| The dance leotard is a skin-tight one piece | | | | highly important for many styles of dance such as |
| garment that covers the torso but leaves the | | | | ballet. |
| legs free. Its qualities make it ideal for styles of | | | | The most common materials from which dance |
| dance such as ballet and jazz. The dance leotard | | | | leotards are manufactured are Nylon Lycra and |
| is available in several different cuts such as tank, | | | | Cotton Lycra. Though both of these materials |
| cap sleeve, camisole, polo neck and long sleeve | | | | have the same formfitting qualities, Nylon Lycra |
| though there are variations of each of these | | | | has a slightly glossy finish whereas Cotton Lycra |
| styles. | | | | has a matt finish. Both of these fabrics are |
| The dance leotard as we know it today originates | | | | available in a wide variety of colours. As there are |
| from the 1800s. It was made famous by French | | | | few dance schools with the luxury of a costume |
| acrobatic performer Jules Léotard who lived | | | | designer, such a wide choice of colours provides a |
| from 1842 - 1870. He called the garment a | | | | cheap way to easily influence the way an |
| "maillot"; a French word used to refer to different | | | | audience perceives a performance. For example, |
| types of tight-fitting shirts or sports shirts. The | | | | different colours can be used to represent |
| first known use of the word leotard can be | | | | different moods such as red for anger and green |
| traced back to just 1886; several years after | | | | for envy. Nylon Lycra is also available in many |
| Leotard's death. In the 1920s and 1930s, the | | | | different printed fabrics such as tiger, leopard and |
| leotard had influenced the style of bathing suits | | | | rainbow. |
| and they had also begun to be worn by | | | | If you're thinking about decorating a plain leotard |
| professional dancers on such as the showgirls on | | | | in order to create a unique dance costume for |
| Broadway. Since then, the leotards applications | | | | your performance, it's important to maintain its |
| have been extended to exercise, yoga, | | | | formfitting qualities. Sewing accessories such as |
| under-clothing garments and in the 1970s they | | | | sequins to your dance leotard can make it more |
| even became common as street wear, | | | | rigid as they will restrict the stretchy properties |
| popularised by the disco craze. | | | | of the fabric. Sewing on accessories can also |
| The most important characteristic of the leotard | | | | sometimes make it difficult to take the leotard on |
| for the dancer is its flexibility. This is because it | | | | and off, so worth keeping these to a minimum. If |
| allows the dancer completely unrestricted | | | | you want to create a glittery effect for your |
| movement. The skin-tight quality of the dance | | | | dance leotard, you're better choosing a glistening |
| leotard accentuates the performance by showing | | | | fabric for the leotard itself as this will ensure your |
| off the dancer's physique thus enabling the | | | | leotard has the sparkling effect you want without |
| audience and teacher to clearly see the placement | | | | compromising flexibility. |
| of the dancer's body. This "formfitting" quality is | | | | |