# Men who dance. (Ballet) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943 "2004-02-07T03:48:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/1 "2004-02-07T03:48:44Z")
I was idly watching ballet on tv the other night, trying to “get it”. I couldn’t help but again notice the rather prodigious crotch bulges on these guys. Enough to make even heavy metal band members jealous. Ok, I’m sophisticated enough to know it ain’t meat, so what is it? And why? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/2 "2004-02-07T04:02:18Z")
Some sort of built-in protective cup? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/3 "2004-02-07T04:10:01Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Some sort of built-in protective cup? I thought of that, but I doubt it. Protect from what? Aggressive fans? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/4 "2004-02-07T04:33:01Z")
From a ballerina’s kick. 😉 Seriously. One misplaced _grand battement_ and _oof!_, he’s down on the floor writhing in agony, which tends to detract from the performance. I am not a ballet insider, but I believe they’re wearing what’s known as a “hard cup”. Caution: Non-work-safe link, if you work in a place where you wouldn’t want to be seen looking at a web page of guys modeling jock straps. Hubba hubba! 😃 [http://internationaljock.com/hardcups.html](http://internationaljock.com/hardcups.html) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/5 "2004-02-07T05:21:58Z")
Now _I_ have a completely different question after taking a cursory look at that link - what’s up with the one with the garters? I know I’m a little sports-stupid, but I had no idea there were sports you wore a garter belt to play, _Bull Durham_ aside. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/6 "2004-02-07T14:22:56Z")
Heh. 😃 Why, the garters are to hold his stockings up, dear. I’m serious–it’s a hockey jock. [http://www.greatskate.com/acb/webpage.cfm?WebPage\_ID=40&DID=10](http://www.greatskate.com/acb/webpage.cfm?WebPage_ID=40&DID=10) > [@](#): > > Hockey Socks: > > Large sock that fits over the top of the shin pad and keeps it protected from the outside elements and helps hold pads in place. [http://www.hockey-equipment-expert.com/jocks-and-garters1.htm](http://www.hockey-equipment-expert.com/jocks-and-garters1.htm) > [@](#): > > …there are as many variations in jock/cup/garter design as there are stick options. > > The basic idea is that you want a cup that will protect your valuables (there is a similar option for women), and you’ll need some way of holding up your hockey socks (not to be confused with the socks you wear on your feet). > > There are presently two options for holding up your hockey socks. The first is using a garter, which goes around your waist and usually includes four straps that hang down, one on the front and back of each leg…The other, more recent development is to use Velcro. The Velcro option is really only available in a “shorts” combo, where the Velcro has been sewn to the shorts… > > The first is to get a hockey jock and cup. This is essentially a jock strap with a hard cup or a compartment for a cup…You will then need to get a garter belt to hold up your socks. The downside to this method is that when you’re through, you’ll have two straps around your waist, and that’s before you’ve even pulled on your hockey pants. > > The other alternative is to get a 3 in one setup…It is essentially a jock strap, with a cup, and garter belts all built into one. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/7 "2004-02-07T15:01:23Z")
I bet the male dancers have big MERKINS in their pants! ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/8 "2004-02-07T21:43:55Z")
In polite society, it is called a “dance belt” but yep, it’s basically an athletic supporter with cup. I never thought it was protecting them from anything, but just part of the costume to insure a uniform look. But here’s a thought- baseball pitchers “adjust” themselves after each pitch, because the hard cup shifts with the throwing motion and can pinch (or worse, I suppose). If it’s a hard cup, how can dancers deal with not being able to readjust it? ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/9 "2004-02-07T21:59:38Z")
I say they do it for looks, to try to fool whoever watches ballet into thinking they are more _manly_. Lord knows they need the help while prancing around in tights. ---
**Author:** ![Reader99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Reader99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reader99)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/10 "2004-02-07T23:09:10Z")
it’s definitely like an athletic supporter, but i’d be surprised if they always used a hard cup. i would think that might inhibit movement. [http://www.soundventure.com/web/footnotes/sbbelt.html](http://www.soundventure.com/web/footnotes/sbbelt.html) [http://www.dancewear.com/dancewear/dept.asp?s\_id=0&dept\_id=2030](http://www.dancewear.com/dancewear/dept.asp?s_id=0&dept_id=2030) [http://www.thecostumer.com/store/product.cfm?prodID=387](http://www.thecostumer.com/store/product.cfm?prodID=387) ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/11 "2004-02-07T23:36:26Z")
dance does bring you very, very, close to your partner. things brush up against other things. apart from a slight bit of protection from toe shoes, it would help camo. some physical responses. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/12 "2004-02-07T23:38:25Z")
I used to dance ballet. The “Nutcracker Prince” for four years running in our city’s yearly production, thankyewthankyew. Go ahead and crack jokes, I’m impervious. 😃 The dance belt is basically an athletic supporter, but keeps your package a little more firmly packaged. I’ve never seen one with a hard cup…having worn one for contact sports it seems like it would inhibit your movement too much for dance. You can’t really cross your legs in one, and you do have to adjust it a lot. If you want to know why you need one, put on a leotard without one and check out the unit. It is _very_ visible; the shape of ol’ friendly and his two buddies is perfectly outlined for all the world to see. This can be rather distracting to the audience and your fellow performers and is sure to send the director into a conniption. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/13 "2004-02-07T23:53:32Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > I used to dance ballet. The “Nutcracker Prince” for four years running in our city’s yearly production, thankyewthankyew. Go ahead and crack jokes, I’m impervious. 😃 The dance belt is basically an athletic supporter, but keeps your package a little more firmly packaged. I’ve never seen one with a hard cup…having worn one for contact sports it seems like it would inhibit your movement too much for dance. You can’t really cross your legs in one, and you do have to adjust it a lot. > > If you want to know why you need one, put on a leotard without one and check out the unit. It is _very_ visible; the shape of ol’ friendly and his two buddies is perfectly outlined for all the world to see. This can be rather distracting to the audience and your fellow performers and is sure to send the director into a conniption. Makes sense to me, except, why sooo… _generous_. You’re not going to try to tell me that’s all **pravnik** in there are you. 😉 Maybe it’s as someone stated above, to protect the egos of the less well endowed. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/14 "2004-02-08T00:38:18Z")
I guess partially for the same reason that some women’s bras make their breasts look somewhat larger…the kind of “lift up and thrust out”, so to speak. Plus, they have some padding, so no, it’s not 100% pravnik downstairs. Really, I think most of it is just the nature of the tights themselves, like how putting on a tighter shirt makes you look more muscular. Also, probably some guys are just well endowed so that you tend to notice more and they stick in your mind more (or maybe they just stuff a sock or two in to make up for the assault on their manliness that ballet occassionally brings). ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/15 "2004-02-08T01:10:04Z")
Thanks for your insight, **pravnik**. My curiosity is satisfied. So, do ballet dancers have groupies? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/16 "2004-02-08T02:23:08Z")
Well, the “dance belts” I looked at online produced nothing at all resembling the enormous bulges Mangeorge is asking about, and the “hard cups” did. Dance belts. [http://internationaljock.com/thongs.html](http://internationaljock.com/thongs.html) > [@](#): > > Dance belts are snug, specialized underwear worn by male dancers under their tights - the ballet dancer’s equivalent of a jockstrap. The pouch in front is triangular, tight, and nearly flat, and keeps you in place during any dance move. Samples. [http://internationaljock.com/zpage14-9805.html](http://internationaljock.com/zpage14-9805.html) [http://internationaljock.com/zpage14-9801.html](http://internationaljock.com/zpage14-9801.html) These produce what I would call a fairly flat and rather small [heh 😃] normal swimsuit type of bulge, nothing at all like what Mangeorge is talking about. And I know exactly what he’s talking about, because back in the 1960s, when I was a little girl watching the Ed Sullivan show with my dad, and they’d have the Bolshoi Ballet on there, my dad the self-admitted prude was always _horribly_ embarrassed by their enormous bulges. I remember once he actually had to go in the other room, he was so embarrassed. [flashing on the Festrunk brothers here] So, I dunno, maybe some dance companies have official “hard cup” policies, so all their male dancers have enormous bulges, and maybe some dance companies allow dance belts? Maybe there’s a special more flexible “hard cup” out there? I have the wrong set of gonads to know from personal experience, but some of the cups on that page were billed as being more “flexible” and “comfortable”. [http://internationaljock.com/zpage3-3566.html](http://internationaljock.com/zpage3-3566.html) > [@](#): > > Bike’s ProFlex 2 cup provides the masculine protection of a contoured hard cup with the comfort of a soft one. The ingenious design features a hard cup melded to a larger soft cup. The result is solid and hard protection up front where it counts, but with soft and flexible edges. The pliable side panels prevent the discomfort that hard cups sometimes inflict on your inner thighs. And there’s one designed for martial arts, which it seems to me involves a lot of similar “balletic” kicks, etc. [http://internationaljock.com/zpage3-3515.html](http://internationaljock.com/zpage3-3515.html) > [@](#): > > Specially designed for martial arts, the Golden Tiger jock and cup protects against kicks and blows to the groin. The 3” waistband and 1-inch leg straps hold the curved, contoured cup in just the right position to protect you from injury. Made of cotton, rayon, polyester and rubber for great elasticity and support. It can also be worn for sports like baseball and football for its fine protective qualities. And this one is on both the “soft cups” and “hard cups” pages, but it produces a substantial bulge. [http://internationaljock.com/zpage10-3533.html](http://internationaljock.com/zpage10-3533.html) > [@](#): > > New from Safe-T-Gard! The Cage Cup protects like a hard cup but is lighter and much more comfortable. Only the flexible, inner, micro-encapsulated air foam touches your skin, while the outer hard cup cage absorbs impact shock instead of transferring it to the body. Testing performed by Southern Research Impact Testing. Ideal for all contact sports. However, the rest of their featured “soft cups” don’t produce that enormous “Ed Sullivan Show” Bolshoi bulge. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/17 "2004-02-08T02:29:30Z")
Well, having been both an amatuer musician and an amatuer ballet dancer…it’s not even close. Probably different for the pros. It has its upsides, though. Ballerinas have absolute knockout bodies, you practice together constantly, and there aren’t just a whole lot of guys doing it (not in West Texas, anyway). Plus you get to do stuff like hold them up in the air by the boodie, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/18 "2004-02-08T02:35:48Z")
That was directed to **mangeorge’s** query about ballet groupies, for the benefit of the confused. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/19 "2004-02-08T02:58:07Z")
Pix of male dancers with bulges (well, okay, mainly pictures of Mikhail Baryshnikov, as he seems to be the one with the most pictures on Google). Anyway, they don’t look to me like they’re wearing “dance belts”. They don’t look like minimizing-flat-swimwear-type of bulges. So, what are they wearing? They’re obviously wearing _something_. [http://www.voiceofdance.com/Store/images/BaryshnikovNutcracker.jpg](http://www.voiceofdance.com/Store/images/BaryshnikovNutcracker.jpg) [http://cloud.datashed.net/static/images/es/baryshnikov.jpg](http://cloud.datashed.net/static/images/es/baryshnikov.jpg) [![](https://www.historycentral.com/Bio/people/images/baryshnikov.gif) ](https://www.historycentral.com/Bio/people/images/baryshnikov.gif) [http://www.maurice-abravanel.com/221balanchine\_en\_Mikhail\_Baryshnikov.jpg](http://www.maurice-abravanel.com/221balanchine_en_Mikhail_Baryshnikov.jpg) [![](http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/40/109540.jpg) ](http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/40/109540.jpg) [![](http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/83/109483.jpg) ](http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/83/109483.jpg) [http://www.danceeurope.net/docs/SHOP/BOOKS/BOOKCVRS/barysh.jpg](http://www.danceeurope.net/docs/SHOP/BOOKS/BOOKCVRS/barysh.jpg) [http://www.balletgifts.com/assets/images/nureyev.jpg](http://www.balletgifts.com/assets/images/nureyev.jpg) Artwork, not a photo, but still representing an enormous bulge. [http://www.ballet.co.uk/images/normal/nureyev\_in\_wings\_as\_armand.jpg](http://www.ballet.co.uk/images/normal/nureyev_in_wings_as_armand.jpg) [http://www.theaterburoschmid.nl/producties/2002\_2003/petersburg/petersburg2.jpg](http://www.theaterburoschmid.nl/producties/2002_2003/petersburg/petersburg2.jpg) [http://www.theaterburoschmid.nl/producties/2002\_2003/petersburg/petersburg.jpg](http://www.theaterburoschmid.nl/producties/2002_2003/petersburg/petersburg.jpg) [![](http://www.rfdesigns.org/ibc/graphics/6.jpg) ](http://www.rfdesigns.org/ibc/graphics/6.jpg) [![](https://europeforvisitors.com/europe/images/plan_belgium_ballet_bejart_male_dancer.jpg) ](https://europeforvisitors.com/europe/images/plan_belgium_ballet_bejart_male_dancer.jpg) [http://www.nycballet.com/about/rep\_hjunction.html](http://www.nycballet.com/about/rep_hjunction.html) Now, _these_ guys look to me like they are definitely wearing dance belts. [http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/corbis/DGT116/AEN0009.jpg](http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/corbis/DGT116/AEN0009.jpg) Mangeorge, what group was it that you saw on TV? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943/20 "2004-02-08T03:05:38Z")
Hmmm…that does look a little big, dunnit? Maybe it’s some kind of bulky Soviet-era device. Either that or Barishnikov is hung like a horse. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-dance-ballet/227943.md?page=2)