Why do dances wear their tights over their leotards?

[Katymac]

DD & I have see this quite often; but neither of us understand why?

The other thing that confuses us is a leotard pulled down to the waist with a sports top/bra on; why do girls do that?

Sorry if the answer is obvious.....

[Robsmumma]

I took my daughter, who is on foundation at Urdang for a new leotard/tights for her auditions. She came out of the changing room with her tights over her leotard. Obviously I asked her why and she just said they had been told by college to wear them like this.
Personally I think it looks ridiculous!

[xdancerx4xlifex]

I wear my leotard both of them ways,
I'm on foundation and we've been recommended to wear our tights like that I Think it may make your legs look longer? Not sure though haha.

And I sometimes wear my crop top like that if I'm in a jazz class at college and we have to wear a leotard, I then pull it down if it gets too hot it's just easier to pull it down rather than getting changed mid class but I rarely wear them.

[FelixGirl]

I've just asked DD and she says it's just what they're told to do at college!! She thinks it's because it does make their legs look longer, and it makes them all look more uniform when they're all together (you can't see so much difference between the length of legs!).

She doesn't roll her leotard down, but they were told to buy the high legged "hold in" pants from Primark which they wear (instead of a leotard) with a crop top (so a similar effect to rolling down the leotard I think!). The competition is apparently always on to find the most unusual sports bra/crop top combination!!

Don't know if this helps??

xx

[Kitschqueen]

It is thought that wearing tights over a leotard improves the line of the legs, I'm not so sure but if they are black tights over a black leotard guess it makes sense. (would look ridiculous with pink ballet tights!!).

My DD will often pull her leotard down to her waist if she is going straight from a ballet class (where it has to be worn correctly) into a contemporary class. It can be to do with cooling down but I think it also has to do with fashion (and showing off enviable waists and stomachs!! )

[paulears]

Don't you find it odd that given that young people question almost everything older people tell them, that none have actually asked 'why' and just accepted it. If it makes them look or feel silly, surely somebody must have queried it - or is it the King's new clothes?

[Katymac]

That is just what I was thinking Paulears; it looks very odd. Esp coloured leotards & black tights

& I'm probably old fashioned but I prefer underwear to be exactly that...."under"

[Kitschqueen]

Interestingly, I went to watch a showing at my dd's CAT on Friday following the intensive week with the external choreographers and low and behold one of the 3rd years was wearing a red leotard with black footless tights over the top.
I thought, she must be doing MT/performing arts but actually I did like the look of it and it certainly did elongate her legs.

[FelixGirl]

They like the way it looks! And anything that makes legs look longer is definitely going to be a winner!!!

[Wightdanca]

It's also for a practical (comfort!) reason when you're doing pas de deux - if you know what I mean!

[mumtomil]

DD's ballet teacher is v. v. uniform strict (no wrinkles in leotard, baby pink not white tights etc) and if one of her girls did this - they would be asked to go and change ASAP!!

[FelixGirl]

I don't think DD would dream of doing it for ballet (her ballet teachers have always been very strict too!!).........but for jazz, commercial, contemporary and tap, it's what they are told to do by the teachers at college!! So definitely not with pink ballet tights, only with black tights over either a coloured leotard or just with a crop top.......