Dance underwear is an undergarment designed for dancers to wear under leotards and costumes. The underwear is available in different coverages for men and women. Although all of it is made to minimize the appearance of lines under dancewear, the smallest underwear pieces tend to show through costumes and leotards the least. Dance underwear is sewn from skin-toned, snug-fitting stretch fabric to provide dancers not only with a smooth appearance under dancing clothes, but also comfort and ease of movement.
For male dancers, a minimal undergarment is called a dance belt. It is high cut at the thighs to allow maximum leg movement as well as help prevent injury. Yet, although a dance belt is open at the back and fits snugly at the front, it also minimizes the details of a male dancer's anatomy to be less distracting to the audience. Belt style dance underwear has a thicker middle back strap than regular thong undergarments. The waistband of this dance thong underwear is also much thicker than non-dance undergarments.
Dance thong underwear is also available in women's versions. Female dancers may wear thong dance underwear under tights to avoid visible lines. Of course, thong dance undergarments aren't worn under skirts as too much skin will be shown. Boy short and brief styles for female dancers offer the next level of minimal coverage after thongs. They both offer suitable coverage for wearing under dance costumes with skirts. Boy short underwear for dancers ends just at the top of the thighs and tends to not ride up as much as briefs.
Briefs in both men's and women's styles is cut to give more movement at the thigh than boy short undergarments. Briefs are popular dance underwear for male and female dancers, as they offer comfort without usually showing lines under leotards or costumes. Sometimes, male dancers wear boxer briefs under pants. The dance pants are typically looser, such as that of some costumes, rather than snug-fitting like leotards. Boxer brief dance undergarments are more streamlined than boxers which are more like shorts, yet the bottom lines will still often show under tighter dancing pants.
Women's undergarments designed for dance include matching bra and underwear sets. Typically, these are briefs and a seamless bra. Like other undergarments for dancing, they're designed for comfort and movement. Women's bra and brief dance underwear is also sold separately so that female dancers can mix and match the pieces as needed.