Ballet Dancewear

Ballet dancewear has changed throughout the ages. In the beginning, ballet costumes were often very long and heavy. In fact they were so heavy that women could not even dance in them. As ballet grew and became more complex the dancewear became shorter and more revealing. This way the audience could see the amazing movements! It is interesting, for example in the mid 1800s people thought a skirt that was above the ankle and tops that were sleeveless were too revealing. How things have changed. Today skirts are much shorter. Please go the pages on ballet history to learn more about ballet clothing!

In class, the traditional ballet dancewear for girls is ballet shoes, tights and a leotard. In some schools it is alright to also wear a skirt or tutu. Some schools require the leotards and tights to be specific colors so that everyone looks the same. Dancewear for boys is usually ballet shoes, black tights and a leotard or T-shirt.

If you are not enrolling in a strict ballet school you should be able to wear any color leotard, skirt and tights that you would like. Most teachers prefer that students wear clothing that will not inhibit their movements and also will allow the teacher to see if they are executing the steps correctly.

Of course there is so much more that you can wear in class. For example, there are great clothing pieces to wear when you are warming up. Knit wear is very comfortable. Knit wear can include leg warmers, sweaters, pants, shorts, skirts, overalls and even arm warmers. Of course there are sweatshirts and sweatpants for warming up as well. For the less traditional ballet dancer, you can wear dance tanks tops, camisole tops, pants and/or shorts.

When choosing dancewear first find out if the school or teacher that you will be studying with requires anything special for you to wear. If they do they may even tell you what brand to buy and where to go to get everything you need. Dance studios may even provide dancewear for sale at the studio. This is nice so you have a one stop shop for all your needs. If the teacher doesn't require anything special then go with what you like. It is fun to be expressive with what you choose. Make sure that what you choose is also comfortable. If you like how you look and feel I believe you will dance better!

My little students love to dress up in their ballet clothes. It is so much fun for them to pretend to be ballerinas. Dancewear for preschoolers is very easy to find today. Many regular department stores carry dancewear such as target. You can buy separate leotards and skirts and also leotards where the skirt is attached so that you are only buying one outfit. Pink and black are the most popular however there is every color under the rainbow. Most leotards also have little bows or sparkles on them to add to the fun. Again let your child choose what they would like to wear. It will add to their experience!

Learn more about the different pieces of ballet clothing:

• Leotards
• Tights
• Tutus

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