u/Realistic_Lie_9281

My daughter has been getting more into ballet lately and I thought it might be fun to start watching some of the classics with her at home. I was thinking Nutcracker or Cinderella first since she already knows the stories, but now I'm curious what other kids actually enjoyed. Did your kids have one they really loved or wanted to watch again? I feel like what I would pick and what she'd pick are probably two very different things lol.

My daughter is starting dance and I keep seeing these beginner lists with sooo much stuff on them lol. Leotard, tights, shoes, dance bag, warm ups, hair stuff... I know some of it is probably useful but I also know how this goes with kids.

For the parents who've already been through this, what did your kids actually use all the time? And what did you buy thinking they'd need it and then barely touch?

I've noticed there's actually a bit of a gray area. A plain leotard obviously feels like dancewear, and a sparkly recital tutu is obviously a costume. But what about skirted leotards? Or simple ballet dresses? I've seen studios handle those differently. Some are perfectly fine with them in beginner classes, while others prefer plain leotards once kids get older.

Just curious how your studio draws the line.

Curious what most parents do.

I've always bought clothes based on age, but dancewear seems totally different. Two kids can be the same age and end up in different sizes.

Do you actually measure every time, or do you mostly go by experience after a while?

I used to check if a leotard fit by asking, "Is it comfortable?"

Now I ask my daughter to lift her arms over her head first. If everything stays where it's supposed to, we're good. If she's already pulling it back into place... probably the wrong size.

For months I just kept my daughter's ballet shoes in her dance bag between classes.

A teacher mentioned it's better to let them air out after each class, so we've been doing that instead. It takes about 30 seconds, but the shoes stay much fresher and don't seem to wear out as quickly.

Just sharing in case anyone else is new to all this. :)

I honestly thought it'd be easy.

Walk into a store, buy pink ballet shoes, done.

Instead I'm learning about canvas vs leather, full sole vs split sole, elastic styles... apparently there's a LOT more to this than I expected 😭

Did anyone else go through this? Or am I just overthinking it lol

I usually buy Lululemon and Alo, but they’re getting so expensive. Does anyone have recommendations for leggings that are more affordable but still good quality? Mainly looking for something comfy, not see-through, and holds up well after washing. TIA!