Costuming on a Shoestring

Outfitting large numbers of dancers with varied body types and little or no budget is a challenge that most K–12 dance teachers face. “Because I used to have a studio where parents wrote checks for costumes, it was an awakening to have to be more inventive with costuming in a public high school,” says LeAnn Haggard, a dance teacher at North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Luckily, creativity and thriftiness are all that’s required to get the job done. Here are some tips to help you tackle this dilemma.

Start with the basics, then accessorize.
One of the simplest ways to costume a group and allow for individual creativity is to jazz up basic black with some colorful accessories. Students may already have (or can borrow) basics like camisole tops, T-shirts, capris, gaucho pants, dress shirts, vests, ties, etc. With this in mind, Haggard requires her students to wear black outfits to class; that way, when it’s time for performance, they can use that clothing as a base for costumes. “We add hats, gloves, canes, bibs, scarves, masks, etc.,” she says. “Most students are thrilled to have something to add to their basic black that accentuates the dance.”

Laura Detering, a dance teacher at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast, Florida, likes to give students a piece of fabric to use in a creative way. “Pastels or neon colors paired with black give a uniform look,” she says. “Recently, we chose maroon, yellow and orange for a group number, with each dancer getting a top, overlay and a piece of fabric. They raided their closets and were able to piece things together; siblings and family members also pitched in.”

Stick to a budget.
If you have a costume budget, figure out a fair amount to spend on each dance and/or dancer. If some students ask to spend their own money on top of the budget, be respectful of the fact that others may not be able to do the same. Remember that in a public school, it’s important to provide opportunities for everyone, not just for those with financial resources. Detering gave her students a spending limit. “I told them to not spend more than $10,” she says. “Some students bought cheap fabric and had the moms make costumes; others bought T-shirts and ripped them up. They used puffy paints and other inexpensive craft items to put things together.”

Sew, cut, dye, rip and tie.
Costumes need to look good onstage, but keep in mind that the audience is seeing them from a distance. Find fabrics that don’t unravel or require hemming, and invest in easy patterns for skirts, pants and a few tops. Mesh fabrics can be tied together; circle skirts only require elastic waistbands. Tank tops can be made from a piece of material with two side seams, and a halter can be created by tracing an existing halter on fabric and cutting it out in the same shape.

Dyeing or spray painting is another useful method. Try dipping the bottom of a shirt in one color and the top in another, letting the dye bleed together in the middle. Rolling Meadows High School dance teacher Reggie Good of Illinois shares one of her favorite costumes: “We began with a white leotard and white gauze purchased over the internet, and the dancers sewed the skirts, sashes and men’s pants. All items were then dyed tan and dusted lightly with navy spray paint. The total cost was $14 per dancer.”
 

Buy smart, then reuse.
This approach depends on your storage space. Many costume companies hold summer or fall clearance sales—the perfect time to purchase costumes at a fraction of the cost. “Stay away from patterns and stick to basics,” advises Freddie-Lee Heath, the dance teacher at Ligon GT Magnet Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina. “Buy generic sizes and put the costumes on a rotation so you don’t use the same ones year after year.”

You can also give your existing stock a fresh new look with minor alterations: Long dresses can be cut into panels, and skirts can be updated with a new top or overlay. “Look for costumes that can be used from season to season and that will flatter all body types—no midriffs, mesh, booty shorts or spandex pants,” says Rebecca McGregor, a dance teacher at Lyndon Institute in Lyndon Center, Vermont, and founder/coordinator of the Vermont State Dance Festival. “I buy pieces that are simple but elegant and can be mixed and matched.”
 

Shop thrift stores, outlets and garage sales.
Next time you’re at a thrift store or garage sale, be on the lookout for bargains. (Remember to save your receipts and carry your tax ID letter so you can be reimbursed.) Khaki pants and skirts work well for swing numbers and can be purchased cheaply at Goodwill. Often retail stores donate their unsold clearance items to thrift shops; if you hit them at the right time, you may find matching skirts or pants in bulk.

Surf the web.
Many wholesale clothing and fabric stores have internet sites. Two useful ones are SyFabrics (www.syfabrics.com) and Denver Fabrics (www.denverfabrics.com), where you can purchase large quantities on clearance. Also, check out The Costume Closet website, with more than 1,000 costumes to choose from (www.thecostumecloset.com). The company consigns dance costumes from high schools, colleges and performance groups, then stores and photographs them for the website. Buyers can rent or purchase at a discounted price.

Another option is to contact eBay “store” sellers and ask if they will sell a “lot” of items in the sizes you need for a “buy now” price. Detering has had great success on this site. “One eBay seller was liquidating her daughter’s old costumes and shoes. I contacted her and she donated all unsold items to my program in return for shipping costs and a tax letter,” she recalls. “Another eBay seller was closing her local costume shop. She sold thousands of dollars worth of costumes to our theater program for under $300.”

Mine clearance racks and discount stores.
Good shops discount stores, like Wal-Mart and Target, or discount dance catalogs for the base of her costumes. “Once I find the base, I cut, dye or sew it to my liking,” she says. “When shopping at discount stores, be willing to look past what an item initially looks like. An ugly, old-fashioned ladies’ skirt can be redesigned and altered into a breathtaking dance skirt or dress.”

Collaborate.
Form a collective with other dance and theater programs in your area and borrow costumes from one another; this is a win-win situation for everyone. You can also talk to the drama, art or stagecraft teachers in your own school. “There was a teacher in our lounge trying to get rid of a bag of feathers and I snatched it up,” Detering recalls. “I thought, ‘Someone could use these.’” Haggard offers this advice: “Put costume requests in the ‘Greetings’ folder at school, asking other teachers if they have items to borrow or give. I found old choir robes, which I have used on numerous occasions.”

You can even ask students and other faculty to put their creative talents to work. “The design and fashion teachers love to have students create costumes for my classes,” says McGregor. “Once, the design teacher helped my dancers dye silk scarves.”

Other good resources include show choirs, dance teams and color guards, which purchase yearly costumes for their programs. Attend a competition, then call team directors to inquire if they would be willing to sell or donate their costumes at the end of the year.

When it comes to costuming your dancers, having to be frugal isn’t a bad thing. With a little ingenuity, elbow grease and bargain hunting, you don’t have to go into debt to let your dancers shine onstage.

Diane Smagatz-Rawlinson holds an MFA in performance and choreography and is the dance and technical theater teacher at Wheeling High School in Illinois.