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Extra-curricular activities

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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:
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

ApolloandDaphne · 27/06/2021 16:55

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Branleuse · 27/06/2021 16:59

no big deal surely?

Seeline · 27/06/2021 16:59

My DD has done loads of dance exams, including ballet and has always worn underwear.

I suspect it depends which exam body is involved. All hers were ISTD.

Keepingitreal14 · 27/06/2021 16:59

Very normal in ballet. I absolutely hate seeing knickers hang out of leotards / dance costumes.

We now have very high cut skin colour dance knickers for quick changes so she doesn’t have to be naked in the changing rooms

Sally872 · 27/06/2021 17:00

I have heard of dance teachers being annoyed if pants are hanging below leotard or if bun is not in the correct position and fussy about socks. So not surprised at the request.

I don't understand what makes you concerned about her not wearing pants under leotard. Makes sense to me.

stealthninjamum · 27/06/2021 17:00

I think my dds didn’t wear knickers for their ballet exam, I didn’t question it because it’s just what was always done. The girls thought it was funny.

I have to say having viewed them doing ballet in a non exam situation it’s more than a vpl, at the age the girls wear big knickers that really stand out against the leotard. Of course I’m now wondering why they have to wear such skimpy leotards, but that seems to be a problem with all female sports that they wear skimpier clothes than boys.

SpringBluebellWoods · 27/06/2021 17:00

Normal, but a pain for changing if you can’t go underdressed. My dd hated the lack of pants and I bought her dance briefs (beige, thin, high legged) to wear. Nobody ever noticed or complained.

The main thing is not to have pants that show beyond or through the leotard. A surprising number of pants do, but a specific dance pair will be fine.

lazylockdowner · 27/06/2021 17:02

Pretty standard in the dance world, my dd is 18 and danced competitively from 3 and they never wore knickers and the can actually lose points and be marked down if they are seen. Also full face of makeup for shows and comps

Fizbosshoes · 27/06/2021 17:07

My DD is doing a dance exam and has been told to either wear no bra, or no visible bra under her leotard. I can see why they want no extra straps/lines but she has a small band size and at least D cup boobs, it's been a bit of a mission to find something. A lot of the specific dance/under leotard ones seem to be designed for much smaller cup sizes. I dont remember the no knickers rule though.

Mumof3girlsandaboy · 27/06/2021 17:10

@ApolloandDaphne

Mine absolutely never wore underwear under their leotards for exams. It is normal.
Same as mine
Comefromaway · 27/06/2021 17:15

It’s an old fashioned school of thought that some teachers persist on continuing.

Underwear should not be visible. At all. But tell the teacher that not only do the Royal Ballet School allow underwear for their Associates they insist on it. It used to be white M & S high keg knickers that were recommended but you can also buy nude coloured these days. I can’t speak for the full time school as I’ve not heard anyone say.

My daughter went through 5 years of full time vocational ballet school followed by 3 years of dance college and has always worn underwear. Her external exams were with RAD & ISTD.

Oakmaiden · 27/06/2021 17:20

My daughter went knicker free as a little one, and then at around 11/12 moved onto dance thongs and dance bras.

It isn't really a big deal. Aesthetics are very important in ballet.

somethingischasingme · 27/06/2021 17:23

Like a pp, my daughter was not supposed to wear knickers in exams but she does anyway.

Inclinedtochatter · 27/06/2021 17:26

This was normal when I did ballet, tap and modern back in the 80's.

isthismylifenow · 27/06/2021 17:47

Yes it's normal. My dd is also 18 now and wears nude thongs but went knickerless when younger. They will get marked down if underwear is showing. You will progress on to the bra issues too if she sticks with ballet. I think a bra strap showing is worse than pants when it comes to marking.

Lined leotards are worth the money. The cheaper unlined ones don't cut it when they start developing.

SilverGlitterBaubles · 27/06/2021 17:48

This is the norm for ballet exams OP, although if it's an issue for your DD as long as they are not visible it may be ok. Otherwise you could purchase some nude dance underwear if they do it for this age this would probably be ok.

FudgeSundae · 27/06/2021 17:52

I feel like a 6 year old’s underwear is nobody’s business except the 6 year old and their parents? I get when they’re competing as adults and even adolescents but children? It feels inappropriate to even ask. (Saying “no visible underwear on the other hand doesn’t creep me out in the same way.)

Comefromaway · 27/06/2021 17:57

I would hope that the last year or so would have taught us that just because something has been perceived as normal in the past in the ballet/dance world it isn’t necessarily right and should be changed.

Blooter · 27/06/2021 17:58

Yes Royal Ballet associates wear nude underwear but that's probably because the leotards are white. My DD by her choice never wears underwear for her dance classes. I wash her leotards after her classes, same as you would a swimming costume. What are you concerned about?

You could be marked down in an exam if underwear shows. The same as if hair is out of place or ribbons not tucked in. It's part of the discipline of ballet.

Comefromaway · 27/06/2021 18:02

This is what the RAD syllabus says in its section about exam uniform

“ The RAD places the safeguarding of children and young people at the heart of its policy making. It is important that candidates (and their parents/guardians) feel comfortable, and should not be made uneasy with any of the uniform requests made by teachers. It is not acceptable for teachers to prohibit candidates from wearing underwear.”