Ballet gifts dancers actually use
For small dancers, serious students, adults who dance and the teacher who taught them all.
Most ballet gifts end up in a drawer. The ones that last are the things a dancer reaches for every week: something warm for a cold studio, a bag that holds everything, a hair kit for the night before an exam. This list is built around those, with a few books and a night at the ballet for the dancer who has the rest.
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Where it ships: the Bloch links go to Bloch’s EU store, which delivers to Ireland but not to Northern Ireland or Britain. If you are buying in the UK, use the Amazon link on the card where there is one, or Bloch UK. Amazon links go to amazon.co.uk, which delivers to both.
For little dancers, 3 to 8
At this age the best gifts make class feel like theirs: a cardigan to arrive in, legwarmers for the first minutes of class, a bag with room for shoes, a bottle and a snack. Leave the shoes and leotard to the parent and the school, which usually has a uniform.
Bloch Cross Front Top (Girls, Light Pink)
A knitted crossover cardigan for young dancers - layers cleanly over a leotard, ties at the back, nothing to snag in class.
€39
Bloch Mia Knit Leg Warmers (Girls, Black)
Under-the-knee knit warmers for young dancers - soft viscose blend, stays up through barre without slouching.
€21
Bloch Recital Dance Bag (Purple)
Practical 45×31×18cm nylon bag - fits a leotard, tights, shoes, water bottle, and hair kit with room to spare. Mesh side pockets, adjustable strap.
€45
Books
- Angelina Ballerina, Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig. The picture book most small dancers meet first. Good for ages 3 to 6.
- Magic Ballerina, 22-book collection, Darcey Bussell. Short chapter books for 6 to 9 year olds who have started reading on their own.
For teens and serious students
A student doing grades or heading for pointe uses more kit than anyone, and wears it out faster. Legwarmers and strength work are safe choices. Only buy pointe gear for a dancer who is already on pointe: the first pair of pointe shoes is always fitted in person, and a teacher decides when a dancer is ready.
Bloch Mira Knit Leg Warmers (Ladies, Black)
Above-the-knee 20-inch knit warmers for the first ten minutes of barre in a cold Irish studio. Pull on over tights, peel off when you're warm.
€28.50
Bloch Pointe Shoe Kit (Ribbons & Elastics)
Everything needed to sew a new pair of pointe shoes - stretch satin ribbon, covert elastic, seam ripper, needles, safety pins, and thread. One kit per pair.
€19.50
Also good
- TheraBand resistance bands, beginner set. The band teachers ask students to use for ankle and foot strength at home, especially before pointe.
- Life in Motion, Young Readers Edition, Misty Copeland. A memoir for teenagers about training late and making it anyway.
- The Ballet Companion, Eliza Gaynor Minden. A clear reference on technique, class and pointe shoes for a student who wants to understand what they are being taught.
For adult dancers
Adults who come back to ballet, or start it at forty, tend to own the basics already. What they rarely buy for themselves is the good layer: a proper wrap cardigan that comes off mid-barre without a fuss, or a skirt for the days a leotard on its own feels like too much.
Bloch Barre Stretch-Waist Ballet Skirt (Black)
Short georgette mock-wrap with a pull-on stretch waistband. Layers cleanly over tights or leotard for barre - no tying, no fuss.
€25.50
Bloch Celeste Knit Wrap Cardigan (Grey Marle)
The ballet-specific warm-up cardigan for cold Irish studios - V-neck, tie-back, no zips or drawstrings to flap during turns.
€43.50
- Life in Motion, Misty Copeland. The adult edition of the memoir.
For dance teachers
Teachers are given a lot of ballet mugs. What they value is a few lines from the dancer about what class has meant to them, and a gift that is for them rather than for ballet. A group gift from the whole class goes further than ten small ones.
If you want it to be dance-related, think about their day: hours standing in a cold studio, demonstrating in socks, then driving home. Something warm and good quality to wear, or a book they would not buy themselves.
- Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet, Jennifer Homans. The standard history of ballet, written by a former dancer. A teacher who has everything else will not have read all of it.
Stocking fillers under €15
Small, useful and always running out. A hair kit gets used up one lost pin at a time, and a mesh bag lets pointe shoes dry between classes instead of going soft in the bottom of a holdall.
Bloch Hair Kit (Caramel)
Two nets, fifteen 3-inch pins, ten 2-inch pins, six bobby pins, four elastics, and an instruction card. The kit most Irish teachers wish every dancer had.
€13.50
Bloch Pointe Shoe Bag (Large, Black Mesh)
Open-mesh drawstring bag so pointe shoes actually dry between classes instead of living in damp fabric. Double-width - fits two pairs plus toe pads.
€13.50
Tickets to a show
For a dancer of any age, watching professionals is part of the training, and a night at the ballet is the gift they will still talk about in March. Christmas is Nutcracker season, and plenty of these run into the new year, so tickets work as a present to open on the day.
What not to buy
Ballet shoes. They are sized differently from street shoes and vary by brand, and teachers often want a particular sole or colour. A dancewear shop voucher does the same job without the return trip.
A leotard, unless you have asked. Fit is personal, and many schools have a uniform colour and style for each grade.
First pointe shoes. Always fitted in person, and only once a teacher says the dancer is ready.
More on what dancers wear and why in our ballet gear guide.
Ballet gifts: FAQ
What is a good Christmas gift for a ballet dancer?
Something they will use every week: a warm wrap cardigan or legwarmers for cold studios, a hair kit, a proper dance bag, or a book about ballet. For a dancer who has everything, tickets to a show over Christmas are the gift most dancers remember.
What do you buy a dance teacher?
Most teachers would rather have something for themselves than something ballet-themed. A note from the dancer, a group gift from the class, something warm to wear in a cold studio, or a good book on ballet history all go down well. Avoid mugs and ornaments; teachers are given a lot of them.
Should I buy ballet shoes as a gift?
No. Ballet shoes are sized differently from street shoes, vary between brands, and teachers often want a specific sole or colour. Buy a voucher for a dancewear shop instead, or ask the dancer to choose a pair with you.
Do these gifts ship to Ireland and the UK?
Mostly. The Bloch links on this page go to Bloch's EU store, which delivers to Ireland but not to Northern Ireland or Britain; UK buyers should use Bloch UK or the Amazon link on the card. The books and extras link to amazon.co.uk, which delivers to Ireland and the UK.