The Evolution of Convention Dancewear

My girls have been attending dance conventions since they were five years old. As a new dance mom, I distinctly remember being nervous about how to dress them for their first convention weekend. So I gathered some intel from other moms that had girls in the older rooms to prepare. 

In the years since, dance fashion trends have come and gone. And as my girls age up, their desire to dress according to age-appropriate expectations tends to drive the decisions behind our purchases. 

Juniors

Dancers in the Junior room tend to BRING IT! Well, it’s really their moms who “bring it” if we’re giving credit where it’s due. Those kids are dressed in brightly colored leos with whimsical designs, or eye-popping two-piece sets with attractive elements. Trendy patterns, prints, and cuts can be seen throughout the entire field of dancers. Sometimes, I have trouble distinguishing their ensembles from bathing suits (like my cat friend here). 

And their hair doesn’t disappoint, either. Their moms were busy that morning, tightly wrapping hair into snug buns, slicking back flyaways with gobs of product, or using the straightener to create a smooth style. Color-coordinated scrunchies, clips, and bows adorn the girls’ perfectly-done heads. 

Over the years, I’ve seen some Jon Benet Ramsey-level makeup in the junior room. Colorful eyeshadow applied with a heavy hand, thick eyeliner, and stare-at-it-and-you’ll-get-a-headache lipstick decorate many of the spunky little gals’ faces. Large, blindingly sparkly earrings complete the look.

Not only is the “look” airtight, but the junior moms bring their packing A-game as well. Every type of dance shoe ever conceived of is in their daughter’s bag, as well as genre-specific accessories (a fringe skirt for ballroom, a cropped sweatshirt for hip hop). Whatever curveball class is on the juniors’ schedule, those junior moms were ready for it!

Teens

When your dancer moves up to the Teen room, prepare to leave those “this-outfit-is-so-cute-and-look-at-this-matching-bow” days behind you. If I had to summarize the way teen dancers dress nowadays into one word, it would be “athleisure.” Look around; if you’re not seeing a majority of Lululemon legging sets, you’re probably in the wrong room. One dance mom once characterized the Teen room “vibe” like this: “They’re trying, but they don’t want to LOOK like they’re trying.” 

While some Teens are still whipping out fringe skirts for ballroom and crop tops for hip-hop, there are fewer of them making the effort to adjust their look according to the genre. Don’t be surprised if you see many of them keeping the same shoe on for the entire day, too.

Seniors

To be fair, I haven’t really seen too many senior dancers dress the way that our representative looks in the meme. If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m just having a little fun.

With that being said, I HAVE seen some senior dancers dress much like the third picture in the meme. Sloppy t-shirts, baggy sweatpants, messy hair, and a general appearance of wanting to be anywhere but at a dance convention comprised their overall look. Quite frankly, they reminded me of…me. Hey, as long as they bring their dance game, right? 

Coming and Going

As with all fashion, convention dancewear trends will run their natural courses. I must admit that I do miss shopping for cute outfits with matching accessories for my girls, who shut down any effort on my part to suggest that they reconsider. I can’t always say that I agree with their choices, but I know that they’ll feel more confident if they’re comfortable about their appearance.

And then I look at some of the “fashion” that I wore when I was their age, and I shut right up.

Wanna be prepared? Check out What to Pack for a Dance Convention!