dance belts and leotards

[chel]

At our studio, the recommendation is when you turn double digits

[therese]

I saw a grown man/boy (advanced level) dance at a summer intensive performance last weekend. He was wearing a full seat dance belt. It was obvious and looked bad. Someone should have approached him about it. I am surprised they didn't..at least privately if not in a men's class.

[Moxie]

My guys were 8 when they started to wear a DB. Just explain it's like you having to wear a cup for sports. I think younger is better they get used to it easily. Wear Moi makes boys size dance belts.

[slhogan]

My son was about 11. Before that, he wore thicker, legging-style tights with nothing under them (he hated underwear lines!). About 11 he started wearing a thong-back dance belt with thinner ballet tights.

[Jo Ann]

My son was 10 when he began wearing a thong dance belt. Before that he wore tight athletic briefs under biker shorts. When he needed to wear tights for performances, he wore a dance belt for those occasions, and by the time he was 12, he decided he wanted to wear it for classes too. I never bought him a full-seat belt because I had seen the way they look under tights and didn't like the lines. The early belts for him were the thin almost t-shirt fabric type, but over the years he switched to the Capezio quilted for class (more comfortable he says) and the Harmonie/Capezio padded for performance (gives a smoother look for stage).

[Redgemini]

Thanks ladies for your advice. My son is very tiny for 6 years old- he's only 45 pounds and wears a 5T in pants so I can only imagine trying to alter a dance belt for him. Sounds like he has a few years unless he has to wear tights for a performance (possible!) sooner.

[chel]

Redgemini, smallest I have seen are WearMoi that come in a boys 8/10 and can accommodate a waist as small as 20 inches.

[Redgemini]

Thanks Chel! I will have to measure his waist. That's the smallest I've seen from all the great websites you've all recommended (that I didn't know existed!). Will try the M.Stevens tights as well when he's ready.

 

So grateful I found this forum so early in his journey! Thank you all.

[expat123]

FYI, we have found that the Capezio men's small dance belt runs smaller than the WearMoi Men's small, which is useful when boys are between boys' and mens' sizes.

 

My son started out loving Capezio tights but now wears M. Stevens because it seems that Capezio often changes the materials or discontinues the men's tights styles.

 

Finally, for a tight fitting white shirt, I buy from Amazon the "Ultraworks Men's Ultralight Cotton Spandex Compression Crew Neck T-Shirt" Men's small- which has fit well since my son has been about 4'8". It is a cotton-type tight shirt and not shimmery like the athletic compression shirts like Under Armour sold in most stores. Unfortunately, once the compression shirts were sold widely in stores, I had a hard time finding them in solid white.

[HuckleberryDawg]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a DS who is probably big enough in the waist for a men's size dance belt; but not, um, <delicate cough> big enough anywhere else? DS is a fairly sturdy kid so the 10/12 size in the boys department won't work for him; but he's only about to turn 10 age-wise.

[Moxie]

My guys have the opposite problem, skinny and substantial in the other area. They didn't like the M Stevens DB (love the tights) since the material was more stretchy and not thick. I'm guessing that might be a good one for your son. Best of luck!

[HuckleberryDawg]

Thanks, Moxie! I'll get one for DS and see if it works for him.

[finallykf]

Just wanted to say that someone previously mentioned the WearMoi combo leo/dance belt - my son will ONLY wear these now. They have two styles, my son wears the one with the zipper in front. Our AD loves them!!! She thinks they look great. On a side note, my son will only wear the WearMoi tights as well!