How to Choose Clothing and Footwear for Historical Dance

Historical dances are deeply rooted in the history of both Western and European countries. They are incredibly diverse, each corresponding to a specific era or period. This includes 19th-century dances: ballet, waltz, polonaise, polka, and various other predominantly French dances.

These dances originated from art and architecture styles such as Baroque and Rococo. If you don't understand the style, you can easily make a mistake in choosing clothes and shoes.

First, you need to determine exactly what you are dancing and which time period it belongs to. Historical dances are unusual precisely because their costumes seem surreal to modern audiences. Today, dancers typically wear street clothes—simple and understandable. So they can only impress with their movements, but historical dance amazes viewers with everything. Creating the right look takes effort, but the result is worth it.

The most understandable and simple costume is, of course, from 19th-century classical ballet. Everyone probably imagines fluffy tutus, pointe shoes with ribbons, maybe gloves or veils. Tiaras, if you have the honor of playing a queen, or some bright accessories if you're a flower or butterfly in a group ballet. You just need to try them on, choose a color matching the dance theme, or even have several costumes ready in case the concert story shifts from lyrical to tragic.

Baroque is known for its opulent style: huge floor-length skirts with crinolines, tight corsets, small heeled shoes. Royal colors are a must: red and gold. Everything in the dance and clothing exudes pride and grandeur. Hair is styled in an elaborate updo, secured with nets and large hairpins.

Every woman's look is fit for a queen, every man's for a knight or cavalier. From the very start of learning Baroque historical dances, practice your posture, head carriage, and of course, learn to live in a corset and walk in a crinoline.

Many professional Baroque dancers started with Rococo. And it's not about the dance's difficulty, since they are similar, but about the costume. Rococo is less complicated, with lighter dresses allowed, and movements are more sensual and free. Dresses can be in various colors, typically soft pink, green, and blue. Flowers are added to the costume, and hair can be worn loose.

But that's how it turned out in dance. Historically, it's the opposite: Rococo style emerged from the excess-prone Baroque.

Pair styles are also popular in historical dances to this day: various mazurkas, polonaises, waltzes. Everything that vividly characterizes the Renaissance era. Of course, most of these dances are partner dances, and this undoubtedly attracts girls and guys from all over the world. They are livelier and simpler to perform than Italian Baroque, with live music, clear rhythm, and a chance to show off to friends that you do historical dance.

In partner dances, it's important that the couple's costumes are in the same color scheme and match in character and style. Otherwise, there are no strict costume requirements. Of course, in the polonaise, women wear long, delicate dresses, but shoulders can be left bare. In the mazurka, a livelier dance, the dress length shortens to the knee. Men can also wear tights just below the calf and long socks. The waltz is more classical, but even there, deviations from the canon are possible.

Partner historical dances are also popular because the color palette of outfits has no limits. And considering that getting used to them is not hard, basic training can be done in any comfortable clothing, with only a few rehearsals in stage costume before the performance.

Historical dance is a rather complex direction, with many movements unnatural for modern people, unusual costumes and music. Getting used to everything new-old takes time; many movements and combinations will seem difficult at first, and the entire dance is strictly regulated, leaving almost no room for improvisation.

But if that doesn't scare you and only increases your desire to take up historical dance, then be sure to come to trial classes and choose your costume and shoes wisely!