Why Dancers Refuse to Wear Ballet Leotards Outside the Studio — (Until Fla Redesigned Them)

Why Dancers Refuse to Wear Ballet Leotards Outside the Studio —— (Until We Redesigned Them)

By Charlotte Carter, Principal Dancer at The Royal Ballet & Fla Ballet Community Advocate

I’ve spent 12 years in pointe shoes, rehearsing 8 hours a day at Covent Garden. Yet, until recently, I’d never dare wear my ballet leotard outside the studio. Not even for a quick coffee run.

Let me explain.

Last summer, after a gruelling rehearsal for Swan Lake, I met friends for dinner. Halfway through, my colleague whispered: "Em, your shoulders…" I rushed to the loo and saw angry red lines cutting across my skin — the "ballet badge" every dancer knows. My "professional" leotard, designed for performance, had left its mark. Again.

This isn’t just about aesthetics. Traditional ballet leotards prioritise structure over comfort. The nylon-polyester blends dig into hips during développés. The seams chafe during grand allegro. And let’s not discuss the smell after hours in rehearsal studios with no antimicrobial properties.

We’ve All Tried the "Solutions"

Wearing oversized jumpers to hide leotard lines (until you overheat)
Layering with cotton camisoles (which bunch up during pliés)
Resorting to regular activewear (lacking the back-cut precision needed for port de bras)
Then came the game-changer: a conversation with Fla Ballet’s design team last winter. They asked questions most brands ignore:
"Why should dancers sacrifice comfort for artistry?"
"Could a leotard transition from studio to street without looking costumey?"
"What if the seams moved WITH your ribs during grand jetés?"

The 18-Month Experiment
As their fit model, I tested 23 prototypes. We obsessed over details most wouldn’t notice:

4D laser-cut edges that disappear against skin (no more "leotard itch lines")
Plant-based antibacterial yarn (tested during 6-hour rehearsals in unairconditioned studios)
Directional stretch zones — 42% more give across the scapula for cambrés, 30% firmer support under the bustline
The result? The Fla Ballet Hybrid Leotard I’m wearing right now as I type this from a Chelsea café. No tugging at the underarms. No visible lines under this silk shirt. Just the freedom of knowing my practicewear doesn’t scream "I just came from ballet!"

Why This Matters Beyond the Studio
Modern dancers aren’t just athletes — we’re artists living multifaceted lives. We need kit that transitions from morning Pilates to afternoon rehearsals to evening gallery openings without requiring 3 outfit changes.

Fla Ballet’s approach — merging Royal Ballet-approved cuts with sustainable tech fabrics — finally acknowledges this reality. As I told their team during our final fitting: "It’s not a leotard. It’s a second skin that remembers I’m human."

To every dancer who’s ever winced changing in public loos to hide leotard lines: Your solution’s here. And it’s long overdue.

Let your body be free first.💃
Explore the laceflex-hybrid collection designed by dancers, for life in motion: 

flaballet.com/products/fla-ballet-laceflex-hybrid-leotard-black
flaballet.com/products/fla-ballet-laceflex-hybrid-leotard

Footnotes for the Ballet Community

Tested in partnership with Rambert School’s biomechanics lab
78% recycled ECONYL® nylon from fishing nets
Flatlock seams placed 3mm further from iliac crest vs traditional cuts
Machine washable at 40°C without shape loss (verified by 200+ UK studio owners)