Common Questions for children who are taking ballet lessons

1. Should children be wearing proper ballet shoes for their ballet lessons?

There are relatively more dance schools and centres offering dance lessons for children as young as toddlers.  These are basically fun and non conventional ballet classes, designed to train little children in agility, posture and creative motion.  This form of ballet class for little girls may not require the little ballerinas to put on proper ballet slippers during the lesson.  For such occasions, we can choose from a range of more fanciful toddlers' ballerina shoes.

When your child is ready to join a proper ballet dance class,  you may want to choose a proper pair of ballet slippers for her.  This will be an important requirement as a good pair of ballet slippers will protect and sustain your child's little dancing feet.

2. Soft Ballet shoes or ballet pointe?

In the market today, there are basically 2 types of ballet slippers , namely, the soft ballet slippers and the pointe shoes for the matured dancers.  Soft ballet slippers come in full sole or split sole.  They are best suited for new dancers and male dancers.  Pointe shoes, on the other hand, requires careful and professional training before a dancer should try dancing on pointe.  The main reason being, dancing on pointe is a demanding part of ballet dancing and should not be attempted if the dancer has not undergone proper or sufficient dance training.   For children, it is not recommended that they should dance en pointe as their young feet are still developing and any en pointe attempt would place the health of their feet and growth at risk.  Therefore, soft ballet slippers are the right choice for your young ballerina.

3. What type of Soft Ballet slippers? Canvas or Leather?

Canvas Ballet Slippers are typically easier to manage and machine washable.  They are also generally cheaper than a pair of leather ballet slippers.  Therefore, if your little ballet dancer is new in his/her dance class, a less expensive pair of ballet shoes may just be the right choice for him or her.  On the other hand, many also chose to purchase a pair of leather ballet shoes as they tend to last longer and able to keep the tiny feet warm in cold air conditioned dance studios or during winter.  Whether canvas or leather, it is very important that your child feels comfortable wearing the dancing shoes.

4. Does your child need any protective accessories for their tiny feet?
There are certain pads and guards which may help to reduce chances of injury but generally, if your child is a new dancer, such accessories could wait.