Primitive Dance
The origins or dance are found in primitive dance. Dancing was a form or celebration and prayer. Everyone was involved in the dancing and it was not done for show. The costuming of the dance would have been whatever the people of the time were wearing. There was not an emphasis placed on what clothing was good to dance in or should be used in performance. Primitive dancers did sometimes use animal furs and skins as well as masks but these were used more to become a character in a dance and less as a dance outfit. These would have been worn over the dancer’s regular attire. Most of the primitive dancing that we know about did not involve the use of costumes as it was not for show, but for other purposes. It is very difficult to find any information on costuming in primitive dance because it was not really used.
Please note: In the time of primitive dance there was no photography, any photos of primitive dance are reinterpretations that we see today of what primitive dance would have looked like.
Folk Dance
Folk dance is a more organized form of dance that developed after primitive dance. Folk dance can involve everyone dancing or can be done for an audience. At the time folk dance was created no costumes were used. The dance was done while wearing daily clothing. Folk dances may have given the public a reason to dress up a bit but dress was far from that of a costume. In today’s world we still see some folk dance and many dances inspired by folk dance, but costuming is typically normal dress or outfits inspired from the normal or traditional dress.
For example, Irish dance started as folk dance. The dance branched off to become different dance forms. Those that can still be classified as folk dance are usually performed wearing nice clothing, but not a costume. The dances that became for show, such as River Dance and Lord of the Dance involve costuming but these are performances dances, not folk dance.
Court Dance
Court dance developed from the steps of folk dance. When the royals wanted to bring dance into the court system, various folk dances were brought in and the steps were modified to be more court appropriate. Part of the reason the steps needed to be modified was due to the dress of the time. While the presents of court dance were wearing fairly simple dress: women in simple cotton dresses and men in basic pants and shirts, those at court dressed much nicer. The elaborate dress of court consisted of many layers, both constraining and heavy. Women’s dresses were all floor length, not exactly designed for dance. With 20 pounds of clothing on it was more difficult to move let alone do any elaborate dance steps. Jumps became much smaller and quick steps were slowed down some. Although the people of the court were not really wearing a costume, their dress of the day was in a way a costume and it had a great effect on dance of the time.
Romantic Ballet
This type of dance developed in the 18th and 19th century in France. As the dance developed, so did the need for the romantic tutu. The steps and positions of ballet were lost in the floor length, heavy dresses for women at the time. Rather than trying to change dress at the time, dance costuming was developed. The dress of the day became different than the dress for dance. Although female dancers still wore corsets and multiple layers, the dress was much lighter. Also, in order to better see the feet in dance, the dress was shortened to ankle length. This ankle length romantic tutu is the first time we can really see a change in costuming to allow for more elaborate dance. Previously dance had to be modified to make it possible to perform in daily dress. The romantic ballet is also a complete performance. The dancing was done more for show than for the dancers’ enjoyment. With performance a need for costuming develops as well.
Classical Ballet
As ballet moved to Russia, the dance steps were not the only thing that was changed; a much shorter, classical tutu was developed. With the moves of the dance becoming larger and the line of the leg becoming ever more important, it was logical to develop a costume that would better show off this line. The large country of Russia also had much larger stages and the need for large dance steps to move across these large stages. A limiting long romantic tutu would have no place on this stage. The tutu was dramatically shortened to only crotch length, but the skirt was also extended horizontally to still give the appearance of a full skirt. This skirt could then lose its obstruction from the line of the dance, as all of the dancers’ legs could be seen.
