5 ESSENTIAL ITEMS A BALLERINA MUST HAVE!
1. Dancing shoes or Dancing Slippers
Flexible dancers need flexible shoes. It has to be thin, full or split soles and flexible. They are usually made from soft leather, canvas or satin. Leather shoes are long-lasting. Canvas shoes are less expensive but wear faster than average leather ballet shoes. Satin shoes are often used for performances but wear out easily.
2. Hair Pins and Elastic Bands for ballet bun
Why do ballerinas always have their hair in a bun? The reasons are: to prevent hair from getting in the way of a ballerina, to provide a uniform (and elegant!) look for all of the ballerinas, and to maintain focus on the dancer (not the hair).
3. Leotards and Tights
Another essential item for all ballerinas is their costume or dress inside the studio? But why is it needed if we can wear leggings? The answer is : Injury Prevention. Your teacher wants you to be healthy and functioning. You have two bony knobs at the front of your hips and two knobs behind, above your glutes. These bones are essential in helping a dance teacher monitor if their student has proper hip alignment, which then will indicate whether everything else the student is doing is correct. If these bones are not lined up, there is a high chance the student will end up over-tucking, forcing rotation and hurting themselves.
4. Towel
Yes, you heard it right! Not only do ballet dancers need a towel, all people who are doing physical activities need a towel. You need it to wipe off your sweat for health reasons as you do not want to catch a cold and besides, sweaty skin can be dangerous when doing tricks or lifts.
5. Water Bottle
Last but definitely not least is your powerful water bottle. After a long day of dance lessons and rehearsals, it is important to keep your body hydrated. This keeps the body from overheating.
Sources: Wikipedia, Beyond the Barre, Dance Magazine, Backstage