Cheap Costume Ideas for a Preschool Ballet

For a tiny ballerina, costumes can be one of the most exciting parts of putting on a production. When your dance studio or dance parents do not have the money to fund elaborate costumes for growing preschool dancers, focus on the colors and movement that are important to small children, and improvise materials and sources.

  1. Swimsuits

    • When you face a budget crisis but do not want to skimp on color, have your little dancers use their swimsuits as a base for a ballet costume. Specify that each family should bring in a one-piece swimsuit and add costume pieces to complete the look. Depending on the theme and content of your ballet performance, you might add inexpensive, brightly colored tights for a wild look or standard white or pink tights for a more uniform look. Wearing the suits somewhere other than the pool or a beach will be a novelty for the children, and the silhouette is close enough to a standard leotard to achieve a similar effect.

    Tulle Skirt

    • Most preschool dancers are required to have plain leotards and tights for ballet classes. Instead of spending money on new leotards for a performance, pair rehearsal outfits with special skirts designed for the day. Buy yards of cheap tulle and ribbon, looking in remnant bins for extra pieces. Make a simple skirt for each dancer using the tulle. You might use a traditional layered tutu design or make into a dancer-style wrap skirt with a ribbon tie.

    Party Dresses

    • If you are staging a ballet that involves a non-traditional theme, look into non-traditional costumes. Instead of a typical ballet outfit, ask parents to bring in party dresses that are soft and flexible enough to permit easy movement; you can also head to a thrift store to find dresses in coordinating colors. Depending on the theme of the ballet, look for dresses that combine to create the right effect: red and green for Christmas or pastel colors for a spring show, for example. Look for a standard length and fabric that make the dresses look like an intentional choice rather than an improvised costume.

    Floral Embellishments

    • Some of the most exciting parts of a ballet costume for a little dancer are the embellishments. Make your ballerinas feel like fairy princesses by adding floral accents to existing costumes or rehearsal wear. You might spruce up old tutus or leotards with fabric flowers along the neckline or at the back of a skirt, for example, or make floral headbands. The consistent use of flowers for each girl will create bright, pretty effect when all of the dancers are together on stage.