Calling all ballet dancers & experts

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This is a question I've had since this outfit first came out.....Does this ballet costume look like anything you've seen in a real ballet? I want to collect all of the dance outfits that AG has made, but I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around this one. It just doesn't look like something real dancers would wear in a real ballet, to me. So I need honest feedback from those of you who know a lot about ballet. [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img] [img]confused.gif[/img]

http://store.americangirl.com/pls/ag...groupid=444789

Joy [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ September 01, 2006 11:00 AM: Message edited by: djsnjones ]</font>

[samo22]

To be honest, no it doesn't. It looks more like a ball gown. I don't think you'd see an actual ballerina wear it.

Oh, and pointe shoes are usually pink. Sometimes they can be dyed for the costume, but they are usually pink.

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ September 01, 2006 11:15 AM: Message edited by: samo22 ]</font>

[AGStefanie]

Hey, I've danced ballet since I was 4 and have been teaching it for about five years. I've danced lots of big shows in Philadelphia and have worn tons of costumes. I too am trying to get all of the dance outfits. I think it LOOKS like a ballet outfit- the skirt is a little long but maybe. Functionally, I think no way. Ballet dancers would need some kind of attached leotard with this outfit, and where are the tights? This to me, is just like a dress up princess outfit with pointe shoes (that are weird and hard to figure out how to put on). I have it anyway though, I do think it's cute.

[BittyCollector]

That is a confusing description if you think about it."Slip on her toe shoes" sounds like she is in the the ballet but then it says "grab a program"which would be like she is watching a ballet and they call it a "gown"not a costume.

[keristars]

That looks a lot like the costumes the peasants wore when I went to see Giselle. Only, they has more of a "peasant" looking outfit, and their skirts were made of many, many layers of tulle and chiffon, so they "floated" when twirling or jumping.

As it is, the skirt looks a little too long, and I'm not sure what those slippers are doing. The ribbons look awkward and they seem to be tied too far up her leg - if you tie your ribbons anywhere above your ankle, you impede movement and can cut off circulation and injure yourself. Honestly, the new holiday outfit looks a lot more like a ballet costume to me!


[img]graemlins/star.gif[/img] --- KERI --- [img]graemlins/star.gif[/img]

[Dancingfewl423]

It seems like a twist on something that could be a real ballet costume. The kind of tutu is called a romance tutu, and although it's a little long it still has the same idea - lots of netting and a more floaty feel. The bodice would be more realistic if it was an actual leotard, but the adornments and ribbing can be found on many professional pieces. The "pointe shoes" are more like demi pointe shoes, which are a type of stiff shoe can be used to help strengthen the feet before a girl goes on pointe (they're more like hard soft slippers - you can't actually go on pointe in them). Also, the fact that the outfit has no tights makes it unusual but not uncommon.

I think the only thing is that color is really off, as turquoise isn't usually the color displayed very often in classical ballet. If the outfit was, for example, white instead, it would definitely look more realistic. I think AG just went for the little girl's opinion that "turquoise is my favorite color".

I still really like this outfit though - it looks gorgeous on Marisol!


*Just for reference, demi pointe shoes are these: http://www.salvios.com.au/imagesShoe...20Pointe_1.jpg

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ September 01, 2006 01:59 PM: Message edited by: Dancingfewl423 ]</font>

[ColonialGirl]

I've been in ballet for years and I wore something very very similar to this. It was a long blue dress. I've also had toe shoes dyed red for a costume so the color of those is o.k. too. What reallly bugs me though, is that there is no leotard underneath! I don't think they would make a costume like that because the poor girl needs some coverage when doing leaps and things!

[lscogbill]

We had ballet recital outfits similar to this when I was in 5th grade. Mine was pink, but there were also blue and yellow outfits. The style on the bodice is almost identical, but our skirts were shorter than the AG version and were made of tulle, giving them a flowy ballerina look. I think the music was Giselle.

I will say this, in 12 years of my recitals and two of DD's, I've never seen or worn ballet shoes of any color except ballerina pink with two exceptions: the black swan in Swan Lake and the main character in The Red Shoes.

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Thank you everyone! I had this feeling that something was a bit off, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I think just for myself the thing that bothers me the most is the color.

Joy

[vgdag94]

I've been dancing since I was about 4. The costume looks good enough it's just that there is no leotard underneath! There are also no tights which is also not right. I've never worn any colored pointe shoes besides the normal pink ones so I doubt a 10 year old would have an important enough character to get such special treatment. I just wish AG would come out with some normal, pink pointe shoes! They've done magenta, white, purple, and blue but never pink! I was really disappointed in this outfit because I was hoping it would be something that would be just as good as the coppelia and swan lake outfits which are absolutely beautiful! I was also hoping it would be for an actual ballet like Cinderella or Giselle like all the other ones. What would also be cool is if they made a pointe shoes care kit with toe pads, tape, and all that stuff. But, sadly, Mattel has disappointed me once again. [img]frown.gif[/img]