We have all seen the beautiful costumes on stage and the cute ballet outfits that our smallest pupils wear for dance, but uniform in dance (specifically ballet) goes much further than just being adorable and pretty.
Ballet is firstly a discipline. If you have ever had to stand in first position with your arms in fifth for example just the correct way of standing means that your arms will start to ache within minutes. to achieve the levels of concentration that are required in ballet involves wearing a leotard and tights so not only can your teacher see what corrections you might need but also, so the pupil doesn't get distracted by a hoodie feeling to tight and then being too hot etc. etc.
Lycra is designed to keep you cool in summer and crossovers on top to keep warm in winter, but my pupils regularly complain whenever I ask them to take off their hoodies even when I have told them off for having their hands in their pockets during dance. I often think back at the discipline that I had whilst at dance school and what my dance teacher would have said if I wore a hoodie in class and I can tell you that I would have undoubtably been sent out of class, but I digress.
Crossovers are tight enough so that the body can still be seen, and correct positioning can then be corrected, if need be, but hoodies and jogging bottoms can cover a whole host of corrections that may never be spotted because they are hidden under baggy clothes. Once the pupil has learnt positions incorrectly it is very difficult to unlearn them so uniform is key. the lineage of the body during ballet can be so subtle that even the smallest corrections can make the difference between doing a step or position correctly or incorrectly and thus getting injured. The simple leotard is greatly undervalued, it is cool to dance in, moves easily with the body and gives a classic line to the ballet dancer.
It is our job as dance teachers to retain the discipline of our art and encourage uniform as much as possible.
Long live the leotard!!
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