Bit of a niche question for ballet mothers!

[SpareCrust]

Um, do any of you happen to know if there is such a thing as ballet tights (standard pink) with a cotton gusset pls?

Bit of a wierd question I know. DD (12/13 yrs) has three/four days of end of year performances coming up and she hates the "no pants" rule which is strictly enforced on performance days! (She usually wears mini mini briefs under her practice leotard). It's not a modesty thing - she just really, really detests the feel of the nylon. She's in two dances this year (at the beginning and end of the show) so she'll be going commando for virtually four days solid. She is also worried about her period arriving at an innopportune time (she hasn't started yet but is showing all the signs)

Any advice or suggestions ballet mums pls?

[SpareCrust]

This really is the sort of question one can only ask on Mumsnet !

Meant to say, I am heading out for the day now but bbl tonight to check responses - thank you in advance if anyone has any ideas!

[ealingwestmum]

isn't it just

Try dancewearsolutions...they will have these

[dodobookends]

She's now getting to the age where she will need dance underwear. The big dancewear retailers do them, they are like a leotard but nude-coloured with clear straps. They're what older dancers wear under costumes. They also make bra tops and knickers to be worn under dancewear. Capezio do a nice range.

[Balletgirlmum]

I agree with dodo.

Dance schools who enforce no underwear rules really annoy me. It's usually always local dance schools, the vocational schools allow underwear.

Dd either wears capezio dance knickers or Primark seamless flesh coloured thongs. She suffers from mennorragea so has to wear underwear.

She slso wears the flesh coloured under layer leotard dodo mentions for underneath tap/modern costumes & quick changes.

[teacherwith2kids]

DD (13) has a range of dance underwear for different purposes - full 'bodies' (flesh coloured leotard), big Capezio skin coloured pants, M&S thongs in nude - and will wear whichever works best under a particular costume. The basic rule seems to be that if it can't be seen, there isn't a problem.

The Capezio big pants work well under things like lyrical dresses (especially if worn with bare legs) or tutus with low backs but leotard-type bottoms under the skirts, because they contain everything. Thongs work well under 'all in one' type costumes with low backs, as there is no visible waistline or pants line. All in ones are great for decency but can be tricky to 'hide' under lower cut costumes, so dance bras with clear straps and backs can be better instead.

[SpareCrust]

Thank you very much everyone for all your advice! It is much appreciated!

I have just ordered some Capezio dance undergarments. I had no idea they existed! (Here's hoping they arrive by next Sat but have also ordered a couple of M&S high leg nude thongs in case they don't!)

And yes, you were right, it is a local dance school! V interesting to learn that prof dance schools allow smalls!!

Thanks again everyone!

Now just need to get her big toe sorted out and we will be all set!

[Balletgirlmum]

What's up with her big toe?

[dodobookends]

Hope the big toe's OK.

To be fair to dance schools and teachers, it is extremely common for otherwise normal, sensible parents to take leave of their senses and send their young dc for a ballet exam/show wearing either:

A - Giant way-too-big Bridget Jones pants which crumple up underneath a leotard into a nightmare Nora Batty corrugated effect

B - Low-slung neon hipsters which defy even the most enthusiastic efforts to hoik them up, and show in a bright inch-wide strip along the leg line

or C - Pale high-leg knickers to go under a pale leotard (Hooray!) but which show the grinning face of Elsa or a multitude of polka dots right through the leotard (Eeek - Noooo!)

...so it is completely understandable that they often have this rule.

For the younger ones wearing a leotard without knickers is much the same as putting on a swimsuit, but adolescent (and possibly becoming self-conscious) girls will want their underwear on, especially if there are costume changes etc.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es]

I've been wondering about this question too. My DD is a little younger (10), but starting to develop a bust, I've been wondering about bras and leotards, as well as the onset of periods, pubic hair etc. I had been meaning to have a chat with the teachers (I go to adult classes with them so I could ask without embarrassing DD). I will go and have a look at Capezio!

[Balletgirlmum]

Bras are a no no at vocational school on the whole under leotards but the leotards they tend to wear at this stage have shelf bra linings or bra tek.

A lot of girls remove as much hair as they can.

[teacherwith2kids]

Bras a no under leotards at DD's serious but non-vocational school, as the uniform leotards have good support. Most of the group / show costumes and tutus made there for younger teens upwards also have shelf bra linings or equivalent. However, some individual costumes - character for example - either aren't suitable for such linings or have been made without. For those, a dance bra at competitions or shows is entirely acceptable as long as the straps are clear and no other part of the bra shows.

[teacherwith2kids]

On the hair question, DD - 13 - removes underarm hair but finds that the aforementioned dance underwear, or the normal 'leotard over tights' lesson uniform, is quite sufficient to contain pubic hair - and the removal of the latter is something I have no wish to push her into until she is ready for it. Her dance school is very sensitive to this, and for example in costumes where the issue night arise (lyrical or contemporary dresses where tights aren't being worn) often provide or arrange for matching very short shorts to be worn over the leotard-style bottom of the costume. Hooray for a costume maker who has herself had 3 dancing daughters!

[Balletgirlmum]

Dd is much less concerned with public hair now she wears tights. In the first half of year 7 though she had to go back to socks so felt very self conscious.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es]

My DD prefers socks in summer (they can wear socks or tights at her school, at her level anyway) but tights in winter.

And I know what you mean about the spotty knickers problem, I help with a drama group she is also in and one of the girls had very obvious spotty knickers under a white silk dress at dress rehearsal recently, it didn't look great! I had a word and she didn't wear them for the show, but you can see how it happens.

[TrainBridge]

A bit OT, but It's not as easy as you might think to find plain, pale, high leg knickers that don't show under a leotard for a 7yo - I've been trying recently. They tend to come in brief or boy short or bikini shapes at that age, none of which are high leg (and she's small for her age so I can't size up).

Also, what do girls who develop beyond the size at which shelf bras work do? It's not today's problem, but genetics on my side of the family runs to F cups as a minimum...

[Balletgirlmum]

Dd is a D cup. The Lycra/meryl tends to hold you/flatten you in a lot

[teacherwith2kids]

I would agree with Balletgirlmum. However, some very much larger-cupped girls do wear bras under leotards, choosing leotard styles under which this is possible.

However, don't underestimate the effect of MUCH dancing on fat tissue everywhere on the body. DD is very much from her father's side of the family, where all the women are statuesque and very large breasted. Although DD is of a height and bone structure that makes her unlikely to become a classical ballerina, she carries almost no fat (12+ hours of dancing a week plus 2 school sports teams) and this affects breast size as well as figure elsewhere.

[SpareCrust]

Arf at polka dot, hipster and Bridget Jones pants for performance days

On reflection, I think dd may prefer wearing nothing to wearing a thong, but we'll see (and crossed fingers Capezio stuff arrives on time - should have asked on Mumsnet earlier!!)

As for exfoliation; DD is already quite hairy so I bought her a lady shave to tackle underarms and it came with a free bikini trimmer.

Toe problem is not serious hopefully although we are going for an x-ray on Tues. It's been going on for about 4 mths and seems to be getting worse; just a mahoosive pain in lowest joint and it makes quite an impressive clicking/clunking sound when she walks too!

Big waves to Whoknows

[How is the Flying going Balletmum?]

[Balletgirlmum]

I've slipped a bit!

Slinks off guiltily.

[dodobookends]

SpareCrust - when are the performances? The reason I ask is that probably what that toe could do with is cutting back on dance a lot for a week or two - no allegro/jumps, no pirouettes on that leg, no barre work on demi-pointe on that side, and defo no pointework (if she's on pointe yet).

When she has it x-rayed, do mention to the hospital that she's a dancer and please can they look extremely carefully - and also for anything that might possibly be a stress fracture. If you mention the high-level dancing they are usually pretty good and will have an extra look - they'll often get another person to check as well. (Can you tell we've had experience of this?) We've found that hospitals are much better with dancers' injuries than the GPs who are mostly useless.

[Balletgirlmum]

There are also a couple of specialist NHS clinics in London & Birmingham.

[dodobookends]

Forgot to mention - I'm assuming the dance teacher knows about the big to problem?

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Leotards are pretty good at holding you in - I put a cross of micropore (that papery tape for using with dressings) over my nipples if I'm worried you can see them in the leotard or if it's a cold room.

Generally, if you can't notice the knickers they're fine! If it's just the feel of the tights, and the pants haven't arrived though, put a folded hanky in the gusset of the tights. She might have to do a bit of adjusting when the leotard is on, but it should help.

Hope the toe improves!

[SpareCrust]

Thanks again for all of your wise words of advice and tips!

I'll remember the genius micropore tip for the future - thank you Polkadots - and about the folded hanky! (I'm assuming you mean a cloth hanky and not a paper one?)

Dodo & Balletgirl thank you too for the advice. DD only dances 4 hrs a week at a local school - and the ballet teacher doesn't know - I know this sounds nuts but there isn't much any time to speak to her between classes and up until last week it really wasn't causing that many problems. I really should have informed her but this is an especially busy time. The performances are next weekend and dd is not that concerned about dancing with it. I was rather surprised when the doc suggested an x-ray tbh. I will definitely ask them to look carefully and obviously we will reassess the situation depending on what they find.

Sorry to hear you have had experience of this Dodo! Hope all resolved happily now!

Balletgirlmum no need for guilt, honestly! - I started the fledgling thread five years or so ago with some others and we all regularly fall off the wagon (especially me) - we all just "vaguely" stick to the system as and when we are able, so feel free to come back any time! We interpret the Flylady system v loosely indeed I promise!

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Yes, a cloth one, basically as a cotton gusset without the 'edges' of a pair of pants.