Figure 1.--This boys wears a grey blouse and tights for a performance. Notice the matching grey ballet slippers. I'm not sure what the role is.

Boys' ballet tights come in many colors. In America boys most often wear black tights for practice. Black tights or black shorts are commonly used for practice in other countries. Other colors might be worn for practice. One British school, for example, has burgandy tights for practice. White tights are probably the most common color for performance, although a wide variety of colors are worn depending on the costumes. Clown costumes, for example, might involve a wide varidety of colors--bright colors like red, yellow, and green.

Shades

Only limited information is available at this time on the different colors and shades boys wear for ballet.

Black

In America boys most often wear black tights for practice. Black tights or black shorts are commonly used for practice in other countries. While many boys are shgy about weraring tights, for some reason black tights seem more acceptavle than other colors with many American boys. HBC is less certain about color preferences in other countries.

Blue

Blue tights are made in quite a variety of shades. Dark blue looks much like balck. Lighter shades can be quite bright.

Brown

Brown tights are common for a mouse costumes.

Burgandy

One British school has burgandy tights for practice.

Green

Gray

Gray tights are also worn. As they are a neutral color, they can be worn with a wide variety of outfits.

Pink

Pink is reserved for girls, although HBC is not certain when that color comvention began. Pink is a very common color for girls' practice costumes in America. It is not near as common with performance costumes. There are a lot of pink shades. One company, for example, offers "Euro" pink.

Tan

Tights are made in a wide variety of tan shades. They come with a wide variety of names: natural, suntan, tan, and others.

White

White tights are probably the most common color for performance. Certainly the ballets HBC has noted most commonly have costumes with boy male and female dancers wearing white tights. This is especially true of the principal dancers. This may be somewhat less true for children involved in ballet. This is true because theyu are often given small, playful roles like clowns and animals which often require colorful costumes. While white tights can be worn for practices also, more commonly they are worn for performances with a costume.

Yellow

Clown costumes, for example, might involve a wide varidety of colors--bright colors like yellow are common.

Company Stock

The color of tights offered by dance wear companies offers some insights into the popular colors worn fpr ballet. Capezio is one of the largest American dancewear companies. The tights colors offered or pink, white, black, and various tan shades. Pink appears to be the most wudely sild color by Capezio, reflecting the number of girls involved with ballet. Discount Dance Supply offers a similar range of color, although mant different shades of tan (natural, suntan, and tan). They also offer a shade of "Euro" pink.