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?

Long time dancer here too…no knickers is totally normal. The ballet tights are substantially thick and progressing to satin tutus means there’s plenty layers! Bras used to be died with tea and coffee too!

Yes, ballet tights are underwear- you wear them under your leotard - but for a child in socks, and no tights, I don’t see why they can’t wear well-fitting high-leg seamless knickers if they want.

@Rockdown2020

This is grim. Please don’t allow them to dictate when your child can wear underwear. Disgusting.

Do you find girls wearing swimwear without underwear disgusting?

I don’t understand why people aren’t getting this? It’s not the wearing or not wearing of underwear that is creepy or disgusting; it’s the ballet teacher having an opinion and a mandate either way?

@daisypond

Yes, ballet tights are underwear- you wear them under your leotard - but for a child in socks, and no tights, I don’t see why they can’t wear well-fitting high-leg seamless knickers if they want.

If you can get them for that age, and they can't be seen, I agree. If you can, then I'd be tempted to have them as designated "ballet pants" and always used, washed and put away with the leotard.

Just to add I used to Irish dance (so not ballet) but you’d lose points for not having smooth, tanned legs, make up and also huge wigs. This was preteen. I don’t think dictating things like this to young girls is ok

But that's competitions. Which is not ballet. Ballet is the daily detailed specific work in the studio, not competitions with daft wigs.

The studio I do class at has a uniform - for team-building and safe guarding. IT means they can see where their dancers are, and who they're with, at a glance. It's not just a ballet studio so the uniform is pretty unisex: a leotard, with matching bike shorts over (for girls & boys), or pink/flesh tights under the leo for girls if they wish. But for ballet it's bare legs or flesh tights so the teachers can see how the body is working.

Ballet is not Irish dancing; it's not gymnastics. Ballet competitions /eisteddfods are a very small part of ballet. Exams are once a year or 18 months - again, a very small part of ballet.

It's the day by day discipline that is important. And for girls & women of all ages, ballet is a way to become strong (you try holding your leg up above waist height while moving your arms and standing on your tiptoes). I like to wear as little as possible in class (once I'm warmed up) and I want thin tights and a very form fitting leo because a) my teacher can see what I"m doing and b) it's easier to move in.

My DD is a professional dancer and has always, virtually always, worn underwear

My mother and my sister were both professional dancers and didn't wear underwear.

So there we are.

It really is not that unusual, nor is it creepy, nor is it sexualising girls's and women's bodies. It is practical - the tights & the leo are there instead of underwear. They are the underwear if you like! Why would you add more bulk.

the tights & the leo are there instead of underwear. They are the underwear if you like!

Well, yes, that’s what I said. The tights are underwear.

it’s the ballet teacher having an opinion and a mandate either way?

And those of us with professional experience are explaining the multiple reasons why the teacher is asking for this.

The teacher is the expert: they are explaining to parents who know nothing about the training for ballet. If you don't trust your children's ballet teachers, then go to a different studio!

But the rules say that you can't stop a child wearing underwear, so why is a teacher telling the parents that a 6yo can't wear underwear.

So wear did rule originate? Paedophilic examiners? So so wrong.

Op, put knickers on your 6yr old! I have a girl the same age an would NOT stand for this nonsense

@ShortBacknSides

it’s the ballet teacher having an opinion and a mandate either way?

And those of us with professional experience are explaining the multiple reasons why the teacher is asking for this.

The teacher is the expert: they are explaining to parents who know nothing about the training for ballet. If you don't trust your children's ballet teachers, then go to a different studio!

Did you see what @Comefromaway quoted earlier in the thread?

*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.”*

The OP’s child probably isn’t doing RAD, as she mentions a rosette. That’s IDTA, unless other boards do something similar. IDTA says for exams no visible underwear - ie, you can wear it as long as it doesn’t show. IDTA also gives marks for grooming. So presentation is important and is marked.

There's a difference though between prohibiting and saying "We suggest your child doesn't wear underwear because it spoils the line/tend to bunch up and makes them fidget/sticks out of the leg holes and looks untidy."

Now OP's dance teacher is probably falling in the wrong side of that line by saying "it isn't allowed". But I don't think there's anything wrong with the concept of telling them that cotton brief-style pants might not be the best choice under a leotard, and explaining why. (And there's always that one child who'll be wearing bright blue turquoise knickers that you can see through the leotard!)

Mother of DS who takes ballet. Same rules apply for males. Their leotard goes under their tights and is their ‘underpants’ as soon as they need it for support they wear a dance belt (jockstrap) which is either a thong style or “full seat” which is basically the same as a Brazilian knocker cut. It’s all about the line and the aesthetics.

My DS did RAD right up to advanced 1, I think the younger boys wear shorts though, so under those they could wear ordinary pants or whatever comfortable? He wore a belt from about the age of 12. It was all very practical and matter of fact and he was never made to feel uncomfortable.

So wear did rule originate? Paedophilic examiners? So so wrong

Oh FFS don’t be ridiculous.

Look, it wasn’t until the early 20th century that what we currently see as “proper” underwear was worn.

I really don't see the issue and am not sure how it's creepy.

I have been to watch a lot of ballets, can you imagine if you pay to watch a show and instead of watching the dancers movements, all you can focus on is if you could see their underwear. You don't. Because it is most likely that there is nothing there to see and distract the eye.

A professional dancer is going to start out at a very young age. And they start at they mean to go on. If the child is not comfortable with a leotard or stockings next to their skin, then the chances are is that they are not going to continue. And it isn't just fabric next to their skin they have to be comfortable with. They need to work with other dancers (so female with male and vice versa) as their partner. They touch each other. A lot. It's part of the art.

We can also go on about Pointe shoes. When they start on those, blisters and bleeding toes are not unusual. I am quite sure they are very uncomfortable, but if you want to dance on pointes, then you do what you need to do.

As a ballet mom, you do need to be quite resilient too. There are naturally gifted and talented dancers, but what you see as the end result is though sheer hard work and dedication.

OP as someone who is not a professional on ballet but is a mother to young children. If you want to put knickers on your daughter, put knickers on your daughter! Don’t let another adult convince you of something that you are concerned about. Who cares if they mark her down. She’s 6!!!!

I still don’t understand why the knickers are so important. If you can’t see them, they don’t cover up anything more than the leotard, so why do people think they are needed or that it’s “creepy” not to wear them?

@Artesia

I still don’t understand why the knickers are so important. If you can’t see them, they don’t cover up anything more than the leotard, so why do people think they are needed or that it’s “creepy” not to wear them?

Because if you are wearing a pastel coloured leotard, which lower classes often do, especially pink, and it gets stuck up your crevices, it looks like you are wearing absolutely nothing, and even 6 year olds are well aware of this.

I never had any problems with knickers being work. The main thing is not to squeeze them into overly small leotards for the sake of saving money.

I always thought, with RAD, that putting their hair in a bun, up in plaits etc was to enjoy feeling like a proper ballet dancer for the occasion, rather than a point scoring grooming exercise. The vast majority of six year olds are doing it for fun and will not be going onto professional dance careers, even if they are very good at it.

Because if you are wearing a pastel coloured leotard, which lower classes often do, especially pink, and it gets stuck up your crevices, it looks like you are wearing absolutely nothing, and even 6 year olds are well aware of this.

Absolutely this. The camel toe look is not attractive.

I’m going to guess that it’s an extra layer to cover genitalia incase the leotard gapes.

A professional dancer is going to start out at a very young age. And they start at they mean to go on. If the child is not comfortable with a leotard or stockings next to their skin, then the chances are is that they are not going to continue. And it isn't just fabric next to their skin they have to be comfortable with. They need to work with other dancers (so female with male and vice versa) as their partner. They touch each other. A lot. It's part of the art.

This ethos is changing. Just because its what happened in the past it doesn't mean its acceptable for the future. Dancers are being encouraged to speak out against these practises.

I assume most 6yo are doing dance for fun not for a career. If they don’t feel comfortable not wearing underwear, no way should an adult be telling them they can’t wear it, they should be able to rely on support from an adult