ballet slippers

How to care for ballet slippers

Receiving ballet slippers is a rite of passage for many young dancers. They are rightly excited to get to dance in their new slippers!

For the most part, students can look after their own slippers, but they do need a bit of help from you when they bring them home for the first time:

1. Ask them to put their slippers on over a pair of clean thin socks.
2. Find the two elastic ties on the front of the shoe, and gently pull on both to eliminate any gaps around the top of the shoe.
3. Cross the ties once, and then make a bow (knot the bow if necessary). 
4. Gently tuck the bow inside the shoe so it can't be seen. 

This is how your student will wear their slippers in class. These elastic ties stay done up from now on; no need to undo them to get the shoe on and off.

​After class, students have been instructed to gently set their slippers in the top of their dance bag for transport. When they get home, they can remove socks and uniform items that need cleaning. Then they can either set their ballet slippers on their dresser to air out, or pop their shoes back in the bag and then hang their bag on their bedroom door knob until next dance class. Ballet slippers cannot be washed, so students are to wear their slippers only in dance class, or on a clean, hard floor at home if they want to do some practicing.

I have reminded dancers that it is their personal responsibility to make sure their dance bag contains their slippers, clean socks and uniform, hair ties and bobby pins, and their water bottle, and to bring their bag with them to class every time. Bags and water bottles come into the studio with the dancers for easy access during class.

Georgie

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