Not all costumes are scary...

Time to dust off your coolest costume! In the spirit Halloween, we want to share with you some iconic dance costumes that are guaranteed competition winners.

Court Ballet Ballet became a codified technique with formal training in the royal courts of France. Ornate costumes were worn to take the audience out of the bounds of 'reality' and to add a mysticism to the performance, effectively creating a world of its own. Martha Graham used her costume to contribute meaning to her work Martha Graham's masterpiece solo Lamentation features a dancer, who remains mostly seated, dancing encased in a purple tube of jersey fabric. Graham selected this costume for the piece to evoke the essence of grief. The costume serves to dehumanize the dancer and allow the audience to see a living, moving emotion. The tutu is too too cool How can we talk about costumes without paying homage to the beautiful tutu! The tutu comes in many shapes, colors, and styles depending on the era/ theme of a work. Pictured here is the Romantic tutu as used in Jules Perrot's Giselle. The romantic tutu is soft and long. It flies as the dancer spins, creating an ethereal, non human look. Perfect for a ballet about ghosts!

Pablo Picasso: designer extraordinaire! Yes, you read that right! Pablo Picasso spent many of his 'cubist' years in collaboration with the Ballets Russes. Below is a costume he designed for Leonide Massine's Parade. Not only do the costumes give this work a unique look, but the funky set (also designed by Picasso) adds yet another piece to the puzzle, painting a multi medium picture for audiences to marvel at! Merce Cunningham: leave it up to chance Merce Cunningham, an icon in the modern dance world, was known for leaving several elements of his productions up to chance. This includes pieces performed on a given night, dancers performing, and even sometimes music, all decided at the roll of a dice. His costumes, colorful and often formed to showcase the body, were usually not decided based on chance due to fitting requirements. However their uniqueness and fantastical nature helped set the tone for his loosely planned approach. What will you wear this year?! Sometimes picking the perfect costume can be daunting. Maybe this year is the year to dress as a Royal Court dancer or to put together a Picasso inspired cubist look of your own! You'll be front and center as people marvel at how clever your costume is!