I have two older boys who I have done baseball, scouts and football. So I understand the ropes for the boys. Our baby girl turned 3 yrs old a few months ago. The local dance studio is offering a summer session of 6 classes. So I thought we would work on it. She was practicing the stretches while I was speaking to the instructor, and the instructor thought it was cute. So here is my question. I am so new to this I am clueless. What should we expect? What kind of shoes should we get if we signed her up for ballet/creative movement? The dress code states Leotard and tights are expected for all children and ballet classes. The paperwork does not share what kind of shoes. (Ballet is understood) The question is where do you purchase them? For a three year old is it really necessary? Also where is the best place for leotards? I am thinking I would like to find the ones that have the Toto type clothing attached to leotard, I would like to have her covered. Help the clueless. (my mother never put me in dance or anything else for that matter)
Payless has ballet slippers. Most folks near me get them there. You can get dance wear at Kohls and target and it won't cost you an arm and a leg.
Try a consignment shop.
For a three year old 6 classes sound about right. Stick with the usual leotard. Try to email friends/family if they have ballet shoes you can borrow or buy cheap. Check out ebay, craig's list or a mom's group.
Do you have a Payless Shoe store there? They carry all of the dance stuff! Pink ballet dance shoes and tights are typically preferred, then whatever cute leotard you want. Not necessary for a 3 year old, but I was surprised how many kids actually had the full gear on... the kids I found, really enjoy putting on the "costume"... so it is more about that than anything else at this age. Enjoy your ballerina!
My daughter who will be 8 in a few weeks is a competitive dancer and has been for two years. We get her shoes at a local dance store. They sell only dance things and we can try them on (because the sizes are off always) and we get her pratcice wear (leotard, dance shorts, tights, etc) from Target. Or Wal-Mart - whatever store I'm in when I see something I know she'll like. Shoes are definitely necessary deoending on the dance - I don't think for creative movement they are. Oh - my daughter started dancing 2 weeks afte she turned 3 and has loved it since. So being 3 won't make her dislike it! just let her try it out and go from there :).
Check with the teacher first if shoes from Payless are OK -- some teachers may want kids to wear real leather shoes, and I'm betting shoes from there aren't real leather. However, I would think that at this age your daugher would be fine with inexpensive non-leather shoes but be certain the soles are good and not slippery -- slippy soles on a wooden dance floor are dangerous. Target is fine for leotards IF they have the colors or style your teacher wants. Some teachers, especially for a short summer class session don't care at all about those things; others might want the kids to be all in the same general type of leotard or color so there isn't any fuss like, "She has a sparkly pink tutu on her purple Princess Ariel leotard, and I hate my boring blue leotard" etc.If the class is at a ballet school, as opposed to just at the community center or recreation center, you may find they require a certain color leotard for certain age levels throughout the school. But again for a six-week class that's less likely so do check.
As for the value of it all -- just as long as she has fun and gets to use her body, it's fine. Be enthusiastic with her about it and don't let her see you stressing about the shoes and gear etc. and she'll be enthusiastic too. She may enjoy it for the six weeks then want to try something new, or she may find it's not really her thing, or she may be like my daughter -- 10 and still dancing, now three classes a week! Have fun watching her!
Personally, my girls just weren't ready for this and got NOTHING out of it until they were about 5 yrs. old...Here's our experience...I put my oldest in ballet at 3 also. Found great (inexpensive) code complience clothes at Target. While the idea was really fun...it was mostly fun for me. She liked the idea of the class, just not the class itself. Ours was a combined ballet/tap class, so the instructer would send the students out 1/2 way through to change into tap shoes (Payless Shoe Source). Well, then she didn't want to go back in. We patiently highlighted all the fun she'd miss...and I even got to learn some moves myself, as she wouldn't go in w/o me. So, thinking my youngest would be more accepting, I enrolled her at 3 also. It took a few weeks, but she eventually participated, but usually not enthusiastically.
Go to discountdance.com. They are wonderful! I am a dance teacher and order from them all the time. They carry everything you'll need. They have leotards with skirts attached (tutu). If you can't wait on shipping, Target sells leotards & tights for reasonable prices. Walmart too I think. But please buy her shoes from a dance store or online. Just for your information, I teach ballet at a preschool, where the administration chooses to have the ballet shoes be "optional". The children who don't have them, don't perform, listen or behave as well as those that do. They go barefoot, and I'm sure in their little heads, they don't feel like a "ballerina". :) Make her first experience memorable and fun. Dance is a wonderful extracurricular activity for little girls! It teaches coordination and well as confidence. Have fun and good luck!
You can buy reasonable leotards and tights at Target. I think they may sell ballet shoes as well. Please do not buy the tutu leotards unless you have checked with the instructor first. I spent my entire life (3-22) in ballet and the skirts make it very difficult for the teacher to check your daughter's alignment (posture and placement). They look cute, but are actually really impractical. The dress code says leo and tights, nothing about a skirt so ask first. Two leos and 2 tights will be more than enough for 6 weeks! If she likes it and you continue it, then buy whatever is reasonable so that she has a clean set for each class.
Shoes... she's really little so don't invest too much but avoid the Payless shoes. They are not well-sized. Call the dance studio and ask where they suggest you purchase her shoes at a reasonable "we're just trying this out" price.
If she loves this activity, you will be investing in one pair of good shoes each year, just like cleats and sneakers! If she continues, you will be buying pointe shoes (at $60 a pop) 3 or 4 times a year! Keep it simple now b/c ballet is an expensive, but really wonderful experience!
We've ordered inexpensive shoes from discountdance.com and dance4less.com. I teach dance and my girls have ordered from these sites and they've been great. Especially if your girl is little and beginning. Don't need to pay 20 for ballet shoes. :) Have fun!!
I get all my daughter's dance things at Target.
if you go to oldnavy oe their website they have a cute tutu cute collection right now of cute leotards with built in skirts, i wouldnt buy their ballet shoes though... but relativly inexpensive :) or ebay it up !
You can get ballet shoes at Payless. Ask the dance teacher if there is a dance shop in your area, or a place she recommends for buying dance "stuff." Otherwise, like I said, Payless for the ballet shoes, and get tights and leotards at Target, Walmart, or even department stores should have them.
One thing that I learned from my daughter's dance teacher is that ballet slippers should be 1-2 sizes bigger than their normal shoe size. I have bought from Payless and purchased thru the studio, and both were fine. I would ask your daughter's teacher what she suggests. My oldest is 6 and started dance right before she turned 3 and has never wanted to stop. I think it's a great activity for girls, and performing on stage at recitals is great for their confidence! Have fun with it (and BTW, I wouldn't know what to do with a boy so don't feel bad!)
The teacher is who you need to ask. Most dance teachers have class leos they all wear. The teacher is going to be able to tell you where they are sold in your town or what website to use. Our teacher uses the tan mary-jane style tap shoes but carries them in a couple of other colors so the other dance teachers in town can send their kids to buy shoes in our store.
We have a store at the dance studio and I work lots of hours there to help pay for the kids classes. We well all kids of leos. There are the traditional kind, and there are also biketards. These are a bit different and what my girl wears to gymnastics. They are 1 piece but the legs are shorts instead of fitting like panties.
This is a link to a picture of an attractive biketard. It is a pretty regular looking one. They usually have a matching hair scrunchy attached for the little kids sizes. Most biketards run from $25 to $75. Depending on the brand and style.
http://www.riversedgedancewear.com/me2shslbi.html
This is a pretty normal looking leo standard in dance classes.
http://www.tootsiesdancewear.com/site/547048/product/1043...
This is a more fantasy leo fit for any princess...
http://www.tootsiesdancewear.com/site/547048/product/01469
As for ballet shoes the teacher should have them and fit the girls to them. They run very differently. Our girl wears a 12 1/2 to a 13 girls shoe and her ballet shoes are a 2. Her tap shoes are a 13. Her last ballet shoes were half a size smaller than her normal shoes. Each pair is going to fit differently. If you have to buy them I'd say call around to shoes stores and find one that sells them in store. GO fit her yourself. The little strings pull tighter and then tie so the shoe fits better around the top. The strings tuck in the shoe but not the knot.
As for tights, they sell little girls panty hose at Walmart by the underwear and socks. These are NOT dance tights and will get runs and not last very long but they can be used if that's what you want to do. They'll just need to be replaced every month or so.
The brands we sell and that I find to be very good quality are:
We have tons of basic moves in the store. It washes well and lasts through several kids handing the items down as they outgrow it. Washes well and dries in the dryer on low.
http://www.basicmoves.net/
We carry most all of the Princess Aurora line from Body Wrappers.
http://www.bodywrappers.com/
http://www.bodywrappers.com/collections.php?id=25
There are tons of dance wear clothes out there and most will be fine for a 3-5 year old. But really, talk to the teacher and find out her preferences. You don't want to spend lots of money on some really cute leos to only find out they have a class leo that is mandatory to wear once the classes start up in the Fall..
