Celebrating diversity in dance!
At Ballet Caliente, we honor the diversity of our student body with this special section of our website.
Here, you'll find articles, links and videos that are meant to inform and celebrate the unique beauty of YOU!
Here, you'll find articles, links and videos that are meant to inform and celebrate the unique beauty of YOU!
The following is an article that ran in our January '23 issue of The Pointe.
In a body centric discipline, like ballet, it is important for each dancer to look and feel their best! While ballet is known for having strict rules and regulations regarding class uniforms, hair and makeup, it is essential that every dancer know how to use these guidelines to their advantage. Dance has come a long way in recent decades, and has become a universal language that spans across cultures and even disciplines (think ballet, jazz, tap, modern, contemporary, hip hop etc.!) But, how do we accommodate ballet traditions while respecting each dancer's unique cultural heritage? Let's take a closer look at some of these elements!
Stemming from the origins of ballet in 15th century Italy, and becoming popularized in 19th century ballets like Giselle and Swan Lake, ballerinas traditionally wore their hair in a chignon, or what is now known as the "ballet bun". This hairstyle continues to serve many practical purposes, even in today's ballet classrooms. First, keeping hair up, and out of the dancer's eyes is important to their safety! Imagine attempting a series of fouetté turns with hair in your face! Second, having hair that is swept up in an orderly fashion allows the instructor to clearly see the line of the dancer, from their head to their toes. While regularly straightening and pulling hair tightly back into a bun can cause damage to natural texture or curls, there are many beautiful hair styles that a dancer can wear to keep their hair neat, tidy and protected. Check out some of these suggestions from Brown Girls Do Ballet Blog. Dancer's should note that while these styles are great for daily class wear, performance hair should be sleek and secure in a bun. We've asked a few of our current students to share their favorite ways of styling their hair for class, or for a performance. The full videos are also available on our Instagram and Facebook pages! Let's move on to a dancer's wardrobe!
Again, dating back to the Eurocentric beginnings of ballet, light pink tights and shoes were worn to blend with a [white] dancer's skin. At Ballet Caliente, we give dancers the option to wear "ballet pink" tights and shoes, or should they choose, tights and shoes that match their individual skin tone. These days, there are many different retailers who stock a variety of skin tone items like undergarments, tights and ballet slippers. Our dancers can conveniently find skin tone ballet slippers at many local dance stores. Dancers and their families can also look to retailers like Ballet Cafe for tights, or brands like Gaynor Minden or Bloch for skin colored pointe shoes and corresponding elastics and ribbons. Alternatively, a dancer can utilize makeup to customize her shoe color! Ask your instructor for more information on this method, or check out this online video clip from Ballet West.
No matter what style or shade of tights or shoes a dancer chooses, they ultimately need to feel bright, confident and beautiful! If you or your dancer have questions, or would like guidance on these topics, please reach out to our staff!
Stemming from the origins of ballet in 15th century Italy, and becoming popularized in 19th century ballets like Giselle and Swan Lake, ballerinas traditionally wore their hair in a chignon, or what is now known as the "ballet bun". This hairstyle continues to serve many practical purposes, even in today's ballet classrooms. First, keeping hair up, and out of the dancer's eyes is important to their safety! Imagine attempting a series of fouetté turns with hair in your face! Second, having hair that is swept up in an orderly fashion allows the instructor to clearly see the line of the dancer, from their head to their toes. While regularly straightening and pulling hair tightly back into a bun can cause damage to natural texture or curls, there are many beautiful hair styles that a dancer can wear to keep their hair neat, tidy and protected. Check out some of these suggestions from Brown Girls Do Ballet Blog. Dancer's should note that while these styles are great for daily class wear, performance hair should be sleek and secure in a bun. We've asked a few of our current students to share their favorite ways of styling their hair for class, or for a performance. The full videos are also available on our Instagram and Facebook pages! Let's move on to a dancer's wardrobe!
Again, dating back to the Eurocentric beginnings of ballet, light pink tights and shoes were worn to blend with a [white] dancer's skin. At Ballet Caliente, we give dancers the option to wear "ballet pink" tights and shoes, or should they choose, tights and shoes that match their individual skin tone. These days, there are many different retailers who stock a variety of skin tone items like undergarments, tights and ballet slippers. Our dancers can conveniently find skin tone ballet slippers at many local dance stores. Dancers and their families can also look to retailers like Ballet Cafe for tights, or brands like Gaynor Minden or Bloch for skin colored pointe shoes and corresponding elastics and ribbons. Alternatively, a dancer can utilize makeup to customize her shoe color! Ask your instructor for more information on this method, or check out this online video clip from Ballet West.
No matter what style or shade of tights or shoes a dancer chooses, they ultimately need to feel bright, confident and beautiful! If you or your dancer have questions, or would like guidance on these topics, please reach out to our staff!
With the help of two of our Studio Company members, we will learn how
to perfect our ballet bun for class and performances!
to perfect our ballet bun for class and performances!
Click on an image below to watch Caitlyn and Isabel's full hair tutorial videos
Dancers looking to purchase tonal shoes and tights can find links to a variety of options below.
Remember, tights and shoes should match, regardless of a dancer's prefered color.
Remember, tights and shoes should match, regardless of a dancer's prefered color.
Skin tone tights from
Ballet Cafe |
Skin tone shoes & elastics from
Gaynor Minden or Bloch |