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The Iowa State Dance and Drill Association Championship is one of the largest dance competitions in the Nation, combining both solos, high school, and college dance teams from multiple categories for a full weekend of dance! This year's competition was held earlier this month on Noveber 30th - December 1st.  For a full list of the results and categories visit their website!

ISDTA has been holding their championships since 1976, and we are so glad to have outfitted a few of the teams attending this year's competition with their #LineUpLook! Check out some photos from the talented Tim McConnell below, and view even more at Tim McConnell Photography. 

A day or weekend of competition is mentally and physically exhausting for dancers, but they can prepare their body days, weeks and even months before competition to improve their strength, balance, performance, endurance, recovery and injury prevention.

Aitkin All Starz Dance Team in a Custom Jazz Costume

One of the most common questions we get regarding costumes is "how much does a custom costume cost?!" This can be a difficult question to answer because a custom costume is just that - custom - and depends on what you add! Everything is completely unique, which means that the pricing is unique as well.

As a general guideline, custom costumes can range anywhere from $150 to $600. The more detail and complex, the higher the price.  However, we generally tell people the average price of a custom dance costume is around $250, and to start with that budget in mind.  

If you're looking for more information, here are six areas that will determine how much your custom dance costume costs:

Our partnership with the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders has evolved over the last 20+ years from the first practice wear apparel that we made them in 1992, to their multi-uniform wardrobe of the present!  Their looks have changed so much over the years and we've loved watching their look evolve.

This year's extensive costume wardrobe includes numerous pieces that work for a variety of gameday and appearance activities. Fun fact - the cheerleaders name all of their costumes to make it easier to coordinate with the team!  We've highlighted our favorite MVC looks below - take a look! 

Two dance costumes with floral and lace appliques that can also be used as a hairpiece: Mika Top Applique (left) and Jupela Leo Applique (right). 

If there's one dance costume trend that doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon it's appliques - and for good reason! Appliques are a popular choice because they add a layer of texture and depth to any costume, as well as a feminine touch.

If you are looking to use appliques on your next dance costume, there are a few technical things to consider though - like cost and their delicate nature. To help, we've created the definitive guide to using appliques for dance costumes!

Our 2018 Dance Costume Collection is here!  To celebrate we've rounded up our absolute favorite looks and paired them with some amazing and talented dancers (aka our models)!  

To curate this year's collection, we discovered what inspired our customers this past year.  For lyrical and contemporary it's romance: soft and feminine nudes, floral patterns and lace, and sheer layers.  For jazz and tap it's intensity: playful fringe, plenty of energy, and bold strength.  For hip hop it's fierce and theatrical: looks drawing inspiration less from street wear and more from music videos and NBA dancers.  

Get inspired and take a peek below!

You've got your choreography, your team is practicing hard, and now it's time to design your dance costume! This may seem like a daunting task, but designing a custom dance costume can really be broken down into 8 simple steps.

If you've been following along our How to Design a Custom Dance Costume series, we've covered everything from prototypes to  fabrics. We've compiled all the posts in this series to give you a brief overview of the custom dance costume design process. Check it out below!

In our recent How to Design a Custom Dance Costume series, we've been covering all the steps to ordering a custom costume.  

Once your design and prototype is confirmed, it's time to get started making your group order! The next step is sizing and measuring your team before your custom costume goes off to production.

Fit is fashion! Even with the most beautifully designed costume, if your outfit doesn't fit properly, the focus will be on your flaws and not your skills. Here a few tips to ensure your dancers are fitted correctly:

If you've been following along our How To Design A Custom Dance Costume series, we've previously covered finding inspiration, design consultations, and fabric choices.  Up next in the process is the prototype! 

A prototype, or sample garment, is the best way to ensure your team's final group order turns out how you you'd like. 

Your costume company loves prototypes because they need to figure out how to pattern and construct your custom costume.  And you'll love the prototype because you can make sure your custom costumes look and feel great before proceeding with the full order! 

We answer some common questions about dance costume prototypes below: