Ballet essentials

There are a few things every ballerina to be should own. Here's a list of them:

Bobby bins - You should always bring a few bobby bins in your dance bag. To fix your bun or even to help someone else who forgot their bobby bins out.

Bun rings - If you have short hair sometimes bun rings will look great.

Coolpack: To ease pain

Elastics - You'll need to different types of elastic: thinner ones for your technique shoes and broader, stronger ones for your pointe shoes because you need more support in those.

Fake eyelashes - For performances. In the stage light your face might look flat and without any contours. Especially if you have small eyes fake eyelashes will improve your looks a lot.

Foam roller - A foam roller is an amazing tool to stretch out your muscles, to try to get rid of knots in them after a tough class or rehearsal or to strengthen your muscles.

Hair nets - To avoid a lot of little hair sticking out of your bun

Hair spray - For a sleeker look


Hair ties - Obviously for your bun.

Leg warmers - To warm up your ankles and avoid injury

Leotards - Tight clothes, especially leotards enable your dance teacher to see your body. Your lines. This is important for them to give you corrections.

Plasters - Sometimes, especially after pointe classes you'll have several painful blisters

Pointe shoes - If you dance teacher gives you the ok you are allowed to go on pointe. At first it really is a lot of hard work and to be honest it doesn't get any easier, you just get better.

Rehearsal tutu - If you perform in real tutus a rehearsal tutu will help you to get comfortable with not seeing your feet which can be quite hard in the beginning.

Ribbons - Besides elastics ribbons give you support when you're on pointe. You will find different kinds of ribbons. Some shinier, some really thin ones or some with elastic parts.

Sewing kit - You want to be able to fix your pointe and technique shoes.

Stretchy shorts - For more contemporary ballet rehearsals or to warm up. Some use spandex shorts, some use woollen shorts.

Technique shoes - Some classes, even barre, are on pointe, for some you'll have to wear technique shoes.

Tennis ball - A tennis ball works wonders for your feet after a pointe class.

Theraband - To strengthen your feet and stretch out your muscles. I would advice to get a strong and a medium/light Theraband for different purposes.

Tights - Don't wear "normal" tights. Those usually aren't strong enough for what you need them and they will probably rip soon.

Toe pads/Gel pads/Toe spacers/Lamb wool - It totally depends on your feet and liking what you are going to use.

Warm-ups - Sometimes you won't have a lot of time before class to warm up. Warm up clothes will lessen the chance to hurt yourself.

Wrapping skirts - If wrapping skirts are allowed in your studio you should probably where one. Wrapping skirts are really flattering usually.