Does your studio have a dress code? What do you wear to class?

[bailando]

My studio's dress code is as follows...

 

{For Ballet}

Children's Ballet/Pre-Primary (Grades Pre-Primary-IV): Pink tights, pink or black leotard, matching skirt optional.

 

Grade V, VI, VII Ballet: black leotard, black or pink tights depending on the teacher. Skirts/legwarmers also depend on the teacher.

 

RAD Inter Foundation, Inter, Advanced: black leotard, pink seamed convertible tights. No skirts, legwarmers, etc.

 

Teen/Adult Beginner classes: any form fitting attire

 

 

What I wear:

Black leotard, pink (sometimes seamed, sometimes not) or black tights, canvas split sole grishko flats, capezio contempora pointes, sometimes tight ballet shorts. I don't wear skirts, legwarmers, sweaters, shirts, etc.

[Tiffany]

We do have a dress code: pink tights and solid color leotard and pink ballet slippers/pointe shoes. I wear that. I prefer convertible foot tights. I don't like skirts. I sometimes wear tight dance shorts too. I sometimes wear warm up pants. Oh also hair in a bun/secured off from face and neck. Its a pretty basic dress code.

[WendyMichelle]

My school is black leos for the highest level, burgundy leos for the next highest level (we have both in our classes), pink tights, pink shoes, warmups for barre, by center you have to be completely stripped down. Since I'm an adult they don't really care what I wear, but I do adhere to the dress code. I wear both the black and burgundy leos to have some variety. I am also allowed to wear a short wrap skirt. =)

[jimpickles]

I've realised the dress code - the more experienced you are, the more tatty your clothes. Its the newbies like me who have outfits out of the shops. The experienced ex-professional in our class has leg warmers that are 15 years old, which are more string, holes and bits hanging off than material, held on by safety pins, and pointe shoes which are completely covered in strapping tape. However I dont want to use my ballet cothes for sliding down slopes covered in concrete, etc, as it will make me look a bit of a try hard. So I'll unfortunately just stay with my present look.

 

Jim.

[Guest pink tights]

"Pointe shoes which are completely covered in strapping tape"...surely, one would think a hazard....

[ruby]

We have a black and pink dress code, though occasional coloured leos are overlooked. I waver between pink footed and black footless tights, with an assortment of leos which are all theoretically black, though some are less demonstrably so than others.

 

As for for old and tatty stuff, even those of us who aren't any good have some of that - lately I've rediscovered a pair of black footless tights I wore, age 10, to preserve my modesty under a kimono in a school production of the Mikado (circa 1987!). The waistband has gone floppy, but that's fine by me under a leo, and surely nobody's really all that bothered by the long mend up the inside of one leg . I seem to remember my mum complaining about the cost. Perhaps she'll be convinced now that I've had my 'wear' out of them...

[Guest pink tights]

Vintage isn't always a good idea for class.....

[citibob]

Jim, the pionte shoes covered in tape are probably de-shanked, and not being used to dance en pointe any more.

 

You also can't generalize too much about professional dancers. I, for one, can't stand ripped or tattered clothing on myself in the studio.

[missvjc420]

I have a pair of my mom's full length striped legwarmers from the Jazzercise phase in the early 80's.

[Kate B]

I wear a black leo and black footless tights, and Gamba split sole slippers. On top of that I usually wear a tight-ish t-shirt and yoga pants. The yoga pants are hopefully temporary, as I'm a bit self-conscious at the moment because I put on 10 pounds after my wedding (last June) and it's fairly hard to shift...

 

Nowhere I go has a dress code. You get people wearing all sorts of things to class!

[Striving for Grace]

Our dress code (for women) is simply tights, leo, slippers/pointes. We are allowed to wear a skirt or shorts, but all else must come off before class unless we have an injury that we need to keep warm.

 

I wear every style and color of ballet leo (except pale colors, which I hate), and I alternate pink tights (under leo) with black footless ones (over leo). When I wear pink tights I usually have a skirt or shorts over. What I wear says a lot about my mood now, and my teacher can tell simply by looking at me if I'm feeling puritanistic or playful

[WendyMichelle]

This week's classes are just for the highest level in our school because there is an audition on Saturday. The "real" classes start on Monday. We had a lecture Monday night about the dress code and were told starting this coming Monday that it was in effect. We were also told to "never, ever, ever, ever, ever" step a pinky toe inside the studio wearing black tights! It's pink tights and that is that!

[giselle2]

We are supposed to have a dress code of black leo, black skirt, pink tights and black shoes (seems to be common in most schools) with hair tied back but its not really inforced for older dancers. I am personally in love with a pair of grey and black stripy full length leg warmers that are permenantly attatched to my legs and I don't really like wearing a skirt.

 

I think as you get older teachers focus less on the uniform because their isn't as much of an issue for everyone looking the same. As a small child I think its great because children can be very cruel to the kids that stand out but as adults I think we are more tollerant. I think being ablt to see the line of your body and being comfortable is the main priority!

[ruby]

As a small child I think its great because children can be very cruel to the kids that stand out but as adults I think we are more tollerant.

 

Too right, Giselle. Strict rules about things like this also keep any rebellions down to a relatively small scale . At my school (not ballet, my everyday school) the teachers used to say that they cracked down on the uniform rules (like what colour hairband you could wear - green or red, not black!!!), 'so you don't even think about breaking the big rules'! You bet we didn't . It's an approach that also suits the discipline required in ballet.

[jimpickles]

That's right - it concentrates the rebellion on the little things, so that people dont even get started on the big ones...

 

Jim.