Top Ten Gifts for the Young Dancer in Your Life

If you have a young dancer in your life, whether she loves the latest hip hop or jazz moves or if she prefers the more classical ballet style, there are many gifts you can give this holiday season. With a gift related to your dancer's passion, you can be certain she will be dancing with joy when she sees the gift you have chosen just with her passion in mind. Here are the top ten gifts for your young dancer.

Personalized dance bag: A personalized dance bag is always a perfect choice for a dancer. The best dance bag is roomy enough to hold several pairs of shoes and has smaller compartments for leotards, tights, a water bottle and a snack. If you have a very young dancer, you will be able to find a bag that is cute and decorated with little dancers or ballet shoes. For the older dancer, look for something that is solid. You can have your dancer's name or dance team name stitched on the bag at any custom embroider company.

Warm up gear: All dancers need good warm up gear, so how about picking out a nice jacket with matching pants and having her name placed on the jacket? A zip up jacket is best, so that it does not mess her hair up if she is getting ready to perform. If you prefer a more traditional approach, look into the ballet cardigans and leg warmers that you can find in almost any size at a specialty dance shop.

Got Dance? Shirt: You have seen the Got Milk? ads before, but have you seen the Got Dance? shirts? This shirt is a must have for every dancer. They come in black with the white logo on the front. You can order these online or find these at most dance shops. Expect to pay about $15 for a t-shirt. These also come in sweatshirts and tank top styles.

Dance magazine subscription: There are many excellent dance magazines out there, but if you have a grade school dancer, your best bet would be the Young Dancer magazine, geared for ages 8 to 14. Each issue comes with a nice poster of a famed dancer. Yearly subscriptions run about $15 per year. Another good choice for ages teen to adult is Dance Spirit.

Tickets to see the Rockettes: Around the holidays, the famous high-kicking Rockettes often tour the United States. This holiday season, they are presenting their very popular Christmas show. What young dancer wouldn't love to see these popular dancers live onstage? Buy your tickets in advance. Ticket prices vary, according to venue and seating, but you can generally expect to pay about $30 per ticket.

Foot Care Kit: Put together a foot care kit to help keep your dancer's feet in tip-top shape. Consider small booties that can be worn with dance shoes, or slippers that are worn over pointe shoes. How about some foot lotion or bath salts for soaking those tired feet? Other good items for a dancer include gel insoles, blister treatment and bandages.

Emergency Recital Kit: Find a pretty bag or make up case and fill it with all the things a girl might need in case of an emergency at her next recital. Include a box of safety pins, bobby pins, sticky sided Velcro, hair spray, a comb and a brush and masking tape (for wardrobe malfunctions), and extra pairs of pink and tan hose. Also include some fun stuff such as a pretty mirror, disposable camera and some spray body and hair glitter.

Install a ballet barre: If your dancer has a blank wall, you can easily give the gift of her very own dance studio. Use large rod brackets and anchor them in the wall. Include a closet rod on the brackets and secure. Add a mirror and a CD player nearby and your dancer can now practice anytime she wants.

Dance ornament: Find a nice Christmas ornament that relates to her passion for dancing. Look for a pair of ballet shoes or tap shoes. Many companies will offer to personalize ornaments, so this would be a great way to remember her love of dance.

Recital Poster: Here is a fun idea that your dancer will love. Make a collage of her in her favorite poses and recital costumes and have it made into a poster. Many photo and print shops can make a poster as big as a 16 x 20 and you can then have this unique poster framed for her to enjoy forever. She will feel like a star!