Dance Classes - Washington,MO

J.,

I'd go ahead with the leotards. They had some good ones pretty cheap at Target... :) Good luck!

Does the school have some shoes that she can use? When my daughter did a combo tap & ballet class, there was a bin of donated shoes that parents had left once their children had outgrown. You can ask if they have anything like that instead of buying the shoes for the try-out class.

Also ask the director if there is a color scheme enforced for the leotard and tights. Some dance schools want only a certain color of leotard (black) and certain color of tights (pale pink). If it's just the try-out class, maybe she has a one piece bathing suit and tights?

If you think it will help get your daughter excited for the class, perhaps you can surprise your daughter with a tutu a few days before? When my daughter started a new class, it helped her feel more confidence in joining a group of girls she didn't know with her new tutu proudly worn... Just an idea!

As a child, I took ballet, tap, and gymnastics. I would start with ballet slippers and a leotard. However, you could always go to your local store for the items and ask someone who works there what they would recommend for her.

I teach dance and if we have a child coming in to try the classes out, we don't have them buy special clothes or shoes until she has tried the classes. Comfy shorts or jogging pants or stretchy pants of some sort and a t-shirt will work fine until she decides she likes the class. Socks will work fine for ballet and jazz and tumbling. Dress shoes with a hard sole for tap and tennis shoes for pom. When she decides what she likes then feel free to go and get shoes. Some studios will order the shoes for you thru Revolution Dance. You can order them yourself on line too. Payless carries ballet, tap and jazz shoes more inexpensive than dance stores. Leotards, Target carries them as well as tights. Thrift stores usually have them too and in good condition since that age they grow out of them so fast. I wouldn't buy any dance neccesities until she decides what classes she likes. Then find out what each class requires. The dance teacher should be willing to tell you what all will be needed. We require tights and leotards with attached skirts (optional) but some studios don't let you have skirts and then some require them. Some studios also require certian colored leotards for certain age groups. So get the details from the studio before you purchase anything.

Right now a lot of the online dance outfitters are offering low or free shipping. So if she is trying the classes this week and you know what she'll need to start her next month you can order everything online and save and have them in by the time she starts in January. Websites I order from are:
www.justforkix.com
www.dancedistributors.com
www.allaboutdance.com

Hope this has helped. Good luck and God Bless.

We just enrolled our daughter in to tap/hip hop last week.
She wears a short sleeved leotard, tights, a thin cover up, and her tap shoes or jazz shoes. Her feet get warm enough while she dances that I can't imagine socks. What kind of dance is she gonna do?
I see other kids who just do t-shirt and leggings.
They usualy keep the studios warm for the kids so after your done, I do advise that you keep her body temp up by putting sweat pants and her jacket on. If you dont you could cause body aches.
Have fun!

When I took jazz when I was younger, we wore leotards under tights. These days, however, I personally would get her some yoga pants and a fitted yoga (or exercise) tank/top. You could also simply ask the dance instructor(s) what is customary to wear. I don't like spandex, which is why I suggest the yoga wear. It's usually cotton, which I like, and very comfortable.

I teach dance in my home. I only teach ballet and jazz but my students wear leotard, tights or comfortable street clothes like leggings and a t-shirt. Some wear ballet shoes or those ballet slippers but they always end up taking them off. I wear socks in my classes. I'd wait to invest in all of that until she's taken for about a month. Then you'll see what everyone wears and what would be comfortable for her. You'll also know if she's going to like it and stick with it or not. You'd hate to spend the money to find that she doesn't like the class or the dance clothes. Good luck!!

if u are not sure if she is going to stick with it, shorts are fine. I danced ballet and jazz (a little tap) before my son was born and since i did most of my practice at home (i mostly did it for exercise) i usually wore short because yes she would have to wear tights with a leotard, and they are such a pain to get in and out of (especially if she has to go to the bathroom during class) are they asking you to purchase tap shoes. alot of classes start learning the steps without them but its helpful to have them because they make the noise and you can hear if you are doing the steps right. if you choose to invest in dance clothes, target carries danskin leotards and tights for little girls. I use to purchase all my dance wear and shoes at discountdance.com. i know they carry childrens sizes. i would not recomend her dancing in socks, she could easily slip.

Since the director is okay with her wearing something comfortable, I would just use a pair of stretch pants. That is what my daughter wears often. If she likes it, buy the leotard. Walmart has great prices.

Since she gave you the option to "come as you are"... I'd take her up on it. Come to class in stretchy clothes for day 1, so you can see what the other girls are wearing and the general feel of the class.

There's no reason to go out and invest in leotards, even if everyone is in ballet classic (black leotards and pink tights) but buying ONE leotard isn't that big a deal at $5 - $10. I mean... you could spend $50 on a competition gymnastics leotard, or 5 plain leotards... but why? They wash.

Some dance schools are very free flowing about apparel, but most are quite strict about it (including hair). Often the "try out" classes it's "come as you are", but actual classes require a certain color leotard & tights & shoes. For tap and ballet, they also usually need leather ballet shoes (pointe comes much later), as well as tap shoes in every school I've ever been a part of.

Call the director about shoes. She'll usually be able to tell you where the best places to buy them are, and if the school has any used ones for borrow or sale.

ballet shoes generally need to be worn with tights. Jazz usually has it's own shoe as does tap shoes. Cheerleading probably needs good sneakers for stability. Depends on how much you really want her to get out of the class

Most dance teachers are very strict as to how the kids dress. They need to see the bones of their bodies and they usually have them wear tights and leotards with no ruffles or adornments.

We have a specific leo that every parent buys at the time of enrollment. Ours our a raspberry colored crushed velour and then tights/nude colored and tan tap shoes and light pink ballet shoes.

Each class/age group has a different color and style. They all wear their hair the same and dress the same. The girs act so much better when they are all dressed the same and no one stands out. The teachers can focus on the muscles and how the bones are moving.

So, if the teacher has no preference then look around when enrolling her. What are the other girls wearing? Are they wearing basic black? Light pink with tutu's out to there? If the teacher truly doesn't care then let your little one pick whatever she wants and you can afford. Leos' start around $18 and can go up to the hundreds with most being around $30-$40.

I wash ours in warm water, it's not as hot as some so call it medium warm, and I dry them on low or medium perma-press or delicate. They still look like new and if she didn't outgrow then then she would still be wearing them. Some of ours have gone through 6 kids so far and still look new.