Fashion and Dance: The role of fashion in various dance forms
From the stages of 19th century Russian ballet to the underground clubs of 1980s New York, fashion and dance have always had an intricate relationship. Clothing plays a key part in allowing dancers to move freely while adding elements of style, culture and personal expression to their art form. As dance styles have diversified and evolved over the past two centuries, so too have the fashions that clothe their movements.
In the world of classical ballet, clothing is designed primarily for functionality to allow maximum flexibility and extension of the body. Yet even within the constraints of function, ballet fashion has gone through periods of experimentation in step with artistic innovations. When Russian choreographer George Balanchine pioneered a new fast-paced and athletic style of ballet in the early 20th century, he collaborated with fashion designer Barbara Karinska to create simple yet dramatic costumes including the now iconic black leotard.
The fluid, diaphanous dresses of Indian classical dances like Bharatanatyam allow dancers to accentuate the intricate mudras (hand gestures) and facial expressions which are central to their storytelling art form. Regional variations lead to delightful nuances - from the vibrant, pleated Ilkal sarees worn for Karnataka’s Yakshagana dance to the intricately embroidered ghagras spinning circles in the high-energy movements of Punjabi Bhangra.
The early development of Jazz music and dance in New Orleans brothels and speakeasies inspired daring flapper fashions synonymous with women’s liberation post World War I. Defining the Golden Age of Hollywood, Busby Berkeley choreographed kaleidoscopic on-screen extravaganzas showcasing hundreds of chorus girls in revealing costumes and gravity-defying headdresses.
As the youth counterculture of 1950s Rock ‘n Roll heralded a break from strict social mores, rebellious looks channeled controversial dance moves like Elvis Presley’s hip thrusts. The mirror ball aesthetic of 1970s disco fashion celebrated sensuality and movement on the dance floor. Leg warmers and colorful unitards helped athleticize and commercialize modern Jazz routines.
The 80s popularity of music videos brought visual fashion to the forefront for commercial pop artists. Madonna’s looks evolved with her chameleon-like dance pop persona, carrying subcultural references from street urbanism to voguing that brought underground styles to wider audiences. From Krumping to Commercial Hip Hop, street dance battles have catalyzed innovations in athletic streetwear labels and sneaker trends.
India’s amalgam Dance Bollywood style encapsulates the nation’s dizzying diversity of fashion. While globalization has popularized Western looks, Bollywood retains a unique flamboyant maximalism that draws from traditional textiles and crafts for inspiration ranging from Classical Odissi to folk Chhau.
Born in the underground House and Ballroom scene of 1980s New York, Voguing reimagined the glamour of high fashion photography and runway poses as a competitive dance form, later entering mainstream pop culture. Today’s drag dance incorporates references ranging from 17th century French court fashion to 1980s Dynasty power dressing.
The fashion and textile industry’s broader cultural presence intertwines with dance as performance art, as exploration of identity, and as embodied connection across time and space. In our rapidly evolving world, the universal languages of movement and materiality continue to shape each other in endlessly inventive ways, carrying inherited cultures and inspiring future revolutions.
In the world of classical ballet, clothing is designed primarily for functionality to allow maximum flexibility and extension of the body. Yet even within the constraints of function, ballet fashion has gone through periods of experimentation in step with artistic innovations. When Russian choreographer George Balanchine pioneered a new fast-paced and athletic style of ballet in the early 20th century, he collaborated with fashion designer Barbara Karinska to create simple yet dramatic costumes including the now iconic black leotard.
The fluid, diaphanous dresses of Indian classical dances like Bharatanatyam allow dancers to accentuate the intricate mudras (hand gestures) and facial expressions which are central to their storytelling art form. Regional variations lead to delightful nuances - from the vibrant, pleated Ilkal sarees worn for Karnataka’s Yakshagana dance to the intricately embroidered ghagras spinning circles in the high-energy movements of Punjabi Bhangra.
The early development of Jazz music and dance in New Orleans brothels and speakeasies inspired daring flapper fashions synonymous with women’s liberation post World War I. Defining the Golden Age of Hollywood, Busby Berkeley choreographed kaleidoscopic on-screen extravaganzas showcasing hundreds of chorus girls in revealing costumes and gravity-defying headdresses.
As the youth counterculture of 1950s Rock ‘n Roll heralded a break from strict social mores, rebellious looks channeled controversial dance moves like Elvis Presley’s hip thrusts. The mirror ball aesthetic of 1970s disco fashion celebrated sensuality and movement on the dance floor. Leg warmers and colorful unitards helped athleticize and commercialize modern Jazz routines.
The 80s popularity of music videos brought visual fashion to the forefront for commercial pop artists. Madonna’s looks evolved with her chameleon-like dance pop persona, carrying subcultural references from street urbanism to voguing that brought underground styles to wider audiences. From Krumping to Commercial Hip Hop, street dance battles have catalyzed innovations in athletic streetwear labels and sneaker trends.
India’s amalgam Dance Bollywood style encapsulates the nation’s dizzying diversity of fashion. While globalization has popularized Western looks, Bollywood retains a unique flamboyant maximalism that draws from traditional textiles and crafts for inspiration ranging from Classical Odissi to folk Chhau.
Born in the underground House and Ballroom scene of 1980s New York, Voguing reimagined the glamour of high fashion photography and runway poses as a competitive dance form, later entering mainstream pop culture. Today’s drag dance incorporates references ranging from 17th century French court fashion to 1980s Dynasty power dressing.
The fashion and textile industry’s broader cultural presence intertwines with dance as performance art, as exploration of identity, and as embodied connection across time and space. In our rapidly evolving world, the universal languages of movement and materiality continue to shape each other in endlessly inventive ways, carrying inherited cultures and inspiring future revolutions.