General Rules
- Jewelry should not be worn in class.
- All dancewear and shoes must have the student’s name in permanent ink. Dance Arts is not responsible for lost dance items.
- No feathers or sequined items will be allowed in the studio.
- Female students do not wear undergarments with tights.
General Supplies
All dance students need a bag large enough to carry required pairs of shoes. Also, Dance Arts female students should carry a smaller bag to class containing the following items: hair brush, hair pins, bobby pins, clips, hair nets, hair elastics, and safety pins. Students training in pointe shoes should include band aids and cloth tape with their supplies.
Students who are not properly prepared (hair and uniform) may be asked to sit out.
Short hair – should be pulled back off the face with clips, barrettes, bobby pins, or fabric headbands.
Medium length hair (too short for a bun) – ponytails or pigtails.
Longer hair – should always be secured in a neat and tidy bun, using hair pins and hair nets. Wisps should be secured with bobby pins, clips, barrettes, where needed.
Female students enrolled in continuing education classes should wear pink tights and pink ballet shoes. The leotard is the student’s choice of style and color.
Beginning Ballet
Move with Me
Children should wear comfortable clothing with bare feet (no mini-tutus, please), and adults should wear comfortable clothing suitable for ease of movement.
Creative Movement
Girls should wear a pink leotard with bare feet and have the hair pulled back neatly in a classical ballet bun. Boys should wear black dance shorts and a white shirt.
Pre-Ballet
Girls should wear a light pink leotard with either pink tights or white ankle socks, and pink leather ballet shoes. Hair should be pulled back neatly in a classical ballet bun. Boys should wear black dance shorts, a white shirt, and black leather ballet shoes.
Ballet
Ballet Shoes
- All students in Ballet 3 and below need full-soled leather ballet shoes.
- Students in Ballet 4 and Ballet 5 are allowed leather split-sole or canvas split-sole ballet shoes.
- Demi-pointe shoes are strongly suggested by staff for Ballet 4 students and staff approved Ballet 3 students.
Ballet shoes are to fit snugly to the foot with a maximum of ¼” growth allowance. Proper ballet shoes must be purchased from a dance supply store. These shoes will stretch with the child’s foot creating a comfortable fit. Inferior brands from discount stores are stiff and dangerous for a student to wear, due to the foot slipping around inside the shoe. The $4 you might save is not worth having a distracted child, worrying about trying not to trip in an ill-fitting shoe. If improper shoes are worn, the student will be asked to remove them before participating.
Body hugging legwarmers and sweaters may only be worn in class in colder months.
Adult students will be given flexibility in dance wear. Please ask instructor. Examinations require that uniforms be in pristine condition (i.e. no holes, clean, etc.).
Uniform Purchasing Information
- Students can purchase tights or shoes online in a color that matches their skin tone if desired.
- The Capezio brand of leotards for Ballet 1 & up may be found at www.discountdance.com
- See your instructor for more information.
Ballet 1
Female Capezio – Purple cap-sleeved style leotard, ½ in. white elastic hip alignment belt, pink ballet shoes
Male – White t-shirt, black knit shorts, white socks and black or white ballet shoes
Ballet 2
Female – Capezio – Light blue cotton-lycra tank style leotard, ½ in. white elastic hip alignment belt, pink ballet shoes
Male – Black bike shorts or heavy (men’s) black tights, white short-sleeved leotard or white t-shirt, white socks and black or white ballet shoes
Ballet 3
Supplies:
- 5” x 5.5” (half sized) white 3 ring binder with student’s name printed on the outside
- “Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet” by Gail Grant (3rd edition or newer)
- Plain, solid color yoga mat.
Female – Capezio – Black cotton-lycra tank style leotard, ½ in. white elastic hip alignment belt, pink ballet shoes
Male – Black bike shorts or heavy (men’s) black tights, white short-sleeved leotard or white t-shirt, white socks and black or white ballet shoes
Ballet 4 and 5
Female – Capezio – Black cotton-lycra tank style leotard, ½ in. white elastic hip alignment belt, demi pointe shoes by instructor approval, pink tights and pink ballet shoes
Male – Heavy (men’s) black tights, white short-sleeved leotard or white t-shirt, white socks and black ballet shoes, black or nude dance belt
Supplies:
- 5” x 5.5” (half sized) white 3 ring binder with student’s name printed on the outside“Technical
- Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet” by Gail Grant (3rd edition or newer)
- Plain, solid color yoga mat.
- “The Human Body – an Illustrated Guide to Your Body and How It Works” by Amber Book
- 36” hard foam roller
- Tennis Ball
All Core Ballet students must have the required uniform. However, students are given the choice of color and style for second and third leotards. Please notify a member of the Dance Arts Staff with specific questions.
Adult Ballet
Shoes
Shoes can either be canvas (preferred for adults) or leather (preferred for younger students). Both full sole and split sole shoes are accepted, though split sole is recommended for more advanced dancers. Students’ choice of colors are pink, black, or white.
Attire
Form fitting attire that is moveable such as leggings, tank tops, jazz pants, moveable t-shirts, etc., are acceptable for adult students. Traditional attire is not required for adult ballet class, but if you feel inclined, it includes pink tights, a leotard, and optional ballet skirt for women, and black tights with a form fitting shirt for men. For preferred classroom attire, please see instructor.
Tap
Shoes
Tap Shoes are required. Beginners are recommended to get either Capezio or Bloch brands of tap shoes, Oxford style, no split sole. Estimated price is $50 for a decent pair.
Attire
General exercise attire is acceptable including gym shorts, jazz pants, leggings, tank tops, breathable t-shirts, etc. Form fitting clothing is preferable and recommended, but not required.
Hair
Hair should be pulled up and out of the face.
Jazz and Musical Theatre Dance
Attire
Comfortable, non-street clothing appropriate for physical activity that is not baggy and not restrictive is required (no jeans, baggy t-shirts, etc.).
Hair
Hair should be pulled back from face.
Shoes
Ballet or jazz shoes are required, but bare feet and socks are also acceptable (no tennis shoes or street shoes). For Musical Theatre Dance, Character shoes can be worn, but must be approved by instructor first.
No jewelry is allowed to be worn in class (small stud earrings are acceptable).
Modern
Female: Any color or style of leotard, t-shirt, or tank top may be worn in class. Leggings or dance shorts are highly encouraged with proper athletic undergarments. Please avoid the use of ballet tights; if a leotard is worn, it should be paired with some form of dance shorts or pants. Hair is not required to be in a bun, but must not obstruct the dancer from seeing clearly; pony tails are appropriate. Loose-fitting clothing is not permitted.
Male: Any color or style of T-shirt or tank top is allowed. Dancers will be required to wear a dance belt while in class. Dance shorts, leggings, or jazz pants may be worn. Baggy clothing, such as basketball shorts, is not permitted. All clothing should be tight or close to the body.
In keeping with the tradition of Modern Dance, all students will be asked to dance barefoot or in socks when necessary. Patterns on clothing items are permitted, but please avoid any logos or text as they can be distracting.
Irish Dance
General Rules
- Students should have hair tied off of the face – no hair down.
- Pony tails and pig tails are appropriate.
- Students should be in shorts that meet the fingertips with arms/fingers stretched down.
- Students should wear a t-shirt that is fitted – nothing oversized or baggy.
General Supplies
- Every student needs to carry a tennis ball and a water bottle in their dance bag.
- Each dancer needs a dance bag for class. Siblings may share a bag. It should contain: 20 bobby pins of regular size, 20 bobby pins of large size, 20 hair pins, 10 metal free hair elastics, 20 varying sizes of safety pins, 10 tan colored plain band aids, sock glue, extra shoe elastics, and a new notebook.
Class Essentials
Irish 1
Socks or jazz shoes and comfortable athletic clothing. It is highly recommended that students purchase brown-bottom soft shoes (ghillies) by the spring semester.
Irish 2
Brown-bottomed soft shoes (ghillies), socks, and comfortable athletic clothing. Hard shoes are required by the beginning of the spring semester.
Irish 3 and 4
Brown-bottomed soft shoes (ghillies), hard shoes, socks, and comfortable athletic clothing.
**Parents, please use discretion when purchasing “The Human Body…” as it contains anatomically correct illustrations of every part of the male and female bodies, explicitly for educational purposes. If parents decide they do not wish for their child to have this book, it will not be held against them.
