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It's that exciting time of year - planning for the 2016-2017 dance season!  It's a little crazy to see 2017 on the page, but the season is upon us!  While you are busy finding your theme and concept this summer, we rounded up some the best high kick dance costume trends we've seen.  Here's a peek at a few stunning ideas to spark your imagination as you design your next custom dance costume! 

Totino Grace Dance Team in a custom costume at the 2016 MSHSL Dance Tournament

Come on... admit it... you are already starting to plan for next year’s Winter Dance Team Season! Coaches and dancers alike are gearing up for summer camps and clinics, but thoughts of the Winter Season are always looming as teams brainstorm ideas for the upcoming year.

The check list of items for the competition season is a long one.  One major item on every team’s list?  Costumes, of course!  Wondering how to navigate the sea of rules and regulations as they apply to your dance costume design?  Here's a summary of the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Dance costume official rules.  

  A Sparkling Jersey Trend: Tami Gaga, Sparkle Jersey, 420 Tank Gaga

The look of the game day cheer uniform is changing.   Already the classic cheer braid look - which will always hold a strong torch - is starting to look a little faded next to the glitz and glam of innovative all star looks.  So what does this mean for the 2016-2017 season and your game day looks?   Check out our 10 favorite trends for the modern cheer uniforms, that create the perfect mix of classic and innovation!

Once upon a time, The Line Up was one person (a much younger and more energetic me, Deb Erickson) scurrying about patterning, cutting, sewing, and discovering ways to make you look great. Today, The Line Up has evolved into a team of 40+ individuals!  I  am constantly amazed when I watch our powerful and talented talent group work together to create fashion forward performance apparel for you. 

Last year we celebrated our 25^th anniversary, and it was a time to reflect on who we are and where we are going.  We had so many questions!  And as we answered these questions  as we matured to the age of 26 - we decided it was time for a makeover! Let me tell you about our new brand!

NBA, NFL, or Semi-pro arena football teams are very familiar to us here at The Line Up, but have you ever heard of a professional lacrosse dance team?  Enter the Atlanta Blaze Dancers!  The Atlanta Blaze Dancers are a part of a Major League Lacrosse Team in Kennesaw, GA. As a new team, the Blaze Dancers contacted us to help them create their signature uniform for their 2016 season!

Prescott High School Pom Uniform

Memorial Day is a very special day for our country. On this day, we honor all of the brave men and women who serve year after year. Here at The Line Up, our customers and designers have put together some amazing costumes to represent those hard-working men and women. Here are some of our favorite current and past patiorotic and military theme costume!

A New Team Emerges

Watching football is a treasured American pastime, and if your anything like us, a favorite part of the game is getting a glimpse of the cheerleaders on the sidelines! The Arena Football League (AFL) brings a fresh dynamic to the classic american tradition with a faster paced and higher scoring game. One of its teams, the newly branded Portland Steel, is supported by the vibrant Portland Steel Cheerleaders. This enthusiastic team truly represents what it is to be the ultimate fan entity for their AFL Team!

Currently in their debut season, the Portland Steel Cheerleaders pump up their crowds for the newly re-named Portland Steel Football Team! These girls love their football team and its fans and work hard to show their support. One of the favorite memories of the season so far? On opening night, the Portland Steel Cheerleaders rallied their fans behind the football players and made their inauguration to the League a memorable one!!! The fans love the girls’ energy and amazing presence while they cheer on their long-awaited AFL Team!

"Our crowd has really rallied around the team and the dancers feed of the great energy," Rea, a member of the team, said. "Can't wait for our next home game!"

Miami University of Ohio’s Synchronized Skating Team is an entity unlike any of it's fellow collegiate programs. This program is made up of three unique teams which cover all altitudes of skating abilities at post-secondary level: Junior, Collegiate, and Senior. The University is able to recruit skaters from across the country for it's many teams, creating a one-of-a-kind program for skating.

Head Coach Carla DeGirolamo talked to us about their top-leveled Senior Team who recently went to the 2016 ISU Worlds Figure Skating Championships for the second year in a row. Only two teams from the United States are able to go each year, proving this Miami University to be a power-house for our National Synchronized Skating programs! Coach Carla's biggest challenge? Getting this team ready for their competition season in a very short period of time. With this team being able to compete at the national and international level, it is clear that her and her athletes rose to the challenge and made their season a successful one!

Ever wonder what it's like to be a professional cheerleader? We're lucky enough to have been invited behind the scenes of a few NFL and NBA teams, and we've seen just how dedicated and hardworking these talented ladies are! We wanted to share their experience with you, so we're starting a new series here on the blog all about the life of a pro cheerleader! This week, we'll get an exclusive glimpse of the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders and their first day on the job.

 

This fall, the University of Minnesota Duluth Dance Team shared their new game day look with us, and we recently caught up with them again after they competed at NDA Championships this month! The team had an amazing performance at college nationals, finishing runner up in Division II Team Performance!

Finding Inspiration in 'Revolution'

UMD Captain Melanie explained the concept behind their routine this season:

"For our dance this year our theme was queen bee, which turned into the concept of 'revolution.' We had the idea of being fierce and confident women. It was incorporated in our choreography and costumes by adding strong, sharp movements and moments where we could feed off of each other's energy. We added in a lot of team breaths to increase the intensity of our jazz section."

"The costumes have a sassy fierce look to them which completely added to our theme! The music was powerful and emphasized all the movements that we wanted to be strong, and it flowed where we wanted it to be smooth," Melanie said.

The combination of feminine lace and and bold back straps on this custom dance costume definitely portrays the fierce and confident female look they were going for!