Ballet

Ballet is a very stylised form of dance, usually designed to tell a story. The word comes from the Latin ballare (to dance).

There are elements of ballet which feature in fetish and BDSM imagery and fashion. The most notable examples are ballet boots and tutus.

The technique of dancing ''en pointe'' where the ballerina is balanced on tiptoe with their feet vertical has been taken as the inspiration for the ballet boot. The ballet boot forces the wearer's feet into an en pointe posture but unlike ballet shoes they allow the wearer only limited movement.

A ballet tutu is a skirt worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It might be single layer, hanging down, or multiple layers starched and strutting out. It tends to add a floating motion when ballerinas dance in them. Tutus have crossed over into mainstream fashion and are common in the goth sub culture. They are a frequently seen in clubs such as Torture Garden.

Male ballet dancers usually wear tights, often showing a male bulge.

Ballet dancers, both male and female feature in fetish imagery, a search of the web will bring up numerous sites with pictures and video showing a fetishistic portrayal of them.

(This entry in the BDSM Dictionary incorporates text from the Ballet article in Wipipedia.)

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