What to Wear to an Adult Ballet Class?

For many people, the first day of ballet class happens when they’re quite young, and the jitters of what to wear and how to find the studio are solved by parents and the joy of a young girl’s first tutu or a boy’s first slippers.

Today, however, more and more mature ballet students are experiencing their first class at older ages, thanks to the advent and popularity of adult ballet classes.  For those adult students who are approaching their first adult ballet class, the decision about what to wear can be nerve-wracking.   To the rescue is Bob McCollum, coordinator of the Adult Ballet Program at Canada’s National Ballet School.  Here are Bob’s suggestions for what to wear to your first – or any – adult ballet class:

Feet
-Ballet slippers are ideal for both genders. 
-Short athletic socks are also great, especially for those brand new students who don’t have slippers, as they allow one’s teacher to see the articulation of the foot

Legs
-Your ballet teacher needs to be able to see your hip, knee and ankle joints clearly in class, to make sure your alignment and positioning are correct. So, it’s important to wear something formfitting, but it doesn’t have to be skin-tight.  Shorts, tights or Capri pants that have lycra or spandex material in them are a great choice.  One important fact to remember is that pants should not be longer than the ankle.  This is because the teacher needs to check your leg alignment at the ankle joint frequently, and needs to have a clear view of your ankle.

Tops
-A formfitting top is ideal, again to facilitate your teacher checking proper alignment and posture.  For women a leotard is a great choice, but isn’t required, a shaped T-shirt, but not so long that it completely covers the hips, also works.
-The majority of men wear T-shirts to class, this is fine as long as they aren’t too baggy or long that they obscure your hips or prevent your teacher from observing your upper body movements.

Hair
-For those men and women with hair long enough to block the eyes, it should be tied up and out of the face, to allow your teacher to see your neck movements, and also to make sure you have your face free for spotting (turning 360 degrees with the head moving ahead of the body)
-For those with shorter hair, a headband that keeps the hair off the face is ideal.