I’m taking ballet twice a week now to meet my en pointe goal. And, I love it. My Thursday night class is full of women my age. Awesome. None of us can do splits and we all grunt through the stretches. Saturday class is me and a 16 year old. A very flexible 16 year old. A very flexible 16 year old with some long legs. We’ll be dancing the recital together in December. It’s quite remarkable how her knees make absolutely no popping noises in plies. It’s a funny thing. I have the mental discipline in my 30s for ballet but not the physical. She has the physical ability, but not the mental discipline. It’s really a balancing act, isn’t it?
The photo below is totally illustrative of my body type. Big sway back, protruding seat and muscular front thigh.
The reviews for the Jalie leotard on PR are all for small children. Everyone thought the legs were too high cut for a small child. I made up the pattern using wicking material from Montreal. I think the legs as drafted are too high for a ‘ballet cut’ leotard. That being said, the pattern does not profess to be a ballet leotard. My RTW leotards have a lower leg and more rear coverage. In truth, overall a high cut leg is more flattering on me, it just doesn’t feel ‘ballet’. It feels more ‘dance’.
This pattern also has raglan sleeves. I have since discovered I prefer sleevelees. I’m also not a huge fan of the neckline and it’s interesting that the back is much lower than the front. (Ugh. Back fat.) I *have* to wear a sports bra or two when I work out, so I think I want a a higher back or a t-strap back to my leotard and lower in the front. I don’t want this to sound like a negative review as it’s not. It’s just not what I need for a leotard pattern. That being said, the instructions are excellent and it’s perfectly drafted.
I'm jumping and look so much like my mother I was startled
I have two Kwik Sew patterns that I hope to make up next weekend in some cotton interlock from Joann Fabric. A new leotard runs about $21 through my dance studio. Making my own is about $15. No great savings. But, they are fast and I can get them in colors I really like this way 
The skirt is Jalie also and from silky something from Joanns. I wanted something a little more see-through. The skirt is around $8 to make. I still like the skirt pattern with a self drafted belt.
