Minnesota High School dance teams may include boys, this next year! ‘Some’ are wringing their hands and not happy, but most of us are wondering ‘what took so long?’ Girls have been able to be on boy’s football and wrestling teams… and the world hasn’t collapsed, so dance on, Minnesota boys!

At Satin Stitches, we are very excited about the sport of High School Dance Team this coming fall and winter. We have been creating custom costuming and uniforms for these school affiliated teams since the early 1980’s – yes for longer than many current coaches have been alive!

The last time I discussed this subject, it was over two years ago. Now, we have even more shopping options online. What should we be watching out for, besides possible Identity Theft and the compromising of our banking and credit card information?

First of all, the old adage: ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably IS too good to be true” should influence your online purchasing! We should all know by now, that just because something looks good in a photo in a web store, it may not be a true representation of what the garment really is. There is PhotoShop and there are ways to pin a garment in the back to make it look good on the front. It remains ‘buyer beware’ in all online purchases unless the very same item is available for viewing and to try on and to feel, at a real brick and mortar shop.

With group costuming, you want everyone to look the same. What is ‘the same’? It is when even though you have a variety of sizes, you want everyone’s costumes to look proportionally the same. Specific design details, such as an applique, or even the lengths of a skirt can be problematic, if you get them wrong. When no attention is paid to proportions, someone (usually the tiniest or largest person) might stick out like a sore thumb. Similar hairstyles, similar makeup and jewelry will help with the illusion. If all performers have successfully been dressed in correctly proportioned costumes, you will not zero in on any one person, but you will see the group as a whole, no matter the diversity of their sizes.

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder…including with your Try-Out or Audition outfit (for you, and your judges). With audition judges, you will receive different opinions as to how well you present yourself.

The NUMBER ONE RULE would be to be unique, and not wear something others are wearing, so consider custom-designed or customized solo cheerleading/dance costumes from Satin Stitches! Visit our Web Store to check out our many options! Once we receive your order, we generally cut, sew, embellish and ship your custom-created outfit within a week or two.

I attended and really enjoyed a fashion show last week, put on by some very talented designers, featured by The Fashion Group International, Inc. of Minneapolis & St. Paul. This fabulous 'Minnesota Designer's Showcase' was sponsored by the Bloomington Sofitel Hotel and MANY volunteer professionals that made it all possible.

Besides interacting with Satin Stitches’ clients as our Customer Service representative, Melissa Jereczek (Feidt) is in her fifth year as a certified member of JAM, a chartered association of the Minnesota State High School League. Before joining JAM, Melissa trained for 13 years at one of Minnesota’s top dance studios, spent four years as a member of the Totino-Grace E’gals Dance Team and was a cheerleader for the Minnesota Vikings for three seasons. 

Melissa is sharing ideas on high school dance team uniform design, from a judges’ perspective. She says…