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New Term, New Kit - What Do You Really Need?

Posted by katherine vidgen on

We at Bea love dance and as parents of two little ballerinas, we can see how much they love it too - learning new skills & expressing themselves whilst being active – it certainly stretches them, & in more ways than one!  We know all about dance kit but we understand that it can be daunting considering what you need to start and how much it will all cost.  We’ve put together a list of some essentials whether your little one’s into ballet, tap or modern dance. 
Leotard – Quintessentially dance & such a versatile item of kit!  The design is aerodynamic allowing your son or daughter to express themselves fully, showcasing their graceful & dynamic movements. The leotard is used in most styles of dance (and gymnastics of course) so if your son or daughter is trying out a few different classes, a quality leotard will be a great investment. 

Bea’s Tonbridge store has rainbow rails of beautiful leotards in a spectrum of styles – tank, cami, long sleeved, short sleeved (from only £12.95!), rouched, with skirt, with tutu …  we think Monsieur Léotard himself would be rather impressed!

Tights – Footed, convertible, stirrup, footless: Bea stocks a variety of different styles of tights, at a range of prices from a variety of high quality brands such as Capezio, Bloch and Mondor.

Did you know that as well as providing female dancers with some modesty, allowing them to wear shorter ‘costumes’ such as tutus & show off their legs, tights also help prevent injury too?  As dancers exert sustained pressure on their feet and legs, the legs need support to encourage blood circulation to muscles, tendons and the like, to avoid damage.  Tights offer light compression that improve circulation in the feet and legs – very important.   

Footwear - shoes sounds like such a ‘pedestrian’ word in the world of dance, where footwear can literally distinguish one dance from another – the silent, almost invisible pumps of ballet compared to the noisy, rhythmic tap shoe. 

Bea has a professional footwear fitter (me!) to ensure that your child has the correct size and width, as well as a wide selection of shoes: ballet pumps starting from £10.50, made from high quality leather with suede soles as well as jazz shoes, tap shoes and dance trainers. 

If you have a leotard, tights and the right shoes, you’re all set to start!  The extras, such as cardigans, skirts, hoodies and the like, are just that, extras; as your child starts performing or taking exams, you may need to buy dance wear items to make them look ‘the part’ but at this stage, they make great items to add to the birthday gift list or letter to Father Christmas.

 

So, pop in to see us in Tonbridge & we’ll help you and your little one get started: let your child browse in awe at our selection of leotards; they can have a twirl in front of the mirror in our fitting room; let me fit the perfect shoe to allow your child to shine.

Katherine x

 

Thanks to Flashbang Photography for their fabulous pictures

 

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