As we prepare for the new dance year, here are a few ideas to be sure your dancer is ready for class!

1. Dance Bag

Have a bag dedicated just to dance class.  You can leave all of your dance shoes and necessary accessories in one place and don’t have to track it all down every week.

2. Include the following items in your Dance Bag:

• Hair brush
• Bobby pins & extra ponytail holders
• Socks (thin socks are great for dancers sensitive to the feel of tap shoes.)
• BandAIDS (again great for those sensitive kiddos)
• Shoes – LABELED with your dancers’ name
• Extra pair of tights, leotard or tank top (you never know what might happen in the car ride to the dance studio! It’s always good to have a back-up plan!)
• Water bottle
• Small snack – if your dancer has a long night filled with activities, encourage a light snack on the way to dance class – snap peas, granola bar, apple, etc.

3. Dress Code attire

• Shoes that fit properly & are clearly LABELED with your dancers’ name
• TAP SHOES – for young dancers, have “TAP TIES” so their shoes can easily slip on and off and don’t require tying
• BALLET SHOES – for young dancers, tuck their laces into their shoes so the bows do not come untied during class
• Pink, black, or white tights
• Black, Pink, or Lavender leotards
• Solid colored tops for jazz, tap, musical theater, and hip hop classes – PSOD apparel is great!
• Black solid bottoms for jazz, tap, musical theater, and hip hop classes
• No midriff exposed – let’s keep it modest & classy!

4. Be sure Hair is neatly pulled back away from your dancers’ face. 

For ballet class, we prefer a neat bun.  For other classes, ponytails are great.  Please use headbands and barrettes for short hair.

5. Go to the bathroom before entering the classroom.

Even if your dancer is not sure they need to use the bathroom, encourage them to try.  Leaving the classroom to go to the bathroom is very distracting.  One time a student in a Creative Dance class was doing her chasses across the floor and started going potty.  She responded, “I was just so excited about dancing that I didn’t realize I had to go potty.”  Your dancer may get excited.  In fact, we hope they do!  Let’s just be sure they’ve taken care of business before class starts. 🙂

6. Arrive on time to class.  It’s stressful and distracting for your dancer if he/she has to bolt and run into class after it has begun.  Teachers and Assistants will greet your students at the door and welcome them into class every day.  Please do your best to arrive timely & safely.

We hope these tips help you start the year off well!

If you still need dance shoes or dress code attire, we can supply you with everything you need through our PSOD store!  Come visit us!