Great Works Paper Part 1 (World of Dance)

Critical Analysis

Whether it’s swishy skirts, bold colors, or sweater vests; clothes make a lasting impression. World of Dance takes this sentiment to heart by combining fantastic costumes with brilliant routines which are sure to make a lasting impression.

Guys in tuxedos. Girls in shimmery elegant dresses. Immediately, the brain keys on to these visual cues and lets us know that what is coming is supposed to be classy and elegant. The Ballroom Dance Company’s piece “A Daisy in September” and “Wheelenese Waltz” by Contemporary Dance Theatre. The ballroom waltz is very elegant and the grace of the performance is enhanced by the sumptous costumes. The long dresses the ladies wear complement the dance by twirling around the performers. Likewise, the tuxedos make the men in the ballroom piece look classy in a way that simple denim jeans would not.

In contrast, the “Wheelenese Waltz” plays on the audiences expectation for class and elegance. They give it to us--but with humor! The performers all wear tuxedos, their movements are smooth and beautifully choreographed-why then is this performance so amusing? Because their “dance partners” are female dolls attached to the heads of scooters! The choreographers combination of the classic cliché of performance dancing with these zany elements creates a stunning presentation that both entertains and astonishes.

Costumes are a powerful element when creating the mood of a dance, however; they can also aid in telling “the story” of a choreography. The Contemporary Dance Theater performers in “Excerpts From Barefootin’” all wore casual clothing that would have been worn by adolescents during the 1950’s. This clothing, coupled with music and dancing, allows us to picture a group of high school students gossiping and eventually dancing. If the performers had worn business attire from the 1950’s, the setting of the dance’s “storyline” shifts to a business and perhaps more adult environment.

Whether it be the story or the mood, effective costuming is crucial to a successful performance. World of Dance presents a myriad of diverse dance routines; and the costuming of each is as different from the next as the dance steps themselves. Despite their differences, the performances in World of Dance have at least one thing in common: they’re dressed for success!