As with any other stage production, costuming is key in the development of the characters. If a costume doesn’t fit a character, then the audience struggles to get into the story.

However, certain costumes can cause difficulties in dancing. Tutus, while gorgeous and essential for any ballerina, take some getting used to since they are basically the same as a five-pound weight being attached to your hips, which can throw off turns and balances. And if you’re in a pas de deux, the man has to get used to having tulle in his face the entire time.

Also, a lot of ballet costumes end up being really complex. The company I am in has reached a point, with the relatively new directors, where the costumes that have been used since the ‘80s are no longer cutting it. This means that almost all the costumes we are using are brand new, which is nice but also means that, due to the complexity, there are countless fittings and last-minute adjustments that will literally be going on an hour before the final show, which can be a pain.

I have two different costumes for our spring show, which is in two weeks, and I have only even seen part of one of them. I have a classic tutu for “Aurora’s Wedding,” which has been fitted on me but had to be taken in a lot. I also have to wear a unitard and hood for “Firebird,” which I think is going to be an interesting experience. After realizing that I was going to have to wear a dark, long-sleeved costume on stage during a dance that already made me sweat more than a trucker in July and a rather uncomfortable conversation the director had with us on what we were supposed to wear underneath the unitards, I was a little concerned about this costume decision. However, it is definitely too late to back out on this, and we do get at least a little practice in them before we go on stage – we apparently are going to start wearing them in rehearsal this Thursday. Although I still have reservations, I’m willing to see how these work out. Just so long as I don’t pass out.