Dance is the activity where the gear list is the most style-specific. A ballerina, a hip-hop kid, and a tap dancer have almost zero gear in common.
Most studios will give you a list at registration that tells you exactly what to buy and where. Use that list. Dance shoes are tricky to fit and the studio’s recommended supplier (often a local dancewear shop) saves you the return runs.
The annual surprise is the recital costume bill. Plan for it. It’s coming.
Universal items (every style, every age)
A few things every dance kid needs regardless of style:
A dance bag
A medium-size duffel that holds shoes, water bottle, snacks, and the day’s outfits. Most studios have a recommended size or brand.
A water bottle
Yes. Same rule.
Hair stuff
Dance hair is a category. Bobby pins, hair gel, hair nets, hair ties, hairspray. Plan on a small kit kept in the dance bag at all times.
Tights
Pink or beige tights are standard for ballet, jazz, and contemporary. Most studios specify a brand and color.
Buy 3 to 5 pairs.
Leotards
Most studios have a dress code that specifies leotard color, neckline, and brand. Buy 3 to 5 leotards in the studio’s specified colors.
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Danskin youth practice leotard
Cotton-blend practice leotard in toddler through youth sizing. Machine washable, snug through the torso, available in multiple colors to match studio dress codes.
Our take: Buy three to five in the studio's required color. Classes are multiple times a week and they rotate fast. Confirm the dress code before ordering.
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Capezio youth ballet slippers
Split-sole canvas slipper with pre-sewn elastic. The standard starter slipper for ballet and used in many lyrical and contemporary classes as well.
Our take: Try them on with tights, not bare feet — the fit is different. Buy from a dancewear shop if possible; fitting matters here.
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Insulated water bottle — 32 oz
Wide-mouth insulated bottle that keeps water cold through a two-hour class. Fits in any dance bag side pocket.
Our take: Dancers dehydrate faster than most parents realize. The water bottle goes in the bag every class, not just hot days.
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Style-specific items
The shoes are where dance gets style-specific. Most kids do multiple styles, which means multiple shoe types.
Ballet
Ballet slippers. Canvas or leather, drawstring style. Pre-sewn elastic is fine for kids under 11.
How to choose: try them on with the kid’s tights. They should fit snug, like a sock. The drawstring at the toe should be tied snugly without bunching. As the kid grows, the slipper stretches.
Pointe shoes (advanced ballet, age 11+ only)
Pointe shoes require a fitting from a certified pointe shoe fitter. Do not buy these online. The fitting can take an hour or more and matters for the rest of your kid’s ballet career.
Pointe shoes are also a consumable. Serious dancers go through a pair every 3 to 8 weeks. Recreational dancers might go a season per pair.
Add elastics, ribbons, and toe pads. Plus the fitting time, which is sacred.
Jazz
Jazz shoes are slip-on or lace-up, usually leather or canvas, with a flexible sole and a small heel for spinning.
How to choose: snug at the toe, no slipping at the heel. The split-sole vs. full-sole choice is mostly preference; split-sole is more flexible.
Tap
Tap shoes have metal tap plates on the toe and heel. The tap plates are loud on purpose.
How to choose: tap shoes should fit like a slightly-snug street shoe. Some kids need 1 to 2 sizes smaller than their street shoe. The heel should not slip.
A tap board for home practice lets the kid practice without ruining your kitchen floor.
Hip-hop
Hip-hop shoes are usually clean white sneakers, often a specific brand the studio recommends. Some studios are flexible; some require a specific shoe.
How to choose: the studio will tell you what’s required. Often it’s a basic Nike or Adidas indoor shoe.
Contemporary / Modern / Lyrical
Most contemporary dancers wear half-soles (small leather pads on the ball of the foot, with elastic to keep them in place) or go barefoot. Some studios specify foot undeez (similar to half-soles).
Ballroom and Latin
Ballroom shoes have specific suede soles for sliding on competition floors. Specialty shoes that you only buy when your kid is committed to the discipline.
Ages 5–7 (Starter dance)
Most studios run a “creative movement” or “pre-ballet” class at this age. The gear list is very small.
- Pink ballet slippers
- Pink tights, 2-3 pairs
- A leotard, any color the studio allows
Ages 8–10 (Combo classes and serious starters)
Most kids at this age take 2-3 classes a week (ballet, jazz, and maybe tap or hip-hop). The gear list grows.
- Ballet slippers
- Jazz shoes
- Tap shoes (if taking tap)
- Tights, 4-5 pairs in different colors
- Leotards, 3-5 in studio-specified colors
- A dance bag
Ages 11–12 (Pre-pointe and competition)
Pointe shoes start to enter the picture for ballet kids who are ready (this is a teacher’s call, not a parent’s call). Competition dance gets serious for kids who go that route.
- Pointe shoes (if applicable)
- Replacement ballet slippers
- Replacement jazz/tap shoes
- More leotards (kids’ bodies change rapidly at this age)
- Foot undeez or half-soles
Competition fees (if applicable)
Competition dance means entry fees for 4 to 8 competitions a season, plus a costume for each routine.
Ages 13–14 (Pre-teen company)
Most serious dancers are in a “company” or “elite” track by this age. Multiple styles, multiple weekly classes, intensive technique work.
- Multiple pairs of pointe shoes (1 to 2 a month for serious dancers)
- Style-specific gear for whatever they’re focused on
- Costumes for company numbers
- Convention fees for dance conventions
The dancewear and accessories alone are a serious annual spend.
Ages 15+ (High school dance and pre-professional)
This is when the kids who are going for it really go for it. Pre-professional programs, summer intensives at major ballet companies, college dance auditions.
Summer intensives
Major ballet and modern dance programs run intensives in summer. Tuition is steep, plus housing if it’s residential.
College auditions
Dance majors audition like music majors. Expect a fee for each school, often with travel on top.
The recital costume bill (the surprise every June)
Recital costumes are the budget item nobody warns you about. Each routine your kid is in requires a costume. If your kid is in 3 to 5 routines, that’s 3 to 5 costumes.
Costumes are not cheap. They are non-negotiable; the studio orders them in November and you pay then.
Plan on a real recital costume bill every spring.
How to choose dance shoes (the universal test)
Three rules across every style:
One. Try them on with the right hosiery. Pointe shoes with pointe shoe tights. Ballet slippers with ballet tights. Don’t try in socks.
Two. The shoe should fit like skin. No bunching, no extra room at the toe (your kid’s toes will hit the front during pointed work), no heel slippage.
Three. Get them at the studio’s recommended store. Online dance shoe shopping is a hard way to get the wrong fit.
A few honest notes
Dance shoes wear out. Kids outgrow them. Plan on replacing the most-used shoes (ballet slippers, jazz shoes) twice a year.
Most local dance shops have a used-shoe rack. Pre-pointe shoes that have been worn for 2 weeks by another kid are perfectly fine for the next kid for the season.
The studio dress code is not a suggestion. Most studios are strict. Read it carefully when you register and stock up.
If your kid is doing competition dance, expect the budget to triple compared to recreational dance. The costumes, the conventions, the travel, the privates. Plan accordingly.
Sizing notes
Need to know what size? See our Dance sizing guide.