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Hockettes Junior (left)  and Team Delaware Junior (right) teams went all out on rhinestones for their custom skate dresses - something only Junior, Senior, and Collegiate teams can do!

Last November 2015, the USFSA updated the official Synchronized Skating costume guidelines.  If you’ve taken a look at the guidelines, you know that they tend to be vague.  For good reason too - it allows for artistic interpretations by teams based on their region and performance choices.   Here's guiding principle:

"The costumes of the competitors must be modest, dignified and appropriate for athletic competition, not garish or theatrical in design. Costumes may, however, reflect character of the music chosen."

Styles Cat Skate, Butterfly Skate, and Amberlin

The 2016-2017 Synchronized skating season is starting to heat up, and odds you are planning for your team's theme, choreography, and  (our favorite part)  skate dresses!   We took a look at this season's skate fashions to find style inspiration, and pulled together 6 of our favorite trends for skating dresses. 

Styles that could easily be modified to be competition rule compliant: Styles Sage, Solene, Gleason Unitard, and Cleopatra Biketard

This week on the blog we're digging into competition rules and how they can impact your choice of dance costume.  Now that we’ve gone over the “dos and don’ts” for dance team costumes for those competing in the Minnesota State High School League, let’s talk more about how you can make your 2017 costume concepts a reality, in Minnesota or elsewhere!

There are so many stunning costumes that you probably love but aren't able to use do to competition rules. But don't eliminate those favorites completely!  Instead of moving on to a new costume idea, try modifying an existing costume to make it rule compliant.  Read on to check out 3 easy ways you can modify your costume to make it competition ready.

The Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders 

Every year, we're so excited to take the short trip to Atlanta, GA to attend the All Pro 3 P-R-O convention! This get-together is one of the biggest conventions for pro, semi-pro and college cheerleaders and dancers from around the country. The P-R-O convention consisted of well-known NFL and NBA coaches and choreographers who taught new, fresh routines to the teams who attended. We loved seeing what the choreographers brought this year and enjoyed watching the amazing teams pick up the complicated choreography so quickly! Touching base with our customers and coaches always makes visiting memorable. We were so happy to see all of our talented friends again and can't wait to revisit HOTLANTA next year!

Take a look at some of our favorite customers who attened the event! 

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!