Jewellery in the dance studio

[taxi4ballet]

Hi all,

 

This has recently come up on another thread, and I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are

[Anna C]

On adults? Or teenagers....or younger students?

 

For RAD exams dd's school allows no jewellery whatsoever. Younger students aren't allowed to wear any to class except stud earrings in pierced ears.

 

Senior students (those studying Adv Foundation and above, regardless of age) do occasionally wear the odd necklace like a small gold chain, and earrings, but they also wear whatever they like to Adv classes, e.g. skirts, black tights instead of pink etc. They are treated like young adults which is nice.

 

At Associates, they are marked on grooming and dd doesn't wear any jewellery, not even wear small stud earrings.

[Aurora]

Small studs only at dd's school, the adults are allowed to wear a wedding ring but other than that they follow the policy, it's not specifically an adult class though. They are allowed to wear a short wrap skirt though whereas the children can only wear them for the unset classes.

 

I do think ballet looks 'wrong' with jewellery somehow but I guess it's up to the school or teacher to set the policies. If its there it should be followed in my opinion.

[miss.pointe]

I never wore jewellery to class as a youngster - although quite a few in my class did - and even now if I attend an open class or even Zumba, I take off my jewellery out of habit. I also don't like feeling my necklace or bracelet jangle anyway, I take it all off when I jog, I worry about losing things, too.

 

I ask my adult dancers not to wear "loose" jewellery as coming from work they often don't remember to remove or may lose it when removing it (I keep my jewellery in my purse, though).

 

Anyone else watch Breaking Pointe? I'm always shocked at the long, jangly earrings that Beckanne often wears! Just for safety's sake!

[Fiz]

I wear my cross and chain, gold stud earrings and my wedding, engagement and eternity rings. I must say, I do not like the way my rings click against the barre during barre work.

[Thecatsmother]

I always wore stud earrings at ballet school and during professional career. I think for children as in lots of activities, jewellery is a health and safety issue. If you are talking adult ballet them I think a degree of common sense can be applied. Professionals do wear jewellery to a degree but are always aware when this constitutes a risk in different contexts. You see earrings on stage after all. I think for young people it is best to avoid jewellery as teacher could be held responsible if a young person gets injured. For adults my sense is that this is part of grooming but I would certainly not ask an adult to remove stud earrings-only something which was a potential risk or got in the way of line/movement.

[mimi66]

I take off all my jewellery - including my wedding and engagement rings. I just do not like metals on me when I move about...including when playing the piano.  Oh, but I do keep my jewellery on when I dance socially (eg not ballet).

 

I have seen a ring flew off someone's finger during a ballet class.  As it was her wedding ring, we all had to duck and look for it!

Edited October 23, 2013 by mimi66

[LinMM]

As I said there no jewellery for me in class.....especially not dangly ear rings or necklaces and anything around the wrist unless it is extremely delicate spoils the line of the arm for me.

The only time I have worn jewellery was not long after returning to ballet I had to have my ears re-pierced as the original holes had closed up (during a couple of stressful years when I hardly wore my ear rings) so wore gold studs for a while and that's it.

 

Personally studs or earrings close to the ear are okay in ballet I think.......I can see why not a good idea in gymnastics and maybe in contemporary as working nearer the floor at times.

 

I wear ear rings alot otherwise it's my main jewellery item partly because I have quite short hair now so you can at least see them!!!

[taxi4ballet]

On adults? Or teenagers....or younger students?

 

No particular reason for bringing the subject up, it was mentioned in another thread and I thought it was interesting, that's all

[hfbrew]

As a teacher I wear a watch and a discreet necklace. I cant remove my wedding ring anymore!

 

I am strict with all students about jewellery such as bangles and dangly earrings. Not only is it common sense but I have to be mindful of health and safety. If someone accidently whips their arms out of control and hits another for example this would be so much worse if hard jewellery or watches are being worn.

[Huddsballetmum]

My dd is allowed to wear a small pair of gold studs only for class, but no jewellery at all for exams or festivals.  I do think that jewellry in any type of exercise class is a health & safety hazard, and would always take mine off before undertaking an exercise class, so have instilled the same practice into my dd before dance.

[mimi66]

Sometimes I hear the argument that one should be able to wear watch etc because the ballet teacher wears one, and I sigh.

 

May be I am an old school but I tend to think that what is required for the teacher is not the same thing as what is required for the students.  Teachers need to wear watch to keep an eye on time, students don't, for instance.

[Aurora]

Totally agree mimi! Teachers in schools don't wear school uniform, doctors in hospital don't wear hospital gowns. They all have their own appropriate clothing! A watch on a student IMO is dangerous unless a plastic breo watch perhaps (which is what dd's teacher wears actually). It also breaks the line of the arm. I guess it depends on the size of the room and number of students as to how likely they are to collide though! Also the maturity comes into play but overall I think it's not appropriate.

[Dance*is*life]

Yes when I teach I wear a watch - even though there is  a clock in the studio - however when I take class myself I remove my watch automatically - donkey's years of ballet discipline mean that even now I can't take class in anything but leotard, tights, overtights and ballet shoes with hair pulled up neatly.  I do keep on my engagement and wedding ring (as someone said they're pretty much stuck on nowadays).   Our students are not allowed dangly earrings or other types of jewellery.  We went through a difficult patch when bits of cotton tied round their wrists for luck were "in".  They were so aghast at the idea of taking them off that we left them to it (non dangerous after all), but we made them cut them off for exams and school performance.  Some wise sparks then tied them round their ankles, so that they could hide them under tights and shoe ribbons!  Sigh.............

[Thecatsmother]

Dance is life. Now that does show creative thinking on the part of your students????

[lisadebs]

Interestingly, in year 10 at WL it is almost expected that the girls will have their ears pierced. During rep classes they are allowed a small amount of make-up, wear their hair in French rolls and are allowed pretty but non-dangly earrings. By year 11 it seems to be a requirement. DD had hers done over the summer holidays as she was the only girl in the class at that point without pierced ears!    

[Picturesinthefirelight]

At Hammond they are allowed plain gold or silver studs & I bought a pair for dd especially.

 

Unfortunately she lost them at summer school & I refused to replace them so she goes without!