Dance requires tremendous effort from the people who devote their time to it. In theory, that should make buying gifts for dancers easy. But it can be hard to know what the dancer in your life needs.
Here are some gift ideas to help you make up your mind.
1. Portable Dance Floor
It’s not the same as a sprung floor, but it does in a pinch. Practice is a vital part of dancing, and having a supportive floor to practice on is extremely helpful.
When finding gifts for dancers, a portable dance floor is the perfect example of something your dancing loved ones need but may be hesitant to buy for themselves.
2. Dance Shoes
Dance shoes, and especially pointe shoes, can be expensive. Not only that, professional and semi-professional dancers wear through a pair quickly.
It doesn’t sound like the most exciting present, but if you are looking for gifts for dancers in your life, consider a pair of shoes.
3. Shoe Covers
Another gift idea is warm-up covers for dancing shoes. These keep your dancer’s feet warm during the interval between practice and performance. They’re important because they stop muscles from going cold before a recital while keeping the dancer comfortable.
4. Portable Barre
Barre work is an integral part of dance practice. Many dancers can and do improvise with home furniture, but it’s not the same.
A home barre combats all these problems. It also makes an ideal gift for the dancer in your life.
5. Turn Board
Turn boards are another vital part of dance practices. They help build muscle memory and balance. They’re also not a gift for amateur dancers. Using one requires a grasp of basic dance techniques, especially if you want to use one unsupervised.
6. Costume Bag
There’s nothing wrong with throwing a dancing kit in whatever bag is handy, but dance bags have advantages. These days they include compartments for shoes and hair accessories. They also make it possible to store costumes without inevitable creases.
They make excellent gifts because not everyone will shell out money for one in addition to the expense of shoes and classes, but they are undeniably useful.
7. Dance Costume
If you know the dancer well, costumes and leotards can be another excellent gift for dancers.
Depending on how well you know the dancer, costumes can be more or less elaborate, especially if you are confident about their size.
8. Dance Tights
They don’t sound like the most exciting gift for dancers, but tights are another good gift. Dancing is hard on dancers’ feet, and they wear through tights quickly.
If you don’t want to gift a pair of tights on their own, pair them with something more personal or use them as a stocking stuffer. Either way, we guarantee the dancer in your life will be grateful.
9. Stretching Bands
Stretch bands are another way to build muscle memory and develop extensions. They also strengthen muscles and increase flexibility. Many dancers integrate them into a home dance routine, making them the ideal gift for the dancer in your life.
That said, they are used best by dancers with a mastery of basic technique, so they are not necessarily something to give a novice dancer.
10. Compression Clothing
Compression clothing exists in various forms, including:
- Socks
- Sleeves
- Leggings
It might sound like an unusual gift, but whether dancers like it or not, injury is an inevitable part of their work. Dancing puts an incredible amount of stress on the body and having clothing on hand that can mitigate the damage or manages injury will enable them to keep dancing while they recover.
11. Wobble or Balance Board
A significant part of dance practice involves building core muscle strength. No one wants wavering ankles or unsteady arms. Wobble or balance boards are an ideal way to develop that technique.
12. Bobby Pin Holder
This is another gift for dancers that sounds bland on paper, but we guarantee your dancer will appreciate it. Come to that, it’s a gift anyone who has ever needed to talk around a mouthful of bobby pins appreciates.
The only thing more frustrating than dropping pins is not knowing where to find them.
But this magnetized holder helps keep bobby pins in one easy-to-find place. It also ensures no one has to talk around a mouthful of pins again. That’s a gift every dancer can appreciate.
13. Tiger Balm
We said before that dancing was demanding. It also takes a toll on dancers’ muscles. For that reason, many of them swear by tiger balm as a means of relieving muscle pain.
It’s an integral part of every dancer’s kit bag, and if you need small gift ideas for dancers – it’s perfect. Keep in mind that it shouldn’t get rubbed into open wounds. Tiger balm is strictly topical, however effective it might be.
14. Magnesium Spray
Another dancer standby for muscle pain is magnesium spray. It’s highly effective on sore or injured muscles.
Additionally, magnesium can help with exercise performance. Applying it topically means the body absorbs it quickly and ensures the dancers in your life get the benefits they need during and after dance sessions.
15. Heated Slippers
Earlier, we mentioned the benefits of warm-up gear to keep dancers’ feet warm between dance sessions.
All dancers cool down after workouts and recitals, but that doesn’t stop dancing from taking a toll on their feet.
Heated slippers offer comfort and heat therapy so that they can unwind past the cool-down period. They make great gifts because not all dancers think to buy them, and they’re incredibly comfy.
16. Epsom Salts
We dance three nights out of seven and can vouch for nothing as relaxing as a hot bath after an evening of dancing. While not dance-related, Epsom salts make an excellent gift for dancers.
Find a scent your dancer is partial to, and you can’t go wrong. They:
- Reduce Stress
- Improve sleep
- Minimize muscle pain
All things semi- and professional dancers can appreciate.
17. Scented Sachets
It’s not something dancers talk about, but it’s a tacitly accepted fact that dance bags rapidly develop a distinctive smell.
Since dance bags are an essential part of dance, we are forever trying to combat the problem, especially if dance shoes are kept in a separate bag.
Scented sachets won’t instantly solve the problem, but they go a long way to managing the situation. They’re also multi-purpose, so even if the dancer you gift them to doesn’t use them for all things dance, they’ll still get used.
18. Dance-Themed Christmas Ornament
If you can’t think of anything dance-related the dancer in your life doesn’t have, you may need to get creative.
It’s hard to go wrong with dance-themed Christmas ornaments, especially during the holiday season. They acknowledge the dancer’s love of their work or hobby and demonstrate an understanding of the person you’re buying for.
19. Hair Accessories
It’s a little-known fact that dropped bobby pins disappear into the fifth dimension in seconds. So it follows you can never have too many bobby pins.
Similarly, hairnets work in tandem with bobby pins to keep hair out of your eyes while practicing or performing.
They may not feel like a big gift, but they’re a gift all dancers will respond to. If it doesn’t feel like enough, pair them with something slightly bigger, like that magnetic pin holder for minimizing trips into the fifth dimension.
20. Makeup Bag
Makeup is a must for dancers. They use it for stage makeup, to vanish lines between their legs, and even to change the color of dance shoes as needed.
That makes a good compact makeup bag a surprisingly necessary part of every dancer’s arsenal. It’s also an excellent emergency gift if you need an idea for the dancer in your life. Look for something dance-themed or in a color you know they’re partial to.
21. Dancer Necklace for Girls
You can’t wear jewelry while dancing, it’s true. At best, it’s distracting, and at worst, it’s a hazard.
But that’s no reason for dancers’ love of their work not to show through in other parts of their life. This dancer’s pendant makes an excellent gift for young people with a zest for dancing.
22. Jewelry Box
Since jewelry is verboten in most dance classrooms, it helps to have a jewelry box you can store pieces for safekeeping.
There are various options to choose from, but we like the compact size of this model. It fits comfortably into a dance bag while still managing to store a variety of pieces.
23. Knee Pads
Knee pads are another gift that doesn’t sound like anything to write home about on paper. They work wonders on dancers’ knees, especially if they pursue contemporary, lyric, or jazz dancing interests.
You can find them in neutral colors and bolder, more vibrant colors. Find out what your dancer prefers before investing in them; they make a wonderful gift.
24. Heating Pad
There is nothing like a heating pad to help treat muscle aches and pains. Often these come out of nowhere, which makes them hard to anticipate. But they don’t have to be hard to treat.
Many dancers opt for a portable hot or cold pad that they can keep in their dance bag and at least another for home.
25. Water Bottle
A water bottle is another necessary part of the dancing lifestyle. These make ideal gifts because they can be personalized to reflect the particular tastes of the person you are buying for.
We favor one with a built-in strainer for leaf tea. But there’s a variety of options to choose from. All you need to do is find one that meets the needs of the dancer you want to gift it to.
26. Makeup
If you are still struggling with gift ideas, cosmetics are another thing dancers always need. It’s useful for stage makeup and for touching up dance shoes. It’s an adaptable gift, enabling you to pair it with something else or purchase enough to be a gift in its own right.
27. Books About Dance
Books are another flexible gift idea for dancers. Growing up, we loved Noel Streatfield’s classic, ‘Ballet Shoes,’ but adults have many options, too. From fiction to nonfiction, there are as many books about dance as there are dancers. There’s more than enough selection to keep you in gift ideas for years.
Conclusion
When it comes to gift ideas for dancers, there are lots of options. Ultimately, you know best what the dancer in your life needs and can use that to inform your selection. But you shouldn’t hesitate to ask, either. You’ll be surprised how practical and even mundane some of the best gifts for dancers can be.

Cardi “likes to party” Clark has 15+ years of designing, planning, and executing successful parties and events. Highly skilled in event strategy, management, planning, and execution with a track record of exceeding expectations. I make it happen. I get it done and people have fun!