Notes

Royal Dance Costumes
The dance costumes were very elaborate in the European celebrations for the court of the 15th and 18th century. The costumes were generally reminiscent of clothes worn by the common people of the time including corsets with lace, puffed and slashed sleeves and even farthingales with skirts. They were a bit heavy and restricted, limiting movements. During this time the development of ballet was beginning and choreographers started to experiment with creating costumes that were more flexible and more appropriate to the style of dancing.


Frederick Ashton’s ballet Nocturne which was staged in Paris in the 1890s was one the most dramatic and successful attempts. The costume was designed by costume designer, Igor Fedorovitch, and although it may appear like the typical ballet costume at first sight, it was adorned with enough details from the past that it felt authentic.


The costumes of dancers were constructed of silk or velvet with tiny beads and sequins embossed on them, creating intricate patterns that sparkled when they moved. They were also heavily embellished with pierced chains of metal and tassels. The principal aspect was the shawl-like clothing that was referred to as a sbai that was worn over the left shoulder. The sbai is the main decorative part of the costume. It is adorned with sequins and beads, with diamond-like patterns. The sbai is worn with a long-sleeved bodice or undershirt that exposes a short sleeves on the left side and is securing with a belt with beads.


Another element was the kirtana, which is a scarf with sequins and tiny beads which can be worn around the neck. Sexy Navy Dance Dress of the kirtana's colour is typically indicative of the character. For example white kirtanas could be worn by an Hindu divinity or Brahmin. The sbai and kirtana were all covered with a headdress of a type that denotes the rank of the character like the rat-clao headdress for female characters of lower ranks or a mokot for divines, princes and kings.


Prior to a show was held, it took an entire day to dress up in these exotic and flamboyant costumes. The costume is made consisting of a number of pieces and sewing one piece took around a month. The dancers were able to stitch their own costumes, as it was believed to bring out the contours of the bodies.



Most often, costumes for dance are created in accordance with aesthetic standards as well as the movements expected by the performer or theme of the performance. They are also used to express a choreographer's artistic vision, inspire the viewers and make the performance memorable.


Apsara dancers (Khmer classical dancers) are often incorrectly referred to as sarong dancers. This is due to the fact that the Khmer sarong, or the kris, is one of the most traditional Khmer garment. Apsara aren't only women dressed in silk chiffon however, they are the mythical creature an amalgamation of human and animal characteristics.

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