dance belts and leotards

[therese]

Ok..My son is now required to wear a leotard. We got by all these years with a form-fitting t-shirt. So, ummmm, with a dance belt that is a thong and a leotard that is also a thong..how does that work?

[GTLS Designs]

While I am not a parent of a boy... I am a male ballet dancer <smile>.

 

The dancebelt goes on first, then the leotard over the dancebelt. Everything will fit where it needs to - leotards & dancebelts are not super thick pieces of fabric (such as denim)... there will be a little more material than before, but nothing to worry about.

[therese]

Thanks...guess I will have to explain it to him! Oy! Seems really uncomfortable. Guess he won't be borrowing anyone's leotard!

[Clara 76]

Nope! To each his own- leotard!!!!

Then the tights go on top of the leo. ;-)

[chel]

Thanks for asking this question. A dance belt is in my sons not too distant future and I was trying to figure out how the layers went together.

[finallykf]

Just an FYI, I bought a leo for my 10 year old son when we were in NYC last summer since we have NO boys dance supplies in our city. He was appalled but finally decided to give it a try. Now he refuses to wear anything else because he feels like it gives him better lines than his form fitting athletic t-shirt. He also calls it a "manotard" because that's what Franco DeVita called them at ABT YDSW. I agree that he looks really good in the leo and tights - much neater and more professional. I think he looks like he takes ballet more seriously when he goes to auditions.

[jamied]

Since my other son is a gymnast, we call them step-ins. That is what they call them and I thought that sounded nice.

[Albini]

My son will not wear the thong style belt. He wears the Capezio breif dance belt. We havent worn tights. We instead use a very tight pair of black thin materialed strech pants.

[EMGlad]

Eventually, every boy will have to wear a thong belt, at least for performances. I never really understood the purpose of the brief-style belts, they don't really help with lines much, seem like overpriced panties. My son wears a thong belt for performances, but is young enough that he usually just wears his thong leo (we say leo because it's just a boy's name, though I like "step-ins") without a dance belt for class. It's tight enough that it holds everything up, for now. The benefits are that he's used to the feeling of a thong before he's required to have a dance belt, and before he's old enough to be mortified by the whole shopping and explanation process. It also really does look a lot tidier than a shirt.

[Albini]

Equating any type of dance belts with panties is one of the common misconceptions people hold about boys who dance.

 

As for the "purpose" of them, It takes a lot of confidence to work through these types of misconceptions. And my son is right smack in that age where peer pressure and bullying can overtake the enjoyment he has of dance. Providing him with a recogized but personally comfortable tool, such as a dance breif in place of a thong belt, helps him be comfortable in his own skin. Which increases the likilyhood that he will have developed the required confidence to don the traditional dance belt when he is required to.

 

I hope that helps.

[momofboy2011]

To get even more sensitive, any one have special tricks for cleaning a white thong leo? Luckily my son likes the black dance belts!

[Clara 76]

Really good question. I used to just throw things away and buy new! Of course, I can be a tiny, wee bit lazy when it comes to anything that smells like housework!

[Albini]

HAvent been faced with that one yet. We have all black.

[Clara 76]

Oops! A student wandered here and a post had to be removed. This forum is for parents of male dancers only.

Thank you.

 

http://dancers.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=48166

[anro]

You have the dancebelt (with thong) as a first layer and then the leotard (with thong). Do you also have underpants as layer zero?