What Do Ballerinas Wear to Class?

Ballerinas have a range of clothes options for dance class.

The first professional dancers came from the Academie Nationale de Musique et de Danse in 1661. Since then, garments that ballerinas, female ballet dancers, wear to class have changed somewhat. Common items worn by ballerinas of all ages include leotards, ballet slippers, tights, dance skirts, sweaters and leg warmers.

Leotard

Invented by an acrobat named Jules Leotard, this one-piece garment is made of stretchy material meant to fit closely against the body. Leotards can either have sleeves or use shoulder straps. They come in many colors and patterns and traditionally have legs, though legless leotards are also used today. Varying styles of necks also exist in leotard fashions.

Ballet Slippers

Ballet slippers are the only essential thing to wear for ballet practice, for beginners and advanced dancers alike. Ballet slippers are flexible shoes of either canvas or leather that have no heel and come in colors such as pink, white and black. The sole of the shoe comes in either continuous form, meaning it goes the length of the shoe, or split form, meaning there is one section of sole on each end of the foot. A properly worn ballet slipper fits snugly on the foot and is not so tight that the toes are forced to bend.

Pointe Shoe

Pointe ballet shoes, also called toe shoes, are more stiff than regular ballet slippers, have an outer coating of satin and have a flat front that a ballerina may stand up on to dance. Ribbons are used to attach the foot to the shoe, as well as elastic. These shoes are for more advanced dancers.

Tights

Tights are a kind of snug-fitting leg wear that are donned before putting on the leotard, and help keep the foot from getting blisters from the ballet slipper. They are not as sheer as pantyhose. A common color is pink, though colors black, white and flesh-colored tights are also found in the dance world. Combined with pink ballet shoes, pink tights make a dancer's legs look longer.

Other Items

Other items a dancer might wear to a dance class include a dance leg warmers and a sweater. Both are used for warmth while dancing. Also, a dancer may use something to keep her hair from getting into her face, such as an elastic tie.

References

• The Free Dictionary: Ballerina
• Ballet Dancers Guide: Ballet Clothes
• "The Joffrey Ballet School's Ballet Fit"; Dena Moss, Allison Kyle Leopold, Joffrey Ballet School; 1999
• Action Dancewear: Dancewear Through The Ages

Resources

• "Ballet 101"; Robert Greskovic; 2005