Expert: Jennifer - 7/15/2006

Question
Hi Jennifer,
thank you for replying to my e mail is it posible for guys to wear pointe shoes as well as the girls or is it just the girls who wear pointe shoes also can guys wear the leotard over their tights so i would put on and wear the dance belt then slip in a support cup inside the dance belt for protection then the tights over the dancebelt and support cup then the leotard right
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Followup To

Question -
Hi i am a 27 year old male who is wanting to learn adult ballet but i dont know what i would need to wear i have heard peop;e say that all men who do ballet must put on and wear a padded dance belt a support cup footed tights leotard and ballet shoes but what is a dance belt and what is the support cup for also i am looking for adult ballet classes in oxford

Answer -
Hello!

A dance belt is a modified jock strap, only instead of two straps going around your legs, it has one strap that fits like a thong. It is designed this way so it is invisible underneath tights, and doesn't interfere with your range of motion. A dance belt is absolutely necessary for male dancers (you'll need everything up and out of the way to dance correctly and comfortably). However, you shouldn't need a cup as long as the dance belt you get is supportive enough. The idea is to get everything out of the way, and a cup would only add extra material.

Most adult classes, do not require men to wear leotards. The most basic and versatile dress code for adult men is a solid colored tee-shirt with black tights (either footed or footless)... however many adult classes will even allow sweat pants instead of tights. You should always check with your studio before buying clothes to see what their dress code is as it varies from class to class.

You will also need to buy ballet shoes. Your best bet will be either black or white canvas shoes. If you are wearing sweatpants or footless tights, you will also need thin socks to wear under your shoes as well.

I'm sorry, I can't help you with finding a class.. I live in Texas and don't know much about adult classes in your area. You can start online, or just by calling dance studios and community colleges near your home.

Good luck!

Answer
Like I said in my previous answer, you should not need a support cup. To clear up any confusion about dance belts, I'll include this link:

http://www.dance.net/topic/3887430/1/Guys-Only-PG-13/Everything-you-need-to-know

In addition, men do not typically wear their leotards over their tights. Wearing a leotard over your tights is very much a women's look, and I've never seen men in any class or ballet dress this way unless they were a playing a woman in a ballet. In my opinion, that line would make a man's bulge way to distracting and draw the attention away from the line of the body. If you want to wear a leotard, you would put your clothes on in this order: Dance Belt, Leotard, Tights, (socks, if the tights are footless), Shoes.

Men who dance on pointe are rare, but they're out there. For example, there is an entire company of men who dance women's roles in classical ballet, like Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and Les Sylphides... it is meant as a comedy. Other men take pointe classes to strengthen their feet and understand the technique of their female partners. The biggest challenge for men who want to dance en pointe is finding shoes that fit. Unless you have very small, narrow feet, you will probably have to have your pointe shoes special ordered because men's feet are typically so much larger and wider than women's.

I hope this helps you! Good luck.