# Periods and Ballet Class



## Ann-Marita

What do young teens do for their periods during ballet class? Underwear isn't usually allowed.

I'm talking about teens that are not ready for tampons. The peel-n-stick pad won't work with tights. Or maybe they just don't use the "wings" that are supposed to wrap around underwear?

I tried to remember back when I was a young teen and in dance class (back in dinosaur days), and I had one of those old-fashioned belts that the pads' ends attached to. I don't think they sell those any more, or the pads with the long ends.

I'll probably encourage my dd to use cloth pads - I do myself. But even so, those pads wrap around the underwear and I just don't see them staying in place well with tights.

Thanks.


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## tinuviel_k

Is there any way you could discreetly talk to the instructor of the class and get her opinion on the matter? I bet they would know exactly how to deal with the tricky issues of menstruation and leotards: they've probably had to address it a hundred times!


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## suabel

I agree; this had to have come up before. Also, I wouldn't completely assume that tampons are out. My 13-year-old (who started menstruating four months ago) started using tampons this cycle. She's a competitive swimmer, so we have a similar situation. She asked and I bought some slender ones and she figured it out herself. I'm not saying that all young teens will feel comfortable with them, but my dd found that it wasn't a huge ordeal for her.


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## AbbieB

You know, it really ticks me off that tampons are pushed as the best, necessary, modern, only option. (Nobody here said that, it's just an attitude that seems to come up in every group I have ever been in a conversation about periods with.







:

I can completely understand why someone would not want to use them. I think they are uncomfortable.

I started using them when I was 13, I was on the swim team. But to be honest, I only used them on heavy days. The other days I would just put my suit on and get in the pool right away. Then I would go straight to the change room and get dressed when I was done.

For a dance class I think it is silly that young women can not wear underwear for class for just this reason. Does the class allow shorts or a skirt? You know, the little tiny kind that go over a leotard? I saw the older girls at my DD's gymnastics club wearing these all the time.

My other thought is that a pad may work just fine with tights. I would go for the super thin kind so that does not seem obvious. Your DD could try it out at home to see if would work.


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## lab

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AbbieB* 
The other days I would just put my suit on and get in the pool right away. Then I would go straight to the change room and get dressed when I was done.


So you were bleeding into the pool?







GAH!


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## mommyinIL1976

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AbbieB* 
The other days I would just put my suit on and get in the pool right away. Then I would go straight to the change room and get dressed when I was done.


Ugh....this scares me!


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## MeepyCat

Boo to your DD's ballet class for banning underwear. I mean, it *is* bulky and obvious under a leo, but fer the love of little green apples... Can a kid not wear little shorts over her leo, or with a body skimming top and the undies of her choice for a few days?

If you can discretely ask the teacher for suggestions, I would. I don't think tampons are that big a deal (but yes, get the "junior" kind with the smooth applicators), but I think your daughter will best be able to enjoy and absorb her dance class if she's comfortable.


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## Jane

What about a thong? You can stick maxipads to them just fine.


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## Teensy

I actually got my first period on the morning of a ballet *performance* in which I was to wear a thin white leotard. I starting using tampons right then and there!









But, a wingless pad would stick to the tights worn under the leotard (I assume tights are worn). If ballet skirts are allowed, then that would help with coverage also.

It stinks at the time to be a young girl dealing with this situation, but most (not all, but I don't recommend starving oneself to avoid menstruation) every dancer has to deal with it on a monthly basis.

I would have loved a Diva cup had I known about them - talk about discret, I could have even avoided the whole "take your purse with you to the bathroom, it's that time of the month signal" that I hated in high school.


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## The4OfUs

I danced for years, and wore wingless pads stuck to my tights for about a year after I started my period, then started with jr/slender tampons when I was about 14, and would just wear them for the class and then go back to pads when I was done with class...class was only an hour, so it wasn't a big deal...by 15 I was in tampons full time because I HATE pads...cloth, disposable, I HATE that 'dripping' sensation (TMI!). And frankly, a pad mushing around when trying to dance was very uncomfortable IMO, so I totally get why they discourage it.

I'm going to teach my daughter about cups, I HEART my Mooncup UK, and I've heard that there are ones that will fit even young girls. Hopefully she'll be interested.


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## alegna

FWIW in serious ballet classes underwear, shorts, skirts etc are all really no nos.

-Angela


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## The4OfUs

Yeah, we were allowed warmup shorts (the knit ones) and legwarmers during warmups, but once barre began it was just shoes, tights, leotard, hair up off the neck, no jewelry.


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## Ann-Marita

Well, one teacher I asked said that at her school (where she took when she was younger), girls were basically forced to use tampons! Nothing else would be allowed, and a female teacher would take the girl to the bathroom to assist. The only alternative was to sit out.

Yikes! That seems entirely too invasive in a very personal choice. Thank goodness DD isn't taking dance at THAT school.

I have found a possible solution. A sort of dance belt/menstrual belt hybrid. Elastic around the hips, and a nice strip of cloth that goes from front to back and the pad can be attached to that. OR that strip of cloth can actually incorporate a cloth pad. This is worn under tights.

I'm particularly interested in this because I have never found tampons to be comfortable. I have a tipped uterus, and I guess that changes the position of my cervix inside my vagina, which makes tampons feel terrible. And genetics being what it is, dd probably has a higher-than-average chance of having a tipped uterus, too.

I just want dd to be able to choose whatever she is comfortable with, and not be forced into using anything.


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## Mama Dragon

I always wondered this, I was in gymnastics but grew too tall to keep going before I started menstruating, so there was never an issue. DD wasn't interested, but I would be she'd tell any teacher whatfor if they tried to force her into using something she didn't want to, or not let her wear underwear and shorts for the couple days a month she needed to. Probably good she wasn't interested









I'm never swimming in a public pool after this thread though. Was on swim team too, but again, I had to quit before I started menstruating...I cannot imagine bleeding even a tiny amount into the water. Or swimming behind someone that was, ewwww.


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## HappyMommy2

What is "too young" for tampons? If she wants to use them - why not? I used them with my 2nd period. So much cleaner than pads. I understand it is a personal preference, but I don't understand how her age is relevant?

If it is a comfort thing like the poster above (I have a tipped uterus too) she can try the little ones. I still use the "slender" ones that are kind of hard to find.


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## momtokea

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ann-Marita* 
Well, one teacher I asked said that at her school (where she took when she was younger), girls were basically forced to use tampons! Nothing else would be allowed, and a female teacher would take the girl to the bathroom to assist. The only alternative was to sit out.

Yikes! That seems entirely too invasive in a very personal choice. Thank goodness DD isn't taking dance at THAT school.


Wow. I would not be comfortable with that. That's creepy. Is that even legal??


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## BirthIsAwesome

I took ballet and pointe for 5 years after I started menstruating. What worked for me was extra-thin, extra-narrow pads in my tights, with leotard over. This worked fine, even for my 2-hour classes.

Now, this ballet teacher was old-school, she danced on Broadway back in the late 40's and her mother was a principal ballerina back in the 20's/30's. She's at least 85. Anyway she demanded that we wear tiny wrap-around skirts that just covered our butt and the top of our thighs, for modesty reasons *grin* Which made it nice and easy to disguise the pad in my tights.

At any rate, if her teacher absolutely won't allow something like that, then tampons sound like her only solution







sad but true. The belt/pad combo would be VERY obvious and lumpy...I wouldn't recommend it. Ballerinas can be mercilessly cruel to classmates, unfortunately.

Have her try a very slender tampon on a non-ballet day, so she can see if she is comfy enough to dance in it. I always found tampons quite uncomfortable, so even when I first tried a tampon when I was 16, I didn't wear them to ballet, because they hurt when I bent to the ground or did large leaps, like Grande Jette's.

Anyway, sorry for that novel I just wrote







I can't seem to reply briefly to anything, lol. Hope that helps


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## knittinanny

I was a dancer throughout all of my teenage years. I used sea sponges in dance class. We weren't allowed to wear underwear/skirts/whatever. I can't use tampons or mooncups comfortably, but sponges are a-ok.


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## dancindoula

I'm a dancer and ballet teacher so even now I have to deal with that question. As an adult, tampons/instead cups are my friends. When I was your dd's age and still figuring myself out I liked to use the really long thin pads without wings (they do make those) - I'd just stick them to my tights and pull the leotard over the top. Never had any accidents, but like pp said it felt bunchy to dance in so I soon switched to tampons just for class. The thin ones didn't actually show either (though in my teenaged insecurity I felt VERY conspicuous!) and once we finished barre we were allowed to put on our skirts, so that helped too.

I like the idea of the sea sponges or sea pearls though, wish I'd known about it then!


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## Jane

I know very little about dance - what's the reason for the no-panties rule? And what's the difference between "barre" and other parts of class?


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## talk de jour

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Apricot* 
I know very little about dance - what's the reason for the no-panties rule? And what's the difference between "barre" and other parts of class?


Never took ballet, but as far as I know, no panties because of form. Thongs are allowed in most ballet schools I know of, but bigger panties are a lines/bulkiness issue.

And barre is in front of a mirror to check your form, so much the same reason AFAIK


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## MeepyCat

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Apricot* 
I know very little about dance - what's the reason for the no-panties rule? And what's the difference between "barre" and other parts of class?

The reason for the "nothing but leotard and tights" rule (which is what it actually is - not just no panties) is that the teacher doesn't want *anything* that prevents her from observing the line of the student's body, and making sure that each technique is being done correctly. (How necessary this is is an open question - actual professional dancers work out in a variety of outfits, because they have a variety of physical needs. Little shorts may obscure the line, but might be the extra layer that keeps a hip warm enough to prevent reinjury. Wristwarmers, legwarmers and ace bandages aren't exactly uncommon.)

Barre is sometimes called "warm up", but I've had classes that were nothing but. A lot of the time, barre (which generally involves dancers holding on to a bar at about hip height) is the part of class focused on practicing and perfecting the technique behind each move. The idea is to go slowly enough to get everything perfect, and give the teacher time to check that you're doing so and suggest improvements. Barre should also get your muscles warm and prepare you to work at higher speeds with no supports.


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## Jane

Thanks for answering my question! I appreciate it!


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## snoopy5386

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mama Dragon* 
I always wondered this, I was in gymnastics but grew too tall to keep going before I started menstruating, so there was never an issue. DD wasn't interested, but I would be she'd tell any teacher whatfor if they tried to force her into using something she didn't want to, or not let her wear underwear and shorts for the couple days a month she needed to. Probably good she wasn't interested









I'm never swimming in a public pool after this thread though. Was on swim team too, but again, I had to quit before I started menstruating...I cannot imagine bleeding even a tiny amount into the water. Or swimming behind someone that was, ewwww.

sort of OT, my friend's water broke while she was swimming, and no they didn't tell the people at the pool, she was too focused on the whole baby thing!


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## Kidzaplenty

My daughter takes dance, is a serious dancer, and she is allowed to wear undies (which she does for modesty sake). She also refuses tampons and uses pads.

I am glad we have never had to deal with the no undies thing, she would likely have quite before giving in to that, no matter how serious a dancer she is (and she is VERY serious).


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## carlylovesthesims2

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mommyinIL1976* 
Ugh....this scares me!









ewwwww i never wanna swim in a public pool again isnt blood considered human waste?


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## kennedy444

Why not tampons?
My dd got her first period during the summer (at age 13) and didn't want to miss a minute of swimming or an upcoming pond party with friends. I bought and explained how to use the tampons, offered to come in and show her (got a big no), and with some practice she did figure it out pretty quickly.


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## marimara

Ummm, ok, I guess my dd won't be doing ballet because I see this whole thread as being completely ridiculous. A young girl forced to use tampons? Panty lines getting in the way of seeing body form? Seriously I am a massage therapist and I even give massages to people in underwear and no it doesn't even get in the way of me seeing every muscle in their body







:

I really have no place in this forum since my dd is 2 but came across the thread from the homepage







So. that's my disclaimer. Feel free to ignore my comments


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## purslaine

No disclaimer needed!

I too find the idea that someone feels they have the right to tell someone not to wear underwear, or to limit their choice during menstruation, a little apalling.

Kathy


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## pinksprklybarefoot

Something that I haven't seen mentioned would be to wear 2 leotards - one as "underwear" and one over it. I danced for many years, and at some of the schools I went to, this was pretty common. Granted, these were adults, but a lot of the dancers had a favorite leotard that was too beat-up/holey to wear alone, so they would just do one on top of the other.

Another thing to try would be to go to a nice department store and look for some "no line" panties that would be entirely covered by a leotard. One of my fellow dancers just could not handle the no panties thing (she felt it was too immodest), so this is what she did.

With regard to the dance instructor, what if your dd had a note from her dr saying that she couldn't use tampons for some reason? Could they really argue with that?


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## tbone_kneegrabber

Quote:


Originally Posted by *carlylovesthesims2* 
ewwwww i never wanna swim in a public pool again isnt blood considered human waste?

You don't bleed once you are in the water. I thought that was a common knowledge thing? Its not like the menstrual blood continues to flow out of you like that, it has to do with buoyancy etc. Also, if I scrap my knee on the concrete around the pool I probably bleed into etc. That's why they use chlorine. I am not saying public pools are nasty, but not only because of menstruation. Also if you wear a tampon sometimes it leaks etc.

http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0629.html


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## Kidzaplenty

I would think that wearing another leotard under the outer one would be more "bulky" than a simple pair of undies. And therefore defeat the "purpose" of not allowing undies in the first place.

It is a really stupid thing IMO. I wear undies and would not take them off for a dance teacher or a dance class. I may change them for a different kind that would work better for dancing perhaps, but I would never feel comfortable going without, with or without an additional leaotard on.


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## pumpkin

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tbone_kneegrabber* 
You don't bleed once you are in the water. I thought that was a common knowledge thing?

http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0629.html

Plenty of women still bleed in the water. It just depends upon how heavy your period is. Having gotten out of a bathtub that quickly went from clear water to something resembling a horror film, I can assure you that if the flow is heavy enough, it will come out.


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## ursusarctos

I was on the swimteam in high school and I remember one girl was not allowed to use tampons because she was supposed to save her vagina for her husband, which apparently in her family meant nothing inside her at all ever before marriage, even her own finger or a tampon that she put there herself (even then this rankled my fledgling inner feminist but that's beside the point). So she would put a pad in her swimsuit (no, you couldn't see it) and just swim like that. She never bled in the water to my knowledge. Even if she did a little bit, a swimming pool is so vast that it is immediately mixed up in everything else. IMO a little blood is no grosser than all the snot, spit, and dead skin that goes into the water all the time. And yeah, as PP have said, chlorine. It's the public recreational facility's best friend.


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## The4OfUs

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kathymuggle* 
I too find the idea that someone feels they have the right to tell someone not to wear underwear, or to limit their choice during menstruation, a little apalling.

Kathy

As a private business, they entirely have the right to conduct classes in the way they see fit (noting that it is an industry norm), just as people have the right to decide they don't want to pay for classes at their studio for that reason.







: By the time we started going underwearless (it wasn't enforced at the studio I attended until the girls got into their teens, to upper level classes, taking pointe, more serious dancing), it was in fact more comfortable to not have the extra layer of underwear there, even though underwear seems thin...it could bunch up uncomfortably, stick to you, get wedged in places that were not comfortable for holding extensions or jumping, etc.







: It had zero to do with anything untoward or sexual, in my personal experience and from what I could tell, of those around me. None of us saw it as a big deal. We saw other things as big deals and would talk about them, but the underwear (or lack thereof) was pretty much a non issue.


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## Ruthla

IMO, by the time a girl is old enough to menstruate, she's old enough to wear tampons. I personally started using tampons during my second period.

For a girl uncomfortable wearing tampons, I can see three options: wear a tampon JUST for dance class (and change back into a pad ASAP), wear a thin pad under her leotard, or drop out of dance.

It sounds to me like the "no underwear allowed" rule is only for older, more serious students. Some girls simply won't want to continue at that point- I myself lost interest in ballet when it became more serious and "less fun." By the time a girl is in a more serious class, as well as old enough to menstruate, she's old enough to make decisions about her time and her body. She may decide that ballet is rewarding and she wants to continue in spite of her discomfort about tampons. Or maybe she'll decide that tampons just squick her out too much and ballet is no longer worth it. Or, maybe your DD will have no problems with tampons and this won't be a concern at all.


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## purslaine

Quote:


Originally Posted by *The4OfUs* 
As a private business, they entirely have the right to conduct classes in the way they see fit (noting that it is an industry norm), just as people have the right to decide they don't want to pay for classes at their studio for that reason.







:

Just because it is a private business and an industry norm does not make it _OK._ I have the legal right to do lots of things I do not do









The feminst in me simply is







at the thought of _anyone_ telling me if I can wear underwear and how to handle my period.

I understand many may choose not to wear underwear -but there is a difference between imposing and choosing.

I also get that one can argue "if you do not like it - don't take dance" - but I think that is a bit of a cop-out. One shouldn't have to put up with something or drop out if the "something" is unreasonalbe.

None-the -less this is not my cross to bear - no one in my family takes dance. If I was interested in dance, I would work to change this rule.

I hope the Op has found some solutions









Kathy


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## tinuviel_k

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tbone_kneegrabber* 
You don't bleed once you are in the water. I thought that was a common knowledge thing? Its not like the menstrual blood continues to flow out of you like that, it has to do with buoyancy etc. Also, if I scrap my knee on the concrete around the pool I probably bleed into etc. That's why they use chlorine. I am not saying public pools are nasty, but not only because of menstruation. Also if you wear a tampon sometimes it leaks etc.

http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0629.html

I really don't think this is true. I've taken a bath on my period and it certainly did get it the water.


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## dancindoula

To be fair, as a long time dancer I have never encountered the no-underwear thing as an actual Rule, it's just always been how it was done. In the school where I grew up and the schools where I have taught it is common for the very young little girls to wear underwear under their tights and leotards, but by the time they get to be around 8 or 9 just decide that THEY don't like their underwear showing under their clothes and start doing without. It's just sort of a non-issue in my experience. And like pp said, by the time they start more serious dancing it's pretty uncomfortable having one's underwear go creeping into places whilst trying to dance and one can't really dig it out that easily. Most dancers adopt the no undies policy on their own as a matter of personal comfort (not to mention they're already wearing both tights and a leotard anyway so many of them feel undies are redundant), but if you wanted to take a class and chose to keep them on I've not met a teacher yet that would try to force them off.

......And I can't even fathom any teacher mandating the type of menstrual products a girl uses.







: Really? Is there truly a school with a "thou shalt only use tampons to staunch thy menstrual flow" rule???


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## fork

Get her one of these http://image3.discountdance.com/image/250x300/3680.jpg
wear next to skin, with whatever pad she likes, put tights over, and then the regular leotard. This is what I did for years before I got the hang of tampons. Regular undies, besides looking terrible, are super uncomfortable. The leotards they make specifically to go under other leotards/costumes are very thin and fit well, much more comfortable and you can't really notice them. I could never get a pad to stay in place and hidden by just sticking it to my tights.


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## lab

Quote:

Originally Posted by *tbone_kneegrabber* http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?p=13249184#post13249184http://www.mothering.com/discussions...s/viewpost.gif
_You don't bleed once you are in the water. I thought that was a common knowledge thing? Its not like the menstrual blood continues to flow out of you like that, it has to do with buoyancy etc. Also, if I scrap my knee on the concrete around the pool I probably bleed into etc. That's why they use chlorine. I am not saying public pools are nasty, but not only because of menstruation. Also if you wear a tampon sometimes it leaks etc._

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tinuviel_k* 
I really don't think this is true. I've taken a bath on my period and it certainly did get it the water.



Yeah, I'm calling bull on this....


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## interested

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tbone_kneegrabber* 
You don't bleed once you are in the water. I thought that was a common knowledge thing? Its not like the menstrual blood continues to flow out of you like that, it has to do with buoyancy etc. Also, if I scrap my knee on the concrete around the pool I probably bleed into etc. That's why they use chlorine. I am not saying public pools are nasty, but not only because of menstruation. Also if you wear a tampon sometimes it leaks etc.

http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0629.html

ITA. I don't know about the reason, but anecdotally...everyone I've talked to about this issue has noticed a slow/stopped flow in water (not saying this will be true for everyone, just that it must be fairly common). I do notice that it starts again almost immediately upon getting out of the water. And the PP did say specifically that she used something on heavy-flow days.

Sorry to extend this tangential conversation! Back to the original issue - I second the seamless thong w/slim pad idea, although when I was that age I always had very heavy periods and the slim wouldn't have been enough.


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## purslaine

Sorry - can't resist.....

I bleed in the bath but not in a pool. Perhaps it is the water temperature?


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## KaraBoo

Granted this was 14 years ago, but my daughter was allowed to wear underwear to class but not at a performance. I think the idea was the ballet corps are to appear as one (a body, corps, get it? LOL) and look just alike.

Also, as an adult, I wouldn't get into a pool without a tampon but didn't that poster say she did that when she was a teen? I know it sounds gross to us now but didn't we all do things like that as a teen?


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## snoopy5386

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthla* 
*IMO, by the time a girl is old enough to menstruate, she's old enough to wear tampons. I personally started using tampons during my second period.*

For a girl uncomfortable wearing tampons, I can see three options: wear a tampon JUST for dance class (and change back into a pad ASAP), wear a thin pad under her leotard, or drop out of dance.

It sounds to me like the "no underwear allowed" rule is only for older, more serious students. Some girls simply won't want to continue at that point- I myself lost interest in ballet when it became more serious and "less fun." By the time a girl is in a more serious class, as well as old enough to menstruate, she's old enough to make decisions about her time and her body. She may decide that ballet is rewarding and she wants to continue in spite of her discomfort about tampons. Or maybe she'll decide that tampons just squick her out too much and ballet is no longer worth it. Or, maybe your DD will have no problems with tampons and this won't be a concern at all.

Really, you believe this?? Some kids get their periods at 8 years old, they should have to deal with tampons?? I got my period at 11, I was a very young 11, still very much a child and very much a tomboy. I didn't even tell my mother for at least the 1st cycle or two. She only had tampons in the house, so I used wadded up toilet paper as a pad and hoped for the best. I can count on one hand the number of times I have used tampons. They are yuck and I hate them. So uncomfortable to have something inside my body. IF I was into dance, having to wear a tampon would have made me quit, most definitely.


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## sunnmama

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthla* 
IMO, by the time a girl is old enough to menstruate, she's old enough to wear tampons. .

I agree with this from a "the choice should be offered to her" standpoint.

But I strongly disagree from a "she should be ready to use them" standpoint. Some menstruating individuals are too young to use tampons, meaning that they--personally--are not ready.


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## Llyra

I dealt with this as a kid; by the time I had my period I was dancing pretty seriously five days a week. I remember the first time I had my period was during a performance week, and I wore my regular undies the first night, to hold the pad, and kept getting comments from other people about it, and my mom noticed. The next day she went out and bought me a really high-cut thong, something WAY too sexy for a 12 year old







but it did the job nicely-- held the pad while being completely invisible under my costume. Combine that with a thin pad with no wings, and it worked just fine. But I felt miserably self-conscious still, like everybody could see the bulge, and the pad made it harder to move naturally. My mother kind of casually mentioned tampons, and left a box with instructions for me to fiddle with, and that's what I wound up using.

"No undies" rules are common in the dance world-- in some competitions, for example, even for very young girls, visible panty line makes you lose points. Gymnasts and swimmers also have this problem. The ballet world is known already for plenty of other anti-feminist offenses. The more serious ballet schools have gotten plenty of publicity for basically forcing growing girls onto restrictive diets to control their weight, even when the girls were already crazy-skinny.

For the OP-- what about a high-cut thong? That was a good solution for me, until I was a bit more mature and ready to try internal protection. But I also agree that if a girl is interested, and WANTS to try tampons, there's no reason she can't try tampons. Any girl old enough to menstruate is old enough to try one. A cup is also an option, or sponges.


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## Mama Dragon

The water breaking in a pool wouldn't bother me unless there was meconium. The stuff is sterile otherwise.

Blood flow doesn't magically stop in water, cold, hot or warm. Ever cut yourself and put it in a bowl of water? Doesn't work. Maybe I bleed freakishly heavy (ok I know I do), but there is NO WAY just being in water would stop the flow. And getting to and out of the pool? Blood bath all over the floors.


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## AbbieB

OK, I've gotta defend myself a little. I was 12.







(and I did not bleed heavily back then, probably why tampons were so uncomfortable)

But really, the shear amount of snot and pee (from kids, hopefully not other swim team members) was a little more gross. But that's what the ridiculous amount of chlorine is for, right?


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## harrietsmama

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lab* 
So you were bleeding into the pool?







GAH!

No, I did this too. The water pressure of the pool keeps you from bleeding.


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## harrietsmama

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tinuviel_k* 
I really don't think this is true. I've taken a bath on my period and it certainly did get it the water.

Ok, 2 people have said this - there is a huge difference in pressure with just a bath tub and a huge pool, and it's ot to the op question. hope you got an answer that works!


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## SuzyLee

I have to chime in on the pool thing... I swam competitively and quite a few girls didn't wear tampons during their periods. When you are swimming competitively, it is just not the same as floating around in the tub.... I don't know how to explain it, but there is not a trail of blood behind you. I promise.


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## Harmony08

I was involved in a serious ballet school when I was young. I got my period when I was 11. I was definitely not ready for tampons. I tried and tried. I remember that this was a very awful time for me. I was SO upset about getting my period and mostly because of ballet. None of my friends had their period yet. I think I was told I could wear the knit shorts if I wanted to but this was a mortifying idea for me because it was like wearing a sign that said "menstruating". At 11, and the only one in my class, I couldn't handle that. I think I got away with pantiliners on my tights for awhile because my period was so light the first year or so but oh dear, this was traumatic for me.

I have to say that this was sort of the death knell for my ballet career. I was already getting burnt. I quit not long after I got my period. I transfered my energy to Jazz and tap and haven't looked back.

Just wanted to say to those who think that being allowed to wear underwear during your period would help a young ballerina, I just can't see that that is true. You can so tell and it is such a no no in serious ballet schools. It would be like being on Top Chef and opening up a can of cream of mushroom soup.


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## onelilguysmommy

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mama Dragon* 
The water breaking in a pool wouldn't bother me unless there was meconium. The stuff is sterile otherwise.


ehhh..meconium isnt "dirty" either, theres not the bacteria and all in the babys gut still on the inside. it seems a lot more gross than it really is.

and im another who thinks it should be up to her but offered to use a sponge, cup or tampons..if shes not comfy with those, i cant see how dancing would be at all comfy with a pad in the way but i dont know what else to do!


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## Jeanne D'Arc

I am really curious and have to ask. I took ballet as a child but as an adult no, if you aren't wearing undies... wouldn't your pubic hair show or at least puff up the leotard?


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## dancindoula

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jeanne D'Arc* 
I am really curious and have to ask. I took ballet as a child but as an adult no, if you aren't wearing undies... wouldn't your pubic hair show or at least puff up the leotard?

No, the tights you wear under the leotard live up to their name and keep everything pretty contained. The leotard is just as form fitting. That's why most dancers find underwear or a pad so uncomfortable under tights, because things get shifted into impolite spaces and _held_ there with no possibility of discreet extraction (besides it shows).


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## junipermuse

I took dance in my young teen years and I always wore a tampon when I had my period. There was no way I would have worn a pad to dance in. First the visibility would have made me too self concious. i always bought the thinnest pads I could find, but I still felt like they were visible under even my clothes. I would have been horrified at the idea that someone could see it through my leotard. Second it would have terribly uncomfortable, the shifting, the bunching, I have always found that pads chafe a bit and so only wear them on really heavy flow days. Also I think that unless you're wearing thick clothes you can kind of hear them when you walk. Also the shifting would put me at risk of leaking which would have been the most mortifying thing to me of all at that time. As long as tampons were an option, that was my choice. However if I absolutely had to use pads in a dance class I think I would have chosen to use that leotard someone else posted, the skintone one and then wear it under another leotard. But I would want someone to direct me to the world's thinnest pad.


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## panamama

i took ballet & gymnastics as a child, and got my pd at 8 or 9 years old.







a tampon _wasn't happening_. (i didn't even know what they were until i was probably 11 or 12, and when my mom explained how they worked to me i was mortified/terrified by the thought!







) i don't remember ballet being a problem, but that was probably b/c we were allowed to wear skirts and/or b/c i quit by the time i was 9. gymnastics though? no tights there. and while there wasn't a no undies rule, i don't think most of the girls (myself included) wore any. there were those leotards with the built-in panty if you could find them, but those could still be somewhat uncomfortable. i remember being sad that we had to buy some black leotards for me to wear on pd days in place of my other colorful ones, then being extremely embarassed to wear a pad underneath. eventually i began to skip class when i had my period.







IDK that there's a good solution if there's not a clothing option/alternative...


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## zjandosmom

I too learned right away that a tampon was a fine option for me! There was no way I was going to ask to wear shorts or skirts (anything outside the uniform) during my period....that would be like yelling "hey, I have my period!" Way too humiliating.

Underwear- you just don't. If you don't like it ballet is probably not for you. Ballet is very 'old school' and there are some things you just do and some you don't. Classical ballet is very different than other forms of dance. Very steeped in 'tradition'.

I would offer her a slender tampon and see what happens. Belts, pads, etc all sound so bulky and uncomfortable. Just my 2 cents.


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## dianne-37

When I was taking ballet and had my period I had to adhere to my mothers method which was a good old white kotex sanitary belt and this long tabbed napkin. It was very old fashion I think in the 80's but it did work well under my tights.


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## mommy68

I read on another site that maybe your DD could ask if she can switch to black leotards and a black skirt just during that time of the month.







However, I think I'd stick with a tampon just during class.


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## lemurik

I took ballet classes when I was young. It was never really serious, everyone wore underwear, skirts, etc...But I hated wearing a pad. It shifted, bunched up, I was afraid of leaks... If anyone gave me the option of a tampon, I would have probably continued dancing for longer.


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## MtnLivinMama

I remember being mortified by this too. After I skipped classes a few times during my period, my mother spoke with my dance teacher, and I was given permission to wear a skirt during my cycle. That was okay, but I still felt bulky and clumsy with a pad under my leotard, and at some point started using tampons.


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## MayBaby2007

Quote:


Originally Posted by *marimara* 
Ummm, ok, I guess my dd won't be doing ballet because I see this whole thread as being completely ridiculous. A young girl forced to use tampons? Panty lines getting in the way of seeing body form? Seriously I am a massage therapist and I even give massages to people in underwear and no it doesn't even get in the way of me seeing every muscle in their body







:

I really have no place in this forum since my dd is 2 but came across the thread from the homepage







So. that's my disclaimer. Feel free to ignore my comments










(I saw this in new posts too). ITA with you, Marimara.

Since dd has been walking, several people have told me "She's going to be a dancer." "She's going to be a ballarina" (Because only my toddler likes to dance, you know







). On the defensive, I tell them, "She can be a dancer but no girl of mine will be a ballarina." That goes for any sport that shows off her body like it's nothing.

As a girl, I would have been completely-head-over-heels-suicidally-mortified if I wasn't *allowed* to wear panties and had to wear a skin tight outfit during my period (or skin tight at all).

I knew I didn't want dd to be a ballarina from day one. I didn't know it was _this_ bad until reading this thread though. Yikes. This is one plea/argument dd will not win when she's older.


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## MtnLivinMama

Regarding the posts on how this thread has a few people convinced that they will never put their dd's in ballet classes, I have to say that I think ballet was one of the best influences for me during that extremely awkward adolescent phase when all the changes in my body were new. I was gangly, awkward, and "early bloomer" who slouched all the time to try to hide my breasts. Ballet actually helped me to feel good about my body, to stand up straight and tall, to know my physical strengths, to feel poised and graceful at a time when I didn't feel that way around my peers. I know dance can have some serious pitfalls for body image issues, but for me (probably due to a great teacher) it was a healthy influence. I went on to be a very successful athlete in high school, college and beyond, and I credit my ballet classes for building some of the foundation that helped me achieve that. And dance continues to bring me joy, as an adult many years later.


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## alegna

I don't think ballet is a particularly "body showing" sport....









Classes are serious business. Any *serious* sport by teen years is going to be pretty strict if you're in a serious track. If you're doing ballet classes for fun, then the dress code isn't going to be as strict as we're discussing here. What I'm speaking of, by 11 or 12 when they would be mostly starting their periods, dancers would be in class at least 3 days a week for a total of at LEAST 6 hours a week total. They are athletes in training. A swimmer at the same level, wouldn't take a week off every month. A gymnast would still wear what was appropriate for their sport. A runner would still work out.

IME more "recreational" dancers and dance teams and the like are much more likely to be seen in revealing clothing. Ballet dancers (ballerinas if you like) aren't usually going to be the ones out on a sports field shaking it







ya know?

-Angela


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## The4OfUs

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MayBaby2007* 
(I saw this in new posts too).
That goes for any sport that shows off her body like it's nothing.

As a girl, I would have been completely-head-over-heels-suicidally-mortified if I wasn't *allowed* to wear panties and had to wear a skin tight outfit during my period (or skin tight at all).

I knew I didn't want dd to be a ballarina from day one. I didn't know it was _this_ bad until reading this thread though. Yikes. This is one plea/argument dd will not win when she's older.

This is SO NOT what serious ballet is about. Serious traditional ballet is NOT about sexy.

Alegna said it well here,

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna*
IME more "recreational" dancers and dance teams and the like are much more likely to be seen in revealing clothing. Ballet dancers (ballerinas if you like) aren't usually going to be the ones out on a sports field shaking it ya know?

-Angela

but I just had to comment, too.

I also agree with the PP that compared wearing underwear in a serious ballet class to a TopChef contestant opening up a can of mushroom soup...

I actually just got into a conversation with my hairdresser about ballet, finding a school for the kids to go to, dance competitions, etc. I have to say that competition dance to me isn't what traditional ballet is about....it's about dancing for the joy of it, for the challenge....not about winning trophies, IMO. So my kids won't be involved in competition dance classes. But I guess that's getting a little off topic, so I'll stop.

I will also agree that taking serious, traditional ballet classes from the age of 6-21 helped me in so many ways, I can't even count them.


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## Attached Mama

Wow - so many former dancers here!!

I remember when I began menstruating - and using a pad with ballet -and it being SO uncomfortable and getting all wadded up because your legs are crossed and squeezed together. So I was always having to go change it midway thru class - and going to the restroom during classes is pretty much a BIG no-no if done on anything but a very rare basis.

I also thought it smelled because I'd get so sweaty and all... between that and the bulkiness I was sure EVERYONE must know. It was AWFUL.

I was Soooooo happy to figure out how to use a tampon!

It's funny now, but at the time (I was almost 13) I thought the *entire* tampon, applicator and all was supposed to go inside. So I think it might be best to approach it as "This is probably obvious to you, but here's how the tampon works" and then demonstrate by inserting it with one hand into a little "hole" made with the other hand and show how to use the applicator to push it in past the entrance to the "hole". Simple things, obvious to us but not to a newly menstruating girl.


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## Attached Mama

Quote:


Originally Posted by *The4OfUs* 
This is SO NOT what serious ballet is about. Serious traditional ballet is NOT about sexy.

Alegna said it well here,

but I just had to comment, too.

I also agree with the PP that compared wearing underwear in a serious ballet class to a TopChef contestant opening up a can of mushroom soup...

I actually just got into a conversation with my hairdresser about ballet, finding a school for the kids to go to, dance competitions, etc. I have to say that competition dance to me isn't what traditional ballet is about....it's about dancing for the joy of it, for the challenge....not about winning trophies, IMO. So my kids won't be involved in competition dance classes. But I guess that's getting a little off topic, so I'll stop.

I will also agree that taking serious, traditional ballet classes from the age of 6-21 helped me in so many ways, I can't even count them.

Exactly! There is *nothing* sexy about serious ballet. It's black leotard, pink tights, hair in a bun all the way. You wouldn't wear underwear with a bathing suit, so why wear them with a leotard? It's the same thing. No one would even consider wearing underwear with their bathing suit. It would be wierd, it would show, people would wonder why you were intent on showing off the underwear - same with professional ballet training.

OTOH, even professional ballet is becoming much more competition oriented today. Check out Dance Magazine or Pointe. All the pre-professionals are entering competitions. I think it's a bit unfortunate in some ways. But it's also good opportunity to be seen by companies and to gain performance experience. It's done on a much more professional level than other dance competitions tho - not begun til a definite almost pro level usually.


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## JessicaS

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MayBaby2007* 
(I saw this in new posts too). ITA with you, Marimara.

Since dd has been walking, several people have told me "She's going to be a dancer." "She's going to be a ballarina" (Because only my toddler likes to dance, you know







). On the defensive, I tell them, "She can be a dancer but no girl of mine will be a ballarina." That goes for any sport that shows off her body like it's nothing.

As a girl, I would have been completely-head-over-heels-suicidally-mortified if I wasn't *allowed* to wear panties and had to wear a skin tight outfit during my period (or skin tight at all).

I knew I didn't want dd to be a ballarina from day one. I didn't know it was _this_ bad until reading this thread though. Yikes. This is one plea/argument dd will not win when she's older.

I've never heard anyone imply that ballet was MORE sexy than other forms of dance.

I am not sure why you have negative associations with ballet.


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## JessicaS

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ann-Marita* 
What do young teens do for their periods during ballet class? Underwear isn't usually allowed.

I'm talking about teens that are not ready for tampons. The peel-n-stick pad won't work with tights. Or maybe they just don't use the "wings" that are supposed to wrap around underwear?

I tried to remember back when I was a young teen and in dance class (back in dinosaur days), and I had one of those old-fashioned belts that the pads' ends attached to. I don't think they sell those any more, or the pads with the long ends.

I'll probably encourage my dd to use cloth pads - I do myself. But even so, those pads wrap around the underwear and I just don't see them staying in place well with tights.

Thanks.

I took dance and was a swimmer. I wore tampons as a young teen.

I am sure some teachers might allow girls to wear skirts or underwear during their period. I guess I never really thought about it since I didn't have issues with tampons at that age.


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## MCatLvrMom2A&X

I cant comment on the ballet part but I do know that for me wearing a tampon was impossible. I tried on many occasions in my teen years with many different brands and they would not go all the way up in there and by the time I got out of the stall they where falling out









I did have a tilted uterus (2 kids has fixed that) maybe that was what was wrong? I can now wear one with no trouble though I wont because they scare me I am to paranoid about TSS.

So what would a kid do who was like me when tampons just wont work.


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## Abismommy

Maybe a diva cup?


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## mtiger

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MayBaby2007* 

I knew I didn't want dd to be a ballarina from day one. I didn't know it was _this_ bad until reading this thread though. Yikes. This is one plea/argument dd will not win when she's older.

I think this is an unfortunate attitude. Your daughter may be the next Anna Pavlova. Who knows? Children should be raised, in my opinion, to do what they love and love what they do. If it's something she loves and is passionate about, I think that as parents it's our duty to help them find a way to do it. At the end of the day - it's not about us.


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## mommyto3girls

Diva cup or some other collection cup is the way I would go.


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## Just Elsa

OP: I was dancing and menstruating at 11. I used tampons, which one of the older girls at the studio showed me how to use. I'd ask the kid if she wants them and talk to an older dancer or teacher about what works.

I think the anti-ballet faction that seems to be forming needs to be aware that there are different kinds of ballet schools. There are place for your little girl to go and learn some grace and poise and get a good workout and look adorable in her recital tutu. There are also serious pre-professional schools that are focused on pushing the most dedicated and talented students to the peak of their ability. The target demographic for both sorts of schools is drastically different and if you fit one, you probably don't want to be anywhere near the other.

I attended the tough kind until it became apparent that I would never be tall enough or thin enough to be a serious dancer. They didn't throw me out, but I got a serious talk from my teacher about the fact that the other girls would be moving on to levels I would never achieve. I was 12. Brutal? Maybe, but honest and kinder than letting me sit and get passed over until I was discouraged enough to quit. I was in the wrong place. Had I attended the other ballet school in our city, I'd have been allowed to be a passing-good chubby dancer for as long as I wished.

I would recommend not ruling ballet out for a child who wants it (it has helped me in singing, acting, martial arts, job interviews...) but making sure instead that you are in the right school. They are night and day sometimes and while neither is *wrong* one or the other will generally be wrong *for you*.


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## confustication

I swam and danced through most of my chioldhood and teen years. I also got my first period at age 8, and started getting them regularly by age 9. I could not stand the bulk of pads, so early on I started using tampons- the slender sort.

Now I use instead or a diva cup as anything other than the slender tampons are uncomfortable, but the slim-fits don't work with my flow after having kids.

At any rate, I'd encourage her to learn about her options, and experiment with what works for her. I'd have wanted to die if I'd had no option but a pad when I was swimming or in a leotard. Even a pretty young child can use a tampon comfortably. If you let them experiment on their own, sometimes it helps to advise them to try a little KY on the applicator initially- certainly it isn't something I think about now and it's probably better with the smooth applicators, but my first experience involved a cardboard applicator and feeling like it was 'stuck'. The tampon itself was fine. I also discovered that the applicator free tampons worked really well for me as a teen.

I guess I'd just leave this to her and be a resource. I'd also stock her bathroom with slimfit tampons, applicator free tampons, instead, and some KY, as well as a couple varieties of pads. Sometimes girls don't ask for their options, but if they are there and available they will try them out.


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## Vividance

I too am in the same situation. I've only had one period so far but for that time I wore a pad in my class, of course, with underwear. But I wear a special type of underwear called "ballet undies" and I got them at enegetiks (I live in Australia). They are high cut and skin coloured so they do not blatantly show under your leotard, and when I had my period, I wore two with my pad. So I understand that the school doesn't allow underwear, but when the underwear is invisible surely it should be okay?
Hope this helps!


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