She then wears toe shoes, which are stiff-toed slippers with ribbons that tie around the feet and ankles. Lambs wool is put into the toes of the shoes to cushion the ballerina s toes. Sometimes a foam pad is also worn on the toes. For performances, the ballerinas wear tutus, which are short, full skirts, often made of netting or satin material. Sometimes, they wear a slightly longer skirt, which flows gracefully as the ballerinas dance.
Ballerinas traditionally wear their hair in a bun, pinned high on the head.
Male dancers, simply called ballet dancers, always dance in soft-soled shoes. They do not dance en pointe. The men must be in good shape to be able to lift the ballerinas into the air. All ballet dancers wear tights on their legs. They are like stockings and cover the entire leg.