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Whether you have a tight budget or are in a time crunch... planning for your team's dance costume isn't easy! To make the costume process a little easier and more cost effective, consider upcycling an old costume! One of the best ways to save money is to use something you already have.  

Using last year's costume doesn't mean you have to sacrifice a fresh look either!  There are easy ways you can make simple changes to your old costume to create a whole new look! 

Many custom dance costume companies are willing to alter your old costumes for you, or you could DIY. All your old costume needs is a little TLC, time, and proper garment care and it'll be just like new!

Here are a few ideas on how you could upcycle your dance costume:

Character costumes - perhaps some of the most fun costumes out there - can be used for so many different types of routines: tap, high kick, jazz, hip hop, synchronized skating, you name it! If you're getting ready to pick your team's theme, take a look at this list of our top 10 favorite trends for theme dance costumes and skating dresses!!!

Team: University of Miami Hurricanettes Dance Team
Director/Head Coach: Natalie Chernow
Location: Miami, Florida
Style: Gameday & Pom Dance Team

Planning for your performance requires thought, preparation and plenty of time.   Your artistic expression starts with selecting the theme and music, which is then complimented with the perfect dance costume.  It takes time to find the right look, make sure it flatters everyone, and arrives in plenty of time for your first dance competition.  This is not an overnight endeavor!   

If you are ready to get serious about ordering your dance costume, one piece of advice we can offer is this: the key is to plan ahead!  Dance costumes have a surprisingly long lead time, up to 18 weeks depending on the time of year or option you choose!  Whether you are in a crunch or are thinking ahead, here are some great options for dance costumes based on your planning schedule!

Team: Oklahoma State University Pom Squad
Director/Head Coach: Beki Johnson
Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Style: Gameday Pom Squad

Whether you dance in a studio, on a football field, or on a gym floor, odds are you are working hard to plan for your competition season. One key element to any performance is, of course, the Score Card. While every competition has different scoring standards, there are several aspects of competition dance that are consistent across the board. Take a look at these six common mistakes that will zap your dance competition score and decide for yourself if they apply to your team!

Team: University of Hawaii Rainbow Warrior Dancers
Director/Head Coach: Maryssa Carr
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Style: Gameday Cheer

Go Huskies!

Out of Connecticut, the UConn Dance Team both supports their school as well as competes for their own glory!  At school, they rally the crowd at the University of Connecticut for the Huskie fans at football and basketball games.

On the dance competition floor, the team brings out their more technical side at the NDA National Championships. Most years, the team competes with two different routines, and in 2015 the team placed 5^th at the NDA College Nationals with an amazing hip hop routine!

When it comes to dance costumes for team Hip hop routines, the style is easily many dancers' favorite, perhaps because hip hop costumes are mostly street style!  Edgy and accessible, it's easy to pull off-the-rack styles for your performance.  Looking for a little inspiration for your upcoming hip hop performance?  Here are some hip hop dance costume looks we've seen trending, plus a few bonus dance videos of these looks in action!

We know that costume planning can be overwhelming! You want to find the perfect look for your team while still staying within budget. Sometimes staying within budget means you have to sacrifice finding a look that’s unique for your team, right? Wrong! Don’t sacrifice your style! Instead, find ways you can create your own look with existing styles by simply changing the fabric color!