Inland Northwest Ballet Dress Code

·          Creative Dance – Little ones may wear any color leotard and tights, with pink leather or canvas ballet slippers.  Please note:  satin exercise slippers are not appropriate, as they do not allow the foot to point, do not stay on well, and are too slippery.  Leather ballet slippers with a pleated toe must be worn, with the bows tied and tucked in before every class (a little dab of super glue will help secure the bow).  Chiffon ballet skirts or tutus are acceptable, as well as a snug wrap ballet sweater during colder months.  No sweaters with buttons please (the less to distract them the better)

·          For Creative Dance that include both tap and ballet, students will need both tap and ballet shoes the first day of class.  Even if your child can tie, please tie his or her tap shoes, as they do come undone easily…This will save unnecessary tripping, and also save the instructor from having to take time away from the rest of the class to tie shoes.…Thank you!  Also, please write her name inside both shoes BEFORE THE FIRST CLASS, and make certain she knows which shoes are hers (unique colored ribbons or a colorful sticker inside the shoes may also help), as the children must change shoes during class by themselves.  If shoes are not marked, this creates chaos, as no one knows whose shoes are whose, and the instructors cannot help them without names inside.   It is a good idea to send her in with her ballet shoes in a small bag, so she can take her ballet shoes out, and place her tap shoes in when changing, saving time at the end of class, when finding tap shoes.  If this is your child’s first year in dance, having your child practice changing from tap shoes to ballet shoes before the first day is very helpful.

·          Classical Ballet – Leotards, skirts (worn the last day of the month only) and sweaters (wrap sweaters that fit snugly around the dancers waist) should be in black only.  No trim or colors please.  Long sleeved leotards are advised for the winter months.  Pale pink tights worn with pink ballet shoes (no black or white shoes please, and split sole shoes required for levels 5 and up).  No leotards with attached skirts, except the last day of the month. No shorts of any kind.  At all other times, leotards must be worn without a skirt, so the instructor may see the line of the hips and lower back, in order to correct the children effectively.  Thank you!

·          Tap or Hip Hop – A leotard, tank, camisole, or sports bra top of any color may be worn, along with stretch shorts or flared leg stretch pants.  Tap dancers need black tap shoes, and Hip Hop/Jazz need either black ballet slippers, black jazz shoes, or black jazz sneakers.  ABSOLUTELY NO T-SHIRTS! 

·          PLEASE MAKE CERTAIN YOUR CHILD’S SHOES FIT PROPERLY, BALLET SLIPPERS SHOULD BE FITTED LOOSELY TO THE ENDS OF THE FOOT, TAP SHOES WITH ONLY ONE HALF INCH OF ROOM IN THE TOE.  TOO LARGE OF SHOES ARE DANGEROUS AND RESULT IN POOR TECHNIQUE, AND MAY RESULT IN A SECOND PURCHASE OF SHOES.  CHECK THE FIT YOURSELF BEFORE PURCHASING, RATHER THAN RELYING ON THE SALESPERSON, WHO MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

·          Most of the above can be purchased either through Inland Northwest Ballet, at a few department stores, or our favorite place...Empire Dance Shop in downtown Spokane...(http://www.empiredanceshop.com/) ...Empire is a wonderful shop run by Philip and Sally Broadbent, both former professional dancers, so they know dance!  We also love to support a shop that gives back to the dance community by supporting the arts...please check them out!  They have many wonderful things for Christmas or Birthday gifts...books, jewelry, accessories, etc.  Keep in mind, that you may find something at a seemingly lower price if you shop online, but you take your chances on sizing and quality, and may spend more on shipping your returns back than you save by a "lower" price.  We recommend never purchasing pointe shoes online, as fit is everything when dancing on pointe...A professional fit is well worth the cost...:)