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Floral Mesh Leotard, Mesh Leotard, Tribal Mesh Leotard, and Kiri Leotard. 

It's that time of year - School is back in session, game days are starting to pick up again and all we can think about are this year's upcoming competition costumes! As we head into our busy season (a.k.a. your competition season!), we are overwhelmed with the amazing costume designs and inspiration that our creative customers and designers come up with! It truly is inspiring seeing all these beautiful costumes go out the door and onto the competition floor.

Check out what we've found are the Top 6 Jazz & Contemporary Dance Costume trends for 2018:

Behind the scenes at one of our recent photo shoots at Steve Lucas Photography

Once fall rolls around, we know the first thing on the to-do list as a newly formed dance team is pictures!  When it comes to photoshoots, TLU has definitely had lots of practice.  With over 8 photoshoots a year, we've got things down to a science!  

And we don't do it alone either!  With a little help from the experts below, we've compiled some of our best tips for getting your best photos as a dance team. Read on to hear what the experts have to say.

• Pam Gleason - Our photoshoot choreographer, Pam, is a master at creative posing!  When not working at The Line Up, she's also an instructor at Dance Arts Centre and co-founder of Matrixx Pro.

• Steve Lucas - We've been working with Steve Lucas Photography for over 10 years, and with his 20+ years of experience, he has perfected the art of capturing the perfect dance action shot!  

• Dawn Ruschmeyer - Our resident photo editor and Photoshop Wizard, Dawn is also Steve Lucas's assistant and photo editor.

Photo via Lifetime, Ladybirds wearing the 202-Mesh Top

The Louisville Ladybirds' Dance Costumes, as Seen on Lifetime's "So Sharp"

Have you been as obsessed with watching Lifetime's "So Sharp" as we have at The Line Up?  It's not every day one of our clients stars in a Lifetime reality show, and the excitement is contagious!  Every week we've been streaming the show in the conference room over lunch to see the stunning routines, the teamwork, the drama, and of course, whatever Coach Todd Sharp will say next! 

Our account manager, Lindsey Stone, has been working with Todd and the Louisville Ladybirds Dance Team for over 5 years now, and we've loved helping outfit the 14 time National Title winners with a variety of pieces - branded apparel for gameday as well as custom costumes for NDA Nationals! 

Here's a peek inside the team's wardrobe and the inspiration behind some of the Louisville Ladybirds' dance costumes below!

When it comes to synchro skate dresses, the skirt is the one design element that rules!

Our synchro customers insist on getting their skirts right and for a couple very good reasons: a great skirt can emphasize choreography, enhance the perception of speed, and create crowd appeal!  What team can resist all of that?

Check out some of our favorite synchronized skating skirts from the past couple of seasons below! 

Team: North Carolina A & T State University's  Aggie Heartthrobs
Coach: Aaliyah Escalera
Location: Greensboro, North Carolina 
Style: Dance

High Kick dance routines are known for their quick movements, sharp lines, and formation changes. So, how do you accentuate this choreography to take your routine to the next level? Color change!  Accentuate strong movements and add visual interest by adding a pop of color. Check out 5 unique ways to incorporate color change into your High Kick dance costume this year!

Did you know that many stains can be removed from your dance costume, skating dress, or cheer uniform using a few simple tricks?

To keep you garments looking new for years, be sure to remove pesky stains immediately before washing your costume.  You know the ones – self tanner, makeup, food, and even glue marks are all common stains that can easily be removed.  We’ll show you how, step by step, below! 

If we have to pick one single piece of advice it’s this: don’t be afraid to wash your costume!

We know, we know! The thought of something going wrong and potentially ruining your costume is enough to make you want to ignore the stinky mess! But not cleaning your costume can potentially cause more damage than just the smell factor.

Laundering your garment to promote longevity and to keep it sparkling fresh. With proper care, a well-constructed garment should last you several years. Rest assured, you can easily do it yourself without risking damage to your costume.

Check out the video tutorial and tips below from the experts in our laundry department on how to wash a dance costume, cheer uniform, or skating dress without worry!

Feeling overwhelmed with all the details when it comes to figuring out all of your team's apparel needs?  We know that planning for the upcoming season can be stressful, so we've compiled a dance costume planning checklist to make sure you're on track.  It includes activities for:

Team: Washington State University Crimson Girls 
Director/Head Coach: Kaila Evenoff
Location: Pullman, Washington
Style: Collegiate Dance Team