Jade Eyrague Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Hello everyone ! J'm Jade, 14, and new around here. I came because my Mom offered me ballet classes for 2018 (I already do modern-jazz) and I have a question... When we see ballerinas in pictures or movies, they're always wearing a pink or white tutu with pink tights and slippers. Do they also wear that in reality ? If yes, why ? I mean, to me, it kinda look old-fashioned, girly and childish... If I had to wear a pink tutu with pink tights in my classes, I would feel a bit silly ! Thank you all for your answers ! <3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Hello Jade and welcome to the Forum. It's a popular misconception that dancers wear tutus in class. The reality is, they don't. They wear leotards and tights, sometimes legwarmers at the start or shorts over their tights. If you watch the Royal Ballet Live as part of the World Ballet Day, the dancers are only wearing tutus later on when they are doing rehearsal. This is often during Pas De Deux rehearsals, so that the male can get used to the tutu and how far away from the female he will need to stand when partnering her, especially in supported turns. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Hi Jade I think you are referring to performance clothes for roles performed on stage. If these same "ballerinas" were in their ordinary ballet practice classes they would be wearing almost anything but pink!! Perhaps you you could go to YouTube and earth for World Ballet Day: Royal Ballet class ....and you will see what dancers wear in class as opposed to. when performing in a role. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Ha ha Lisa ...posting at almost exactly the same time X 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Hello Jade, Ballet students rarely wear tutus for class. Different studios will have different uniforms, but most likely you will be expected to wear a plain coloured leotard (not usually pink except for the younger girls), and pink tights with pink soft soled ballet shoes. However, most teachers will let new starters try class in any kind of exercise wear until they have decided whether ballet is for them or not. Whatever you wear for your jazz class would probably be fine at the beginning. You will soon get the idea of what the other students are wearing, and even if it seems strange at the beginning, you won't feel silly as everyone else will be wearing the same. But I would advise you try a few classes first. Your mom won't thank you if she spends a lot of money on new things and you find you don't like the class! Try it first, plenty of time to buy later. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade Eyrague Posted December 28, 2017 Author Share Posted December 28, 2017 Thanks for your nice answers, all ! So, tutus aren't worn for class and only for performances... I went and looked at the videos of the Royal Ballet Class for World Ballet Day, and yes, they all wear so many different clothings ! At modern-jazz, I usually wear a loose shirt with a black sport leggings, it would be a good outfit for my first ballet classes ? After that, I will see what I am required to wear or what the other girls wear... I just hope it won't be pink, ha ha ! Do you think I will have to wear tutus if I participate in galas ? Pink girly frilly things are not exactly my style ^^ Even if it's not a tutu, I don't know if I would feel comfortable wearing just a leotard and pink tights. It is, you know, quite exposing... not that I don't like my body, but I don't like to wear dresses or skirts. Why are ballerina still asked to wear this in classes ? It looks old-fashioned to me :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piccolo Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 You could wear ballet warm up shorts or a practice skirt over your leotard. There are also long sleeved leotards, high necked ones etc... It would be a shame to look back on this as a missed opportunity opportunity one day all because of the uniform. To be taught good technique, it is necessary for the teacher to be able to see where your body and limbs are though. I learnt this as a ballet mum when my daughter was pre primary level and I was having a strop over having to shorten her skirt (ie having to use a needle and thread!) for an exam. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoner Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 You might enjoy this website by Olivia Cowley, who's a soloist at the Royal Ballet - she takes loads of photos of what she and the other dancers wear in the studio, and there's a huge range! http://www.ballet.style/studio-line/ 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Different teachers have different uniform requirements but I do not know any who allow Tutus in classes unless they are advanced RAD exam students rehearsing for exams. Professional Dancers may wear practise Tutus when rehearsing classical pas de deux. Please do also look at Ballet performances as there are many which have no Tutus at all, an obvious one being Romeo and Juliet. And as a Ballet teacher I am quite famous among my students for detesting pink.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 3 hours ago, Piccolo said: You could wear ballet warm up shorts or a practice skirt over your leotard. There are also long sleeved leotards, high necked ones etc... It would be a shame to look back on this as a missed opportunity opportunity one day all because of the uniform. To be taught good technique, it is necessary for the teacher to be able to see where your body and limbs are though. I learnt this as a ballet mum when my daughter was pre primary level and I was having a strop over having to shorten her skirt (ie having to use a needle and thread!) for an exam. sums it up really, while pro company classes will show that even at company level people dress 'properly' for class , it is important to know why they do. one of the differences between ballet and modern/ jazz is the precise way in which technique is defined in ballet ... turnout begins in the hips and the big muscles of your bum and goes all the way down the leg ... wearing tights / tight leggings allows the teacher to see you are using your muscles and bones properly - which is why if you go back to videos of Company classes , you'll see the men in skin tight fitting leggings/' tights or bare legged once warm as well as the ladies ... yes i've seen someone who is a ex -principal dancer and ex - 'big five' Ballet Master teach a (not strictly ) ' company class ' in baggy ' basketball player' shorts ... but when he's demonstrating something those shorts get rolled right up to 'hot pant' length ... as has been said ballet skirts can hide a multitude of skins / insecurities yet also be sufficently translucent to allow the teacher to see what your hips etc are doing ... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 5 hours ago, Jade Eyrague said: Thanks for your nice answers, all ! Even if it's not a tutu, I don't know if I would feel comfortable wearing just a leotard and pink tights. It is, you know, quite exposing... not that I don't like my body, but I don't like to wear dresses or skirts. Why are ballerina still asked to wear this in classes ? It looks old-fashioned to me :/ hopefully the answers you given about proper corrections and the way in which technique is defned and nuanced in ballet compared to other forms, even among the more neo classical companies be they Joffrey, Northern or New Adventures etc ... As an aside there are a number of degree level Contemporary Dance courses in the UK where students spend as many hours in ballet class as they do in Contemporary class... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piccolo Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 3 hours ago, londoner said: You might enjoy this website by Olivia Cowley, who's a soloist at the Royal Ballet - she takes loads of photos of what she and the other dancers wear in the studio, and there's a huge range! http://www.ballet.style/studio-line/ ...and a demonstration of an easy to make, nutritious chicken curry too. Very tasty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 I think you may be over thinking things a bit to be honest Jade! In all likelihood, as a new starter, it's going to be some time before you will need to consider the prospect of a public appearance in a tutu so you will have plenty of time to decide whether you want to do that or not. In my experience most dance schools out for rather less expensive costumes for their shows anyway as classical tutus are very costly. So don't let something that may or may not happen in the future trying something in the present. As for dancewear seeming exposing, yes, I suppose it is a bit, but its just clothing that allows you to move freely and your teacher to see properly what you are doing. Remember you will be in a room full of others dressed the same. Think of it as a bit like being at the swimming pool. You would feel very exposed wearing a swimsuit to school or the shops where everyone else was fully clothed, but at the pool where it's the right clothing for the activity and everyone else is dressed the same it feels normal doesn't it? In fact you would probably feel out of place if you were fully clothed at the pool - and you certainly wouldn't be able to swim as well! A leotard in a ballet class is much the same really. Just go along to a few classes and see how you feel anyway. If come to love ballet I can almost guarantee you will stop worrying about the uniform. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 The uniform for teenagers' dance classes is highly likely to be either black, navy or another dark colour. My dd has never actually worn a pink uniform at all - in fact I don't think she's ever worn a pink costume on stage either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade Eyrague Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 Thank you so much everyone for your kind and detailed answers ! When posting my questions, I didn't expect to receive so many answers ! As you said Pups_mum, I always tend to overthink things... I clearly don't want to miss the opportunity to learn ballet, but I was a bit anxious about how the first class might work, and what was expected of me. Before coming here, I only saw pictures of ballerinas wearing their wide tutus or pink skirts, and thought it looked a bit silly. When I was younger, I went to the gala of the ballet class of one of my friends, and they were all wearing pink leotards with a little skirt, pink tights and pink slippers, so I thought it was the normal ballet attire. I would really love to learn to dance it, but could not imagine myself wearing the pink leotard and tights, or worse the tutu ! It would be so far from what I'm used to. I understand the comparison with the swimming pool - even if I can add that I never enjoyed swimming a lot. But we can find more clothes that allow to dance, than clothes that allow to swim. I have the feeling that this more like a convention. The shorts are a good idea, Piccolo ! I think it would help me feel more confident. But, following what I understand, the clothes still have to be skintight, for the teacher to see my body... I am not used to that, I prefer long shirts at modern-jazz and even sweatpants sometimes. I guess it would not be a very ballet-like outfit ^^' 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 (edited) Many dance schools also insist on skin tight for jazz also. My daughter's previous & present dance schools specified either leotard & black tights or a catsuit. The boys at ds's dance school wear a unitard or tight fitting t shirt & Lycra shorts. Edited December 29, 2017 by Picturesinthefirelight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Yes, our dds had to wear different leotards and legging for tap and modern plus jazz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 I'm sure you are absolutely right Jade - some of it is just convention. You can dance in anything that let's you move freely, and people shouldn't be put off from trying ballet because of those conventions. What I would say though, is that conventions often develop the way they do for sound reasons. Wearing loose clothing may not prevent you executing the moves, but it does make it harder for your teacher to give you corrections as s/he can't see exactly what you are doing. The traditional pink tights and pink shoes create a sense of continuity between foot and ankle, so visually lengthening the leg. A "ballet bun" is meant to be unobtrusive so that the headline is neat etc etc. And some of it is "just" tradition. Like many art forms, sports and other activities, ballet has its traditions and that aren't all completely logical but are somehow part of the whole. Lots of people enjoy the sense of belonging that following tradition provides. And let's face it, ballet is a visual art. The dancers you've watched on the videos suggested earlier in the thread do still look stunning in their practice clothes of course, but I think audiences would be disappointed to turn up to a performance and see the dancers dressed that way. Costumes, set, lighting etc are all part of the package and sometimes performers do have to wear things they don't like! So if you wish to perform, and/or take ballet exams then I am afraid you will have to comply with these conventions at some point. But if you wish to dance just for exercise and enjoyment then I agree - it doesn't matter hugely what you wear. Adult, recreational dancers often wear t shirts and leggings or similar. Either way, dont worry about baby pink leotards and skirts though - I've never come across a school that uses that uniform beyond about age 6 or 7. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Depending on how strictly you are learning ballet....eg will this be in graded classes ....or as an extra ballet class in a school where you are doing more other styles? You may be able to persuade the teacher to at least let you wear black tights with a black leotard and these shorts over the top which are quite popular at mo. Black can look very smart and somehow make the body look slimmer. I have to say I hate pink tights with a vengeance!! Not necessarily ALL pink wear....just those tights! However as an adult dancer I can get away with wearing more individual clothing than younger dancers attending a particular school of Dance can sometimes do. Depends maybe whether your class is going to be at one of these such schools or at a sort of Dance Centre place. Maybe you would be allowed to wear black leg warmers over pink tights!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade Eyrague Posted December 31, 2017 Author Share Posted December 31, 2017 I'm happy to see that I am not the only one to dislike the pink tights, ha ha ! I thought that every ballet dancer had to love them... I am just doing dance as a hobby, at a Dance Center near my home. Nothing professional, just a passion ! I do it for fun and because I enjoy it, not to receive diplomas, prepare auditions, or anything like that... I have been dancing modern-jazz with a very cool teacher for quite a time now, and now I'm very eager to try different styles ! The modern-jazz class where I am is very relaxed, so our teacher let us wear what we want as long as we can move freely in it. Nothing skintight if we don't want to ! It is so comfy to dance in sweatpants... But I guess ballet might be more strict than modern-jazz in that regard. So, typically, what kind of clothings are worn by the dancers of my age... ? Do you have examples, or pictures... ? Thank you again ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Jade it's tyoically going to depend on the 'rules' of studio and how enforced they are for teens / adults ... There's also a bit of 'collective think' some places you mught find the rules being pushed if there are any or just a habit of people where leggings, sports bra and vest or t-shirt where ither places with the same absence of rules might have classes where people tend to be in leotard / tights/ wrap skirt / cardi and leg warmers ... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Hi Jade, I just wanted to add that ballet may seem more 'disciplined' than what you are used to, but my daughter is also 14 and likes knowing what she is required to wear. We think of it as ballet being about creating beautiful 'lines' or pictures with your body, which can't be seen with lots of layers flapping about. In the teenage classes, uniform is often less strict (depending on the teacher), but usually there are ground rules about whether you can wear skirts or shorts or leggings. At our school, the teens usually wear plain-coloured leotards, pink tights, pink shoes, with perhaps a fitted top with sleeves in cold weather. As has been said, the pink tights and shoes are to elongate the lines created by the legs, and the bun is to keep the hair from interfering with the lines also. Ponytails flying around are ok in Jazz but seem quite distracting in ballet. So part of the 'deal' with ballet for us is that the body is the instrument and you try to keep distractions to the minimum because the dancing is more important than the outfit 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Hi Jade I have found it quite interesting as to how your thread has developed little by little with everyone experience and contributions. Whilst I am at the apposite end of the age spectrum (Older) we seem to share a similar experience of going into the unknown with ballet the ballet world. My first class was a small class of about 8 of us, Attire was very free and informal but must be comfortable and soft shoes when I first started, after the first week one of the ladies gave me a pair of her old ballet slipper (black). After that first week I basically copied what the other ladies were wearing which for me was black fairly thick tights, and a long top that extended about halfway down to the thigh towards the knee, as a skirt would. A few weeks later the ballet bug began to bite and I wanted to take on another class, this time it was around 40 mile away and according to its website it had a strict uniform protocol, that was pink ballet slippers, pink tights, black capped sleeve leotard and black chiffon ballet skirt. For me at this time it was quite daunting, I was very self conscious as I had never worn anything like that before, my dance experience had been Salsa, I had also taught salsa and was really comfortable with that, but to wear a leotard with others in the class, that made me feel really uncomfortable and silly. I guess in shear desperation I went to my local ballet teacher and told her, she was really supportive by suggesting I came to that class in my new ballet uniform and she would arrange for our little group to have a leotard day as she knew one or two of the ladies had leotards. Leotard day came and suprise suprise, me and my teacher were the only ones to arrive in leotards, but for me the most important thing that day was our oldest dancer said, Michelle that leotard makes you look so much slimmer and really nice. Wow for me that clinched it, I was off to add the new class. Although I was still a bit apprehensive at joining this second class, when I actually got there I found I was the only one wearing it. After class I queried why no one else was wearing the schools uniform, I was told they could not make it stick otherwise they would loose many of there student dancers. For me, I felt really proud, I could do it and I did, I always wear that type of formal ballet attire where ever I have taken class since. As for performances, some schools have you participating quite early as the whole school participates from the tines all the way up to adults with something appropriate choreographed by the teacher. In many cases dancers use the schools costumes from the costume cupboard. I've certainly danced jointly with adults and tees. The audience at these occasions are usually friends and family so its not too daunting. I think the first point to remember if you are participating in the schools performance, you are most likely to be dancing as a group, you will most likely be all wearing the same type and colour of costume, it will be expected. Things tend to be somewhat different if you are dancing solo. As you say you are only dancing ballet as a hobby and not to receive diplomas or prepare for auditions, it sounds as if you may have a lot of freedom over your ballet attire, but do go and check out the requirements of the school with you mum. Most certainly you will need to have proper ballet slippers but you may get away with soft shoes for the first week as a trial period. Once you've started proper, check out what your class mates are wearing but keep an open mind against pink as you may well change your preference later. For me I don’t particularly like black ballet slippers or black tights but if a performance costume requires them, then I’m quite comfortable in wearing them, similarly I don’t like long sleeve or capped sleeve leotards, but one of the performance pieces I dance with the Alive Ballet Company requires black capped sleeve leotards. I do remember a couple of our dancers remarking on the costumes we had for dancing the Waltz of Flowers with white leotards with and pink romantic tutu's, that we all looked like marsh mellows, it was a bit of a giggle but no one objected to wearing them. I note your comment about wearing pink or white ballet tutu's with pink ballet slippers look old fashioned, girly and childish. I think the first thing is to look at the characters these costumes represent, many are either princesses swans or fairy's. As for pink I will be dancing the roll of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker Pas de Deux with my boyfriend Adrian next summer at Ballet West, our final performance is always done in costume, the Sugar Plum Fairy tutu is largely pink with some white and orange. For me there is one simple rule, it must be appropriate and orthentic for that roll. As for wearing a tutu in class, normally it would be considered inappropriate other that final stages of rehearsals for positioning and partnering, I occasionally wear a tutu for a repertoire workshop on a classic, where I have one for that roll and its the last day. The only other occasion I can think of is a bit of a fun day where a teacher calls a special occasion (tutu day), then as an option we can wear a tutu for our centre work, but not everyone does. Just to add a little to Cara's wonderful contribution on the deal with ballet, there are a few forbidden no no's, you don't wear watches in class or jewellery other than tiny ear studs, however there are exception too, if it is required for a performance then only for dress rehearsals and the show performance itself, these may include such things as necklaces, otherwise they are considered a hazard. I hope that helps, go and enjoy xx 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 A lot of this may also depend where you're from Jade. Are you UK based? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade Eyrague Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 This is so sweet of you, Michelle, to give such a detailed answer ! Thank you ! Your story is very inspiring and full of details... In fact, talking with all of you here give me a lot to think about, and help me understand what it means to go to a ballet class ^^ I feel the same as you did at the idea of wearing a strict ballet uniform, feeling uncomfortable and silly... and also a bit treated like a little girl. I mean, I know that I am still young at 14, but I choose how I dress myself at that age ! Being told how to dress makes me feel as if I was 8 years old again... I understand that ballet costumes are inspired by fairytales, stories of princesses, and so on... It is totally normal to wear these costumes when it is for a character in a performance. Thanks to all of your answers, I also understood that skintight clothing is important for the teacher to see the lines drew by the body of the dancers (your explanation was very helpful and beautful to read, Cara !). There are also a lot of conventions and traditions beyond all of this. But does it justify all the rest ? For example, I don't understand why some classes ask their students to wear a black leotard, or any other specific color (the worst being the pink outfit that children must wear). And the tights : you can also see the lines of the body when wearing black tights, or nude tights, or any other color, or no tights but shorts instead... I don't know why, but when I see white or pink tights, I immediately think of the outfits that we see little girls wearing, with frilly dresses. I know that's a cliché, but I can't get it out of my mind. I would laugh so hard if I or any other girl of the class had to "look like a marshmallow", ha ha ! Maybe the problem is that I am not really a girly girl. I am not into skirts, or dresses, or princesses. I do not wear jewelry (which is a good thing it seems !). Ballet appears to be a very feminine activity, and I am afraid to feel out of place there... but at the same time, I think that all dancers are symbol of strength, art and freedom ! Dance means a lot to me. So, does my un-girlyness would be a problem at ballet ? Do you think I will be able to fit in the class ? Julie, I am taking classes in Paris. I am from Canada, but living in France : my mother is French and my father Canadian. My mother says that ballet is an important part of French culture, this is also why I want to learn it ! Do ballet uniforms change a lot, from one country to another ? To finish, I want to say : you are all so nice, patient and helpful here ! I'm happy I came to this forum to post my question ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullContretemps Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Hi Jade, I have also been watching this thread with interest and didn't really have anything to add, but I will now I've never been a girly girl (or I suppose these days a ladylike woman!). I HATED dresses when I was younger and only wore them on very odd occasions when I was made to, and in a great grump. I was a tree-climbing, shorts, t-shirts and sweatshirts kind of person and still am. Well, maybe less of the tree-climbing now, but that's more down to opportunity and social convention So no, your un-girlyness doesn't have to be a problem. I find that ballet has given me more confidence in movement and being seen, co-ordination and "grace" if you like, rather than less, but it's not taken away from who I am as a person and my personality. I now have the choice of how I want to be or present myself, but I'm still one for the striped all-in-one warm-ups rather than elegant skirts! As for why schools require uniform, I guess it's similar to why many academic schools do. Like you, I hate uniforms. I think they squash individuality, are entirely unnecessary and often uncomfortable (especially in academic schools!). BUT I can understand that it is easy for children and young people in particular to become engaged in some kind of competition about who has the best kit, most expensive, brightest colour, fanciest design etc, which is not helpful to anyone, so uniform can help on that front (takes any debate out for parents too!). It makes it really clear what is acceptable and what isn't. Also, perhaps as a teacher it may be easier to see what's going on in the class if everyone looks the same: less chaotic so they can just concentrate on what the bodies are doing. I have teachers who prefer a plain style of leotard for class so as not to distract from the body (in particular, I once bought an asymmetrical one, which I only realised was really dim once a teacher pointed it out to me!), but one of them has actually said several times that she prefers people wearing nice coloured leotards. Both schools I attend are fairly strict on uniform up to Advanced level (age 15ish perhaps) then students are treated more as adults and tend to wear what they want as long as it's appropriate. Maybe the years of uniform are what inform the student of what is appropriate. Sorry, I've rather waffled on, but just wanted to say ballet can be for un-girly girls too, and although we may hate them, uniforms can serve a purpose. Most important is the functionality of what you wear, and as you get into classes you might find that you choose to adopt many of the traditions of ballet uniform even if you have a choice, because they are helpful. Do let us know how you get on! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Many modern ballets are very athletic and not at all "girly"......though of course all ballet requires a huge amount of strength at the top levels 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 But in modern ballets the dancers still tend to wear body hugging costumes or vest and pants combos. They would almost never wear loose sweatpants and baggy t-shirts. Jade, in the UK children and teenagers are used to wearing uniforms because the vast, vast majority of academic schools have them and the uniform generally extends to the games, PE and swimming kit. As someone has said above, I think that you are over-thinking the uniform requirements. It would be a shame to miss out on ballet lessons because you don't want to wear a leotard; surely, you have worn one for school gym before. Are you sure that you really want to attend ballet lessons? I ask because you seem to be finding fault with a lot of things. Perhaps you could ask your mother to take you to see some live performances. Paris Opera Ballet does a lot of contemporary work as well as the big grand classics such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere etc. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Just wanted to add, Jade, that I think part of what you may be feeling is a normal slightly rebellious teenage thing about being expected to conform. But presumably if you wanted to go into a job/profession that required a uniform, that would be part of the deal? My DD has a strict school uniform at a Catholic school, with blazer, tartan skirt, tie in winter, sensible lace-up shoes etc. She likes not having to choose what to wear each day, and I regularly say to her that she will have many years to 'express herself' through her clothes! I do agree with other comments that it would be a pity to avoid ballet just because of a leotard. It actually creates a very egalitarian atmosphere when everyone in the class is wearing leotard and tights – yes, I know body image comes into it, just as it does at the pool or the beach, but I hope people still go swimming in spite of how they feel about their body! I do have an idea of how this feels, as when my son was a year old, I enquired about adult ballet in my area (suburban London), as I had danced up to Intermediate/Elementary level while at university. The closest dance school didn't have adult classes, but said I could join their most senior ballet class – which turned out to be 11-year-olds doing Grade V, all skinny and pre-pubescent, in black leotards and pink tights. I felt that I should fit in with them, so squeezed my post-baby body into a black leotard and got on with it. I wanted to dance more than I wanted to look good 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I have to confess I'm wondering the same as Aileen.....do you really want to do this Jade? You do seem to be finding a lot of things to object to or that worry you. There are as you know lots of different styles of dance, so if you don't really want to do ballet maybe you could look into something else such as contemporary. The dress code is likely to be more flexible in some other genres than in ballet. Though again, you will find a big variation from school to school. Back to the ballet though - do you have a particular school in mind? If not, then look at a few as you may find somewhere that has a dress code you find more acceptable. But to be frank, I think you need to be honest with your mum and yourself about whether this is really something you want to do or not. If you don't, then look for other options, if you do, then stop worrying and go for it. I suspect that if you take to it, once you get into class you will have too much to think about to be stressing about what colour tights you, or anyone else, are wearing. And if you don't like it once you've done a few classes then at least you know that you tried and it's not for you. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 22 minutes ago, Pups_mum said: I have to confess I'm wondering the same as Aileen.....do you really want to do this Jade? You do seem to be finding a lot of things to object to or that worry you. There are as you know lots of different styles of dance, so if you don't really want to do ballet maybe you could look into something else such as contemporary. The dress code is likely to be more flexible in some other genres than in ballet. Though again, you will find a big variation from school to school. Back to the ballet though - do you have a particular school in mind? If not, then look at a few as you may find somewhere that has a dress code you find more acceptable. But to be frank, I think you need to be honest with your mum and yourself about whether this is really something you want to do or not. If you don't, then look for other options, if you do, then stop worrying and go for it. I suspect that if you take to it, once you get into class you will have too much to think about to be stressing about what colour tights you, or anyone else, are wearing. And if you don't like it once you've done a few classes then at least you know that you tried and it's not for you. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! or perhaps it's a body confidence thing? also the trans-cultural aspects of being a Canadian in Paris , as even if Jade 'passes as French' - i.e. can speak standard french french rather than only speaking Quebecois French etc etc ... you only need to look at differing attitudes across the Atlantic to beach attire ... american boys / men in bagy surfer shorts vs h the european stereotypes or men in trunks or budgie smugglers and the attitude of the mainland europeans towards females sunbathign topless etc ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legseleven Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 The other thing about pink tights is that the teacher can see your musculature clearly and identify any issues; black tights don’t allow this very easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade Eyrague Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 Hello everyone ! I must admit, I am not used to wear uniforms at all... I have never worn one for school, or for anything else. For gym classes at school, we wear normal indoor sport clothes, like sport or fitness pants and tops... I have never seen a girl wearing a leotard at school ! We're very free to wear what we want. But anyway, I thought a lot about it, and agree with you all to say that it is not because I am bothered by an outfit that I should not at least try a class and see if I like it ! And after all this is a gift my mother gave me for Christmas, I don't want to refuse it and miss the opportunity :-) My first class will be at the end of this week, and even if I'm a bit anxious about how it will go, I am also impatient to be there ! Do you have any last minute advice about how to get into the right mindset before the class... ? Thank you all ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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