Glee is todays most popular comedy-drama TV series. One of its focal points is the tense competitions that show choirs go through, thus starring a vocally-talented cast as the New Directions show choir of a fictional William McKinley High School. In the series, New Directions usually fashion choir costumes whenever they compete with show choirs from other schools.
Clothing for choirs is not new in the clothing industry. Large-scale manufacturing of this performance clothing began when demands for it have gone up with the popularization of show choirs and other choir groups.
Show choirs have a more specific origin compared to choir uniform. It dates back to the 1960s when two touring groups of performers traveled across the United States to showcase their dancing and singing talents. School organizations saw their performances as opportunities to develop the talent of students, thus instigated them in high schools across the country.
Unlike standard choirs that sing while standing still in front of an audience, show choirs prance about the stage and combine dance movements with their choral singing. Show choir performances are also typically within the context of a story or an idea upon which audiences can relate to. Pretty much like Broadway. To better portray the messages that they want to relay with their numbers, show choirs often wear appropriate choir outfits that suit their presentations.
Depending on their line-up of songs, show choirs can either select semi formal or formal clothes for their acts. Show choir participants should base their choice of choir clothes on the theme of their performance, in such that their attires would match what theyre trying to deliver. Dramatic performances that generally involve mellow songs, for example, call for formal dresses in women and formal wear tuxedos for men. Semi formal clothing, meanwhile, will do with contemporary genre acts involving music like pop and hip hop. The basic rule of thumb for show choirs is to choose clothing that would work hand-in-hand with their numbers.
The audience that is expected to watch, as well as the event itself should also be considered with regards to the formality of a show choirs clothes. In inter-school competitions, judges are expected to rate a show choirs attire and its appropriateness to their performances. Although costume takes up a small percentage in points, it could still pull up ones standing in a competition. A show choirs performance attire is as equally important as their choreography which is why it is a factor that should never be neglected during judged events. In cases when presentations do not involve judges, however, a show choir can freely wear formal or semi formal clothes for as long as it suits their number.
Lastly, because show choirs are close relatives of Broadway presentations in that they combine both movement and singing, performers should choose choir costumes with which they can freely move about. Flexibility is a big factor to consider when it comes to performance wear. Acts which require men and ladies alike to spread their legs and toss around each other across spacious floors should wear performance clothes that are just as flexible as their routine.