and tiara are usually white and attempt to portray the feathers and elegance of a swan.  Many dance clothing manufacturers produce large numbers of plain leotards, tights and tutus, for those in lessons or schools, but also all aim to produce the most intricate, attractive items, often with the idea of creating something unique and novel, the likes of which has not been designed before.  Some dancers or dances require bespoke pieces, and specify colours, materials design and detailing.  For a perfect dance performance, only the best items of clothing can be worn.  

One way in which the relatively recent invention of the leotard (first appeared in the mid 1800s) has helped make the life of a dancer, or indeed acrobat, gymnast or skater, easier is by allowing greater freedom of movement.  The early days of ballet required characters to be wearing normal, everyday clothes.  Whereas this was perfect for demonstrating their place in the performance, whether they were a prince or a pauper or an animal, but made dancing well difficult.  Not only were these clothes often hot, they were cumbersome and restricted movement.  Learning to dance professionally is often not an easy task, nor is learning sports such as gymnastics.  Allowing performers to wear cooler clothing which does not prevent optimum performance is vital.   

For those dancers who are rather less than enamoured with the appearance of a standard, plain leotard, it’s best to remember that it could be whole lot worse without if expected to perform moves in full everyday attire.