I would think that if the dance is what is being judged, which I would assume would or should be based on skill, grace, timing, getting the steps right, etc. an elaborate costume and hairstyle would just be distractions....after all this isn't supposed to be a beauty pageant. If the competitors wore some kind of uniform or regulation costume so that they were all dressed similarly, then it would be the skill of the dancer and not the costume and makeup that was being evaluated. With all the emphasis on the costume, makeup, hair etc. it almost seems like it's the image that is being judged and promoted. Well I suppose a whole industry has grown up around it, and it's taken on a life of its own. All in all I think Irish dance is a good thing - a lot of kids really enjoy it at the level they are comfortable with, and a select few decide to join the elite ranks where the pressure is really on.