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Original poster

6 yr old ballet exam-no underwear allowed?!?

231 replies

CherryLeaf · 27/06/2021 16:50

My DD6 is going to take a little ballet exam in a few weeks, for a rosette. I’ve been advised that they are not allowed to wear underwear under the leotard as it ‘destroys the aesthetic look of the dancer’.
She has to wear a little skirt over the top of her leotard so I’m having trouble understanding. I’ve raised it with the teacher and she’s advised that i should think about the leotard as the same as a swimming costume… so normal to not wear underwear beneath it.
I find this odd and makes me uncomfortable. She’s only 6, why does a vpl matter? Is this normal ballet rules please?

OP posts:
Theoldwoman · 27/06/2021 16:58

My girls did 11 years of ballet, including exams.
They were not allowed to wear knickers underneath but they did anyway.
I didn’t let them wear their normal ones but I purchased dance undies which a nude in colour, seamless and thinish and stretchy so you don’t even notice and much more comfortable than nothing. The teacher never knew.

LemonRoses · 27/06/2021 16:56

Perfectly normal. Certainly from an early age our daughter had very strict rules about appearance including no knickers for exams.

tiredanddangerous · 27/06/2021 16:55

This is normal in ballet. DD has been dancing since she was 4 and it's always been no knickers under leotard.

BillywigSting · 27/06/2021 16:55

I used to do ballet and never wore knickers under my leotard, neither did anyone else in the class. It is very much treated like a swimming costume, with the bottom half of the leotard acting as the knick and the skirt to cover your bum.

Hair also had to be in a specific type of bun with absolutely no flyaways.

I waistbands of the tights had to be at the same level as the waistband of the skirt to not spoil the line.

ApolloandDaphne · 27/06/2021 16:55

Mine absolutely never wore underwear under their leotards for exams. It is normal.

roadtosomewhere · 27/06/2021 16:53

My dd has done rad ballet and I have not heard of this rule....pretty sure she has worn pants

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