Ballet Class on the Cheap

Leotards, tights and slippers…oh my!

As every “dance mom” knows, the costs associated with keeping our baby ballerinas clothed and stage-ready add up fast. Although many dance studios sell staple items such as leos and tights as a convenience to their students, the mark-up can be as high as 30-40%. Even the relatively cheap items like hair spray, pins and hair nets have to be replaced constantly. {What’s that? Your daughter grew out of her month-old slippers already?! Yikes!}

Why, just thinking about it all is enough to make your head spin around faster than 32 Swan Lake fouettés! {Which is pretty darn fast!}

But have no fear! 🙂 I’m going to share some tried ‘n true tips that’ll keep you, your budget and your little dancer “on pointe” now through recital!

Shop Online – If your child’s studio doesn’t have a strict dress code {meaning, you can choose whatever leotard or tights you want provided they’re the “regulation” colors}, check out Discount Dancewear Supply and/or Dancewear Solutions. Both offer incredible savings on name brands such as Capezio, Bloch and Leo at a fraction of the retail price!

$5 Used Clothing Swap Box – Ask your child’s studio director about placing a bin in the lobby for student’s outgrown dancewear. {Items should be neat, clean and in good repair–no holes or runs!} The studio can then charge a flat $5 per item with proceeds going toward operating costs, scholarship funds, etc. This idea has worked really well for various studios over the years and is a life-saver during those “Ooops! I forgot my slippers at home!” moments! 😉

Hang/Drip Dry – Nothing zaps the life out of dancewear faster than a dryer! Hang your child’s clothing to dry and eliminate both shrinkage and those weird little “fuzz balls” that cling to tights!

Payless Shoe Source – Did you know that Payless carries their own brand ballet slippers? It’s true! They’re endorsed by American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and cost about $18/pair. Go in during one of their many Buy 1/Get 1 50% off sales and stock up! {Another plus to these slippers–the elastics come pre-sewn, which isn’t the case with other brands as your child’s feet grow.}

Register and +UP Rewards – Use those handy slips of paper toward your next purchase of hair pins, nets and hair spray! At around $3 each, you can greatly reduce or flat-out eliminate your hair care costs with a little strategic planning. 😉 Best brand for your buck: Scünci! Their pins and hair nets hold up much better than the likes of “Goody” for some reason, saving you $$ in replacement costs!

AquaNet Hair Spray – Sure it might give you a few crazy 80’s hair flashbacks, but boy-oh-boy does it work! Ranked as “one step below cement”, this hair spray comes super-cheap and is the surefire way to get professional looking buns and Nutcracker “party girl” curls in a flash!

Do you have a baby ballerina in your family? How do YOU save money in this area?

About Karrie

Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...