By Parma Rishel 2/13/2021

Imagine the embarrassment of having your headpiece fly off while you are dancing. It’s distracting and even dangerous for the other performers. The audience’s focus moves to the headpiece lying on the stage.

All performers must learn how to secure their costume headpiece. Continue reading to learn how to confidently secure your headpieces.

Styles of Dance Costume Headpieces

Performance headpieces are wildly different. Some are simple scrunchies, appliques, or just a strip of fabric. Others are made on a headband, barrettes, or combs.

Dancers may also have hats or masks to wear as part of their costumes. The weight and height of these head adornments can vary.

Methods for Securing Costume Hair Pieces

Never rely on barrettes or elastics the come on the hairpiece. As soon as you do, the “headpiece fairy” will come and rip it off your head.

Small Fabric

If your headpiece is a strip of fabric, applique, scrunchie, or bow, use plenty of bobby pins and hair spray. After putting it in place, use bobby pins whose color doesn’t distract from the costume piece.

You may wish to use strong-hold hairspray on the hair first to crease a stiffer texture. This helps ensure that the hairpiece will stay in place.

Hats

You must know if the hat stays on the head throughout the dance. If the choreography calls for the hat to taken off and put on, then you don’t need to attach it.

There are several approaches to securing hats. For soft-sided hats, cut a small hole in the sides and back. Then use bobby pins to attach it to the hair. Another option is to put an elastic strap on it that’s worn under the chin.

Staining white elastic with tea or makeup helps to hide if from the audience.

Headbands

Headband style headpieces can present a challenge. There are several approaches to try. One is to glue a ribbon inside the headband. Leave spaces where the ribbon isn’t glued. This will allow you to use bobby pins to hold it in place.

Steps for Securing Headband Style Headpieces

Another method is to integrate the headpiece placement into the hair bun process. Here are the simple steps to follow.

1. Glue or sew a piece of elastic to the ends of the headband so that it fits the head. If the headband “pokes” into the dancer’s head, you can glue some felt or foam to make it softer.

2. Hot glue a small loop of 1/4″ elastic at the top of of the headband. Put bobby pins through this loop going in opposite directions to secure the top of the headband.

3. Divide the back half of the hair and place the upper part in a ponytail.

4. Place the headband on the hair with the elastic across the back of the head. Pin the elastic band with bobby pins. Spray extra-hold hairspray over bobby pins.

5. Pull the lower half of the hair up and join it into the ponytail. This covers the elastic and helps secure the headband.

6. Finish making the ballet bun.

Are You a Dancer?

One of the best times in a dancer’s life is the performance. You have a chance to share your passion with an audience. Don’t let a costume headpiece falling off ruin your moment.

Dance for Joy Dancewear is your source for dancewear needs on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We stock tights, nudies, soft ballet shoes, jazz shoes, and lyrical/contemporary shoes. You can also order other dancewear to meet your individual fashion and dance needs.

Shoe fittings are provided by a professional dance teacher with 15 years of teaching and over 30 years of dance experience. Check back frequently for more articles about dance. Contact us today for any questions or to place an order.