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

[CherryLeaf]

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?

It was normal not to wear pants with gymnastics leotards too. Have you actually tried it with knickers? We did and it looked a bit ridiculous because it wasn't just a vpl, it was bunches of cotton sticking uncomfortably out of the sides. If it doesn't look daft then I'd do whatever feels best.

“ Candidates are expected to wear the uniform listed for each grade, but where this is not possible, suitable alternatives of a similar colour and style may be worn.

Candidates are not assessed based on the uniform worn.”

Junior Associates have white leotard. I think Mids wear navy.

What happens with boys doing ballet?

Sorry very random very slightly related question - but what if your hair isn’t long enough to be put up on a bun?! Do you just have to scrape it back with bobby pins and a ton of hairspray?!

@ineedaholidaynow

What happens with boys doing ballet?

Once they reach puberty they have to wear a dance belt for comfort & safety.

It’s the rules. Dd had to have no underwear on either

It’s just how it is

@Shantotto

Sorry very random very slightly related question - but what if your hair isn’t long enough to be put up on a bun?! Do you just have to scrape it back with bobby pins and a ton of hairspray?!

Gel is better than spray but yes, just scrape it back so that the line of the neck can be seen.

When mine was little, nude underwear for children wasn't easily come by. The dance school advised us to dye a white pair of pants using tea. These could be worn for exams and shows.

@Shantotto

Sorry very random very slightly related question - but what if your hair isn’t long enough to be put up on a bun?! Do you just have to scrape it back with bobby pins and a ton of hairspray?!

We weren't allowed to have any pins or clips showing. Lots of gel.

@lazylockdowner

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

How miserable for a young child. 3 years old and being told that no pants and a full face of makeup is appropriate for little girls?

Bore off, dance parents, inflicting such sexist shite on impressionable kids. I bet the boys don't have to wear makeup and don't have to wear cheesewire leotards.

Traditionally it’s completely normal not to wear underwear. You wouldn’t if you were in a swimming costume. And ballet tights under a leotard are underwear. But small children won’t wear tights in ballet. They wear socks. Nowadays you can get nude seamless underwear that dancers may wear. But whether you can get any for a six-year-old is another matter. They would have to fit well and not hang below the leotard and not need constantly adjusting.

No makeup is normal too.

Some traditions are not always a good thing

We always found knickers showed at the sides, no matter which style I got for my DD so it was better to just commando it.

The exam are literally 30 minutes or so. They go ready, you pin their number of, they dance and then come out and you take them away in uniform. No changing required

How miserable for a young child. 3 years old and being told that no pants and a full face of makeup is appropriate for little girls?

Bore off, dance parents, inflicting such sexist shite on impressionable kids. I bet the boys don't have to wear makeup and don't have to wear cheesewire leotards.

ODFOD. Make up actually isn’t allowed for exams only for showcases

@daisypond

No makeup is normal too.

Phew! Well that's a relief - I hope the majority of parents follow that line.

It is “normal” but it’s one reason I was glad my two girls never took to dancing. The focus on appearance, particular hairstyles, heavy makeup on very small children and the underwear thing never sat comfortably with me.

They don’t wear knickers under swimsuits true but neither are they focused on the child’s appearance at swimming.

It’s a shame because dance is such good exercise but eventually we found martial arts which have similar benefits but without that slight weirdness of most dance classes.

@Soubriquet

How miserable for a young child. 3 years old and being told that no pants and a full face of makeup is appropriate for little girls?

Bore off, dance parents, inflicting such sexist shite on impressionable kids. I bet the boys don't have to wear makeup and don't have to wear cheesewire leotards.

ODFOD. Make up actually isn’t allowed for exams only for showcases

Even for toddlers?! A full face of makeup?

Completely off topic but it reminded me of a time when Dd took a ballet exam at a similar age. I witnessed a Dm and Dh taking their child to the car park afterwards. Dm saying to Dh 'well of course she couldn't do the kicks, you put both her legs into one leg hole in her leotard.

They have to follow the no makeup rule. It’s completely standard for all children’s ballet exams and classes. Only by mid-teens may some very subtle makeup be allowed - and it’s not compulsory either.

No. They are allowed to wear a small amount of blue eyeshadow and a touch of lip gloss but not a full face of make up. It’s not toddlers and tiaras. We don’t make them wear eye liner, fake eye lashes or flippers

My daughter only ever wear anything on stage at shows because of the lights but it was literally a little gel blush and tinted lip balm.

Some do wear more but she doesn't like it. Its not compulsory!

When you're older, the tights are usually gusseted and act as your underwear. I sometimes wore a thong, but it wasn't very comfortable so it was easier just not to.

For little ones who wear socks (I used to help with their classes as a teen), knickers do tend to bunch up or appear out of the sides, or you can see the elastic above the skirt. For classes it's ok (although preferably not bright pink or with a big picture of Elsa on the front!) but for exams it's just easier without. Less risk of wriggling and fidgeting too.

For shows, at my dance school the tiny ones usually had "make up" that was more like face paint. So they'd have a nose and whiskers, or a flower on their cheek, or some glitter — not mascara and eye pencil.

I think it's very dependent on the type of dance too. I think disco freestyle type tend to have more make up for competitions.

Ballet isn't fussed about fake tan either — your tights are a very pair pink so looking very tanned would probably look stranger.