Dressed to Dance 
By: Meechi
meechi@excapethematrix.com
Tribal plains, courtyards of kings, dramatic theater, social play, orgasmic entertainment; they all exist within an intertwined connection of movement and fashion. Whether traditional, stylized, improvised or set, dance has a relative fashionable distinction based upon the mood, setting and era.
Various cultural backgrounds demonstrate their connection to their world
and deities through the use of animal skins, headdress, feathers, bones,
metal objects and even nudity to reflect the values, beliefs and customs
of the civilization.
"Dance and fashion go hand in hand."
Fast Forward to the 20th and 21st Century
Martha Graham (amongst others), a post-modern choreographer, dared to break away from the traditional ballet form of dance. This brought about the change of costumes from the stiff tutu, pointe shoes, and corseted dress to the use of spandex, bare feet, exposed skin and free flowing fabric. Martha displayed her genius through several works of her choreography. She collaborated with Halston for the costume direction and designs for her work, Temptation of the Moon (1986) and Acts of Light (1981), a dance about love, death, life and rebirth.
Many of her earlier works were costumed by Edith Gilfond; she additionally collaborated with fashion impresarios Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta and sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Her significance and contribution to the world of fashion came about when many of the set designs and costumes were requested by patrons viewing her work.
Many of you know him as Punjab in the 1982 movie Annie; he was far from the character portrayed in the film. An actor, choreographer, director, painter, musician and a set and costume designer, Geoffrey Holder has received 2 Tony awards for the Broadway musical production of The Wiz. He also received rave reviews for his set design and stage production of another Broadway musical hit, Timbuktu.
If you’ve ever seen his wife, the famed dancer, Carmen de Lavallade,
you’ll notice that she’s always styled with every “i” dotted and “t”
crossed. That’s because he designed many gowns and other apparel for
her, which earned her a place on several Best-Dressed Lists.
"Many dance artists and dance movements have influenced the way we behave
and dre
ss within society."
For those born within the past two decades, think back when dances like the cabbage patch, runnin’ man and the butterfly were popular. What were you wearing? Probably a Cross Colors “outfit” or short-set! HA!! Most guys donned a high top fade with an S-curl and the ladies glimmered in their oversized bangles, denim jumpers and weave stacks so high they could make God sneeze. But, you were “doin yo thang!” and when you hit the dance floor there was no exception to the rule.
In terms of our present day society, do you ever notice how we perform all the movements from music videos, especially when certain movements spark a dance craze like the electric slide? Now you can even buy the VHS and/or CD to teach you the movements. Remember the song, “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” by Janet Jackson, or any of her songs for that matter? Or how about Beyonce’ when she performed “Déjà Vu” and displayed the erotic costume influence of Josephine Baker’s famous banana dance? That was from the 1930’s!
Many dance artists and dance movements have influenced the way we behave and dress within society. Dance and fashion go hand in hand.