Dog Treat - Humanities

 Deciding What to Wear for Ballet Practice

The right attire for ballet is necessary to mastering the poise and graceful forms required in this demanding form of art. The way you dress for class is determined by the setting in which you dance and by the wishes of your dance instructor. You’ll find that most of the students actually like following a dress code. It gives them a sense of unity with their fellow dance students, almost like a team. It also gives them a feel of professionalism.

A young ballet dancer wearing a dance leotard for the first time can feel even more self-confident that they can do it. Here is a list of some of the more common dress codes dance studios will enforce.

Men

Here’s the best piece of advice you’ll ever get: buy a dance belt. Many of the top ballet studios require their male dancers to wear tights with the shirts tucked in. This is why a dance belt is a necessity. It also acts in the same regards as a jockstrap.

Buy a pair of black tights. If your school requires you to wear socks, buy some footless tights.

Try to find a good pair of black leather ballet slippers for your feet. You’ll want them to fit snugly but not be too tight. They will cause blisters if they are the incorrect size.

Ask the instructor of the dance studio what types of shirts they will require you to wear. Some teachers will only allow dog treat business shirts in their studios. Other instructors are more lax on their rules and allow long or short-sleeved t-shirts. A lot of male dancers also prefer to wear formfitting tanks to class.

Get control of your hair before you enter the studio. If an instructor finds your hair to be distracting, they may refuse to train you until you do something about it. If you have long hair, pull it back to the nape of the neck and put it in a ponytail.

Women

Ask your instructor if you are required to wear sleeved or sleeveless leotards. Buy a leotard that is constructed using side darts, front and back. It will fit you better.

Choose a pair of pink tights for practices and another for the performance. The tights just like your leotard should fit properly and not too tight or too baggy.

Go shopping for a pair of pink leather ballet slippers. You’ll find a lot of dancers begin with leather shoes before advancing to satin toe shoes as they move further along in their training.

You may want to think about buying a nice hooded sweatshirt or cover-up for outside the studio. Ballet specialty shops sell coordinating wrap-around skirts and ballet sweaters at to help keep you warm before and after your class.

Just like with the men, control your hair. Put it up in a tight and secure bun at the back of your head. If you have longer hair, arrange it higher on your head, while shorter hair can be pulled back to the nape.