Artistic Roller Skating: How to Style the Perfect Competition Outfit
Originating as a performing art in the 18th century, rollerskating has really come a long way. From a special skill that only a certain amount of people could conquer to an everyday activity for young and old alike, rollerskating has been around for quite a long time now and has greatly evolved throughout the years.
If the first rollerskates were simple straps and wheels, nowadays we have quite the array of skates available, with special designs for special rollerskating disciplines. The same goes for how rollerskates are used. From a free-flow, casual skating experience to artistic rollerskating, the possibilities these wheeled shoes offer are virtually endless.
However, if you want to be proficient in any of them, but especially artistic rollerskating, starting young is of utmost importance. Very similar to figure skating, artistic rollerskating is all about discipline, form, and skill, all things that take quite a bit of time to master. Very popular among young girls, artistic rollerskating is anything but boring. A sort of mash between ice skating and ballet, it’s an adrenaline rush with an artistic touch, a graceful yet powerful activity, a sport and a masterpiece all at the same time.
If you’re a parent of a little girl who’s picked up artistic rollerskating and are wondering what you’re going to need to get her when the time for her first performance comes – keep reading!
Find the Right Skates
Obviously, the very first thing you’re going to need is girls skates. When looking to buy little girl roller skates there are a couple of things you’ll need to pay attention to, to make sure you’re making the right decision.
The first thing is the style of the skates. As I said before, there are special rollerskates for special disciplines, so you should figure out which skates are best for artistic rollerskating. If you’re buying online, I’d recommend doing thorough research before purchasing or talking to a salesperson if you’re getting a pair in-store. Your child’s teacher may also give you valuable insight when it comes to the right pair.
Of course, since your kid is already into artistic rollerskating they might already own a pair, but when competitions are in order it may be smart to get another one that will be used for those purposes only. Wear and tear are real when it comes to skates, so having a fresh yet worn before pair for competitions can really help with the overall look and performance. It’s smart for the competition pair to be a bit pricier than the one used for practice as those pairs are usually of better quality and are made for that occasion.
Once you find a good pair you’ll need to mind the size. Rollerskates often come with an adjustable setting, which means they can elongate up to a certain point. This is especially great for little girl roller skates as children grow quite quickly, so having a pair that can accommodate that growth and save you a lot of money in the process is excellent.
Finally, choose the colour you want. There is a variety of different girls roller skates out there, both plain and patterned. If you want to play it safe go for a solid colour, but if you’d like to twist things up and make the skates your girl’s signature piece choose a cute pattern she’ll love and build the outfits around that.
Plan the Outfit
A classic leotard will allow your girl to move freely while also looking stylish and elegant. There is a variety of leotards available in gymnastics or ballet stores, so you can visit one of those and take your pick. Ballet usually requires more delicate leotards to be worn, but artistic rollerskating is a bit bolder than that, so your choices are not limited at all.
Bear in mind the design of the skates you picked to create an outfit that flows from top to bottom and makes your girl stand out. If you picked plain skates, then the leotard can be patterned.
One thing to remember when picking a performance leotard is that you need to know your girls routine and go with a leo that will accentuate it. If your girl does a lot of hand movements and you’d like to bring attention to them, interesting long sleeves may do the trick. If you want the judges to see her skill, go with a simple, yet elegant leotard. There are a few types of leotards out there, each one great for different things, so bear the routine in mind and choose accordingly. Don’t go overboard with details in any case as it might be distracting.
Accessories
Finally, to round things up, you’ll need to do a bit of accessorizing. I highly recommend hairpins, bows, and headscarves as accessories for they won’t get in the way of the performance. Avoiding things like bracelets, hanging earrings, or heavy rings is also recommended for the same reasons. Your girl’s hair is her most powerful accessory when skating, so concentrate on making that stand out and use it to really tie her look together. You can use her hair as another signature piece, too, so think of ways you can make her hairdo memorable.
Picking a certain theme for her hairpins is one idea. Having her wear a distinctive headscarf is another. Whatever you do decide, always make sure that she’s comfortable with it and won’t mess up her skating because of it. After all, the whole point of the performance is the skating itself, everything else falls far behind.
