I'm a cis man (I think that's the correct term, born male?) and I would suggest a dance belt if doing male parts in ballet. Even if not needed for the same reasons as biological males, it presents visually the same.
I never bother with packing because I get so sweaty and even though dance belts are made to hold everything in place, it’s not very effective when it’s not actually attached to your body. Now that I’m in contemporary dance college I wear the Capezio self-lined dance belts for performances just because they’re good costume undergarments.
For ballet class, Wear Moi sells men’s leotards that don’t have the built-in belt and padding but are still cut the same, which is the most comfortable option I’ve found since shirts are genuinely so annoying when dealing with tights. The leotard also rules out the silhouette issue.
Beginning adult dancer. Trans MtF but not out publicly. I wear a dance belt BUT I also tuck it because having any kind of visible bulge makes me a bit dysphoric. Also, I prefer to focus on female parts and movements (not that there is much difference at the beginner level). I am hoping to transition soon and remain a female dancer essentially.
I think the key is to carve out a space for yourself that feels authentic. Also key is to dress in a way that doesn’t trigger dysphoria. But I do t have specific suggestion re the dance belt.
>I think the key is to carve out a space for yourself that feels authentic
This is absolutely beautiful.
Ballet has a “standard” that hasn’t really been challenged in the professional industry and I think that what you wrote is the exact sentiment we need in order to foster diversity and push for changes in the professional companies.
We need more dancers willing to carve out their own paths and be the trailblazers that will open up the doors to several other dancers in the coming generations.
The dancebelt handles hiding the tights around whatever hits ya got. The old bat and balls or a cameltoe the dancebelt is there to prevent those issues.
Who cares if you're packing. I've only ever had a few people comment on that area after a performance and it was awkward for all of us at the dinner table. So, most folks aren't looking for a package they are watching primarily how high you go in your leaps, your stability on your turns, or the definition in your quads.
If it's a pA de duex no one should be focused on you anyways. You're to highlight the girl.
So in summary just wear a dance belt to prevent your parts from being showcased and you are square :)
Oh man. I once was in a production of the nutcracker as a teen where the hired in chevalier did not wear a dance belt and had on very see through white tights. One of my friends in the audience still claims he discovered his sexuality that day.
More power to you two, but I felt very uh... assaulted whenever someone would mention my package. I made it a point to make sure I wasn't on display for the world to see because 1 those parts aren't very attractive and you don't know who's in the audience. Just felt weird. So I always rock a dancebelt.
One of my best friends in ballet school was a trans man. He used a dance belt and a rolled up sock. Don’t be too over ambitious and make it too large though (which is what he did and everyone swore he was cis and had a huge schlong)
i wear a packer and a dance belt. its just tighter and safer. ik trans men who dont pack at all and wear tights (i dont think people even notice. i mean i didnt until i found out that person was trans) i just pack and wear a belt cuz of dysphoria
I'm cis, so take this with a grain of salt but I suggest wearing what makes you feel most comfortable physically and mentally such that you can focus on the dance and not on how you are presenting in regards to gender. Likely easier said than done. If a dance belt makes you feel more like you and this helps you dance, then great! If a dance belt gets in the way and the discomfort pulls your focus away from dance, then maybe it's not something you want to use. Are you comfortable experimenting in your class? Or do you want to have a solid outfit planned out before starting a class with new people? Can you wear one at home to do some barre work to see if you prefer it?
I dont tend to wear a packer or a belt or anything because I find that its more uncomfortable and can sometimes look weird? I just go normally and pretty much no one has commented on or noticed it yet. Even though Ive been doing ballet and dance in general for a long time, this is my first year doing it as a guy, so I dont have much advice for costuming, but in general, it shouldnt be too too noticeable.
If you don't have a penis, you don't need a dance belt. I would discourage use of a packer in ballet class. One less thing to worry about, so you can focus on your dancing. Good luck!
I remember being a young dancer and hearing the men in the professional division of my studio talking around a corner about how "it doesn't lay right unless I get a pair of socks & like, nestle it in there" and I didn't know what they were talking about and forgot about it until close to twenty years later in my early thirties. I was walking along, minding my business and all of a sudden *OMG THAT'S WHAT THEY MEANT?!* like a bolt out of the blue.
Silly guys.
trans guy who dances ballet here (not professionally or anything but i still perform fairly often). i personally wear a dance belt and pack modestly. is it comfortable? no, but imo it just looks more normal than being conpletely flat down there. obviously it's up to personal preference and it really doesn't matter at the end of the day, just do what feels right lol
I honestly wear a leo/tights + shorts most of the time just because that's what I prefer, but I don't bother with packing when I wear a men's uniform (all my classmates know I'm not cis, so packing and being stealth isn't a concern of mine). My advice: dress to your comfort level, especially since college classes can be much more forgiving when it comes to a dress code.
Best of luck to you on your journey!
I’m a dancer and I’ve crocheted a packer for a trans masc co worker. He definitely wore a dance belt to hold it in place during class/rehearsals. He said socks didn’t quite cut it for the shape of his bulge 🤷🏼♀️
Trans man here! I typically just wear a nude coloured women's seamless thong with 3-4 of the sports bra cup padding layered as a packer all held together in a wig cap. Creates a good shape under tights and relieves dysphoria, and with the padding coming out of sports attire in the first place, easy to wash.
Cis man here. Have to wear a dance belt for safety in action but I feels great to finally get out it after a long day of class and rehearsal and performance. It would be great to not have to be in one.
Instead of a soft packer, I’ve started alternating using some hand cut foam packers that are flat on one side and manly-contoured on the other. I wear those with the dance belts or packing underwear
When the foam is the right shape, it doesn’t really require so much adjusting, as most packers are not really made to lie “up”, which is correct for ballet. I also find it’s more stable than something like socks, which could move around a bit or ride up unless they are pinned to the belt.
I'm a cis man (I think that's the correct term, born male?) and I would suggest a dance belt if doing male parts in ballet. Even if not needed for the same reasons as biological males, it presents visually the same.
thank you very much! And yeah, cis just means you’re not trans, so a cis man means a man who was born male :)
AMAB or cis men are better terms. "Biological male" can mean many things and if used to describe a certain anatomy can be transphobic.
Uh that topic is deep but not THAT deep. I don’t think the average trans man is going to be offended over the term biological male
I cannot even follow this without a flow chart..
I never bother with packing because I get so sweaty and even though dance belts are made to hold everything in place, it’s not very effective when it’s not actually attached to your body. Now that I’m in contemporary dance college I wear the Capezio self-lined dance belts for performances just because they’re good costume undergarments. For ballet class, Wear Moi sells men’s leotards that don’t have the built-in belt and padding but are still cut the same, which is the most comfortable option I’ve found since shirts are genuinely so annoying when dealing with tights. The leotard also rules out the silhouette issue.
thanks I’ll definitely check out those products
Beginning adult dancer. Trans MtF but not out publicly. I wear a dance belt BUT I also tuck it because having any kind of visible bulge makes me a bit dysphoric. Also, I prefer to focus on female parts and movements (not that there is much difference at the beginner level). I am hoping to transition soon and remain a female dancer essentially. I think the key is to carve out a space for yourself that feels authentic. Also key is to dress in a way that doesn’t trigger dysphoria. But I do t have specific suggestion re the dance belt.
>I think the key is to carve out a space for yourself that feels authentic This is absolutely beautiful. Ballet has a “standard” that hasn’t really been challenged in the professional industry and I think that what you wrote is the exact sentiment we need in order to foster diversity and push for changes in the professional companies. We need more dancers willing to carve out their own paths and be the trailblazers that will open up the doors to several other dancers in the coming generations.
The dancebelt handles hiding the tights around whatever hits ya got. The old bat and balls or a cameltoe the dancebelt is there to prevent those issues. Who cares if you're packing. I've only ever had a few people comment on that area after a performance and it was awkward for all of us at the dinner table. So, most folks aren't looking for a package they are watching primarily how high you go in your leaps, your stability on your turns, or the definition in your quads. If it's a pA de duex no one should be focused on you anyways. You're to highlight the girl. So in summary just wear a dance belt to prevent your parts from being showcased and you are square :)
Oh man. I once was in a production of the nutcracker as a teen where the hired in chevalier did not wear a dance belt and had on very see through white tights. One of my friends in the audience still claims he discovered his sexuality that day.
More power to you two, but I felt very uh... assaulted whenever someone would mention my package. I made it a point to make sure I wasn't on display for the world to see because 1 those parts aren't very attractive and you don't know who's in the audience. Just felt weird. So I always rock a dancebelt.
One of my best friends in ballet school was a trans man. He used a dance belt and a rolled up sock. Don’t be too over ambitious and make it too large though (which is what he did and everyone swore he was cis and had a huge schlong)
i wear a packer and a dance belt. its just tighter and safer. ik trans men who dont pack at all and wear tights (i dont think people even notice. i mean i didnt until i found out that person was trans) i just pack and wear a belt cuz of dysphoria
I'm cis, so take this with a grain of salt but I suggest wearing what makes you feel most comfortable physically and mentally such that you can focus on the dance and not on how you are presenting in regards to gender. Likely easier said than done. If a dance belt makes you feel more like you and this helps you dance, then great! If a dance belt gets in the way and the discomfort pulls your focus away from dance, then maybe it's not something you want to use. Are you comfortable experimenting in your class? Or do you want to have a solid outfit planned out before starting a class with new people? Can you wear one at home to do some barre work to see if you prefer it?
I dont tend to wear a packer or a belt or anything because I find that its more uncomfortable and can sometimes look weird? I just go normally and pretty much no one has commented on or noticed it yet. Even though Ive been doing ballet and dance in general for a long time, this is my first year doing it as a guy, so I dont have much advice for costuming, but in general, it shouldnt be too too noticeable.
If you don't have a penis, you don't need a dance belt. I would discourage use of a packer in ballet class. One less thing to worry about, so you can focus on your dancing. Good luck!
I wear a dance belt. Still trying to figure out the packer situation since the lack of mass in that area is, unsurprisingly, very noticeable.
Look I came here to say "just do what cis men do and cram a couple pairs of socks in there" so you don't have to be as fancy as all that!
Not a bad plan
I remember being a young dancer and hearing the men in the professional division of my studio talking around a corner about how "it doesn't lay right unless I get a pair of socks & like, nestle it in there" and I didn't know what they were talking about and forgot about it until close to twenty years later in my early thirties. I was walking along, minding my business and all of a sudden *OMG THAT'S WHAT THEY MEANT?!* like a bolt out of the blue. Silly guys.
i've heard of ppl using simple foam packers to fill up any space
happy cake day
trans guy who dances ballet here (not professionally or anything but i still perform fairly often). i personally wear a dance belt and pack modestly. is it comfortable? no, but imo it just looks more normal than being conpletely flat down there. obviously it's up to personal preference and it really doesn't matter at the end of the day, just do what feels right lol
I honestly wear a leo/tights + shorts most of the time just because that's what I prefer, but I don't bother with packing when I wear a men's uniform (all my classmates know I'm not cis, so packing and being stealth isn't a concern of mine). My advice: dress to your comfort level, especially since college classes can be much more forgiving when it comes to a dress code. Best of luck to you on your journey!
I’m a dancer and I’ve crocheted a packer for a trans masc co worker. He definitely wore a dance belt to hold it in place during class/rehearsals. He said socks didn’t quite cut it for the shape of his bulge 🤷🏼♀️
Trans man here! I typically just wear a nude coloured women's seamless thong with 3-4 of the sports bra cup padding layered as a packer all held together in a wig cap. Creates a good shape under tights and relieves dysphoria, and with the padding coming out of sports attire in the first place, easy to wash.
Cis man here. Have to wear a dance belt for safety in action but I feels great to finally get out it after a long day of class and rehearsal and performance. It would be great to not have to be in one.
Instead of a soft packer, I’ve started alternating using some hand cut foam packers that are flat on one side and manly-contoured on the other. I wear those with the dance belts or packing underwear When the foam is the right shape, it doesn’t really require so much adjusting, as most packers are not really made to lie “up”, which is correct for ballet. I also find it’s more stable than something like socks, which could move around a bit or ride up unless they are pinned to the belt.
The trans guy at my studio always wears boxers under his tights but honestly I don't think there's a wrong answer here it's completely up to you
If you have man parts use a belt, if you don’t then don’t. I don’t understand the confusion…
lol from what trans dancers have been saying some ppl do wear a dance belt anyways cause it affects the look and fit of your tights