FAQs About Dancewear Styles

The art of dance requires great skill, unwavering dedication and unbeatable agility. It also requires the right type of clothing for the ultimate freedom of movement.

Q: What does a ballerina wear?

A: A female ballerina usually wears a leotard, tights, ballet shoes and a tutu. A leotard is a form fitting garment that covers the torso but not the legs; it also sometimes covers the arms. A tutu is a specially designed skirt, usually made out of layers of stiff netting that extends horizontally from the waist. Other types of tutus are softer and hang down from the waist. A male ballerina costume usually consists of tights and a special type of shirt or sometimes a leotard.

Q: What does a modern dancer wear?

A: Depending on the style, there are a lot of different options for modern dance, i.e. styles that were developed after 1900. The archetypical female Broadway dancer, as typified in old movie musicals of the 1930s or the Broadway show "A Chorus Line," wears a sparkly leotard and matching shoes, sometimes garnished with feathers or boas, while the men wear tuxedos, top hats and tap shoes. Break dancers and freestyle hip-hop dancers usually wear loose fitting street clothes.

Q: What are tap shoes?

A: Tap shoes are designed specifically for tap dancing. They have metal plates on the heel and toe to make the "tap" sound heard every time the dancer's feet hit the floor. This is why tap dancing has a rhythmic percussion that makes the dancer part of the music.

Q: Why do some dancers wear tights?

A: Many dancers wear tights because they allow for freedom of movement. They are light, thin and stretchy, and are available either footed, footless or with stirrups.