The 28 Best Gifts for Dancers of All Ages and Levels

There’s an old quote floating around the internet that says, “Dancers aren’t great because of their technique—they’re great because of their passion.” And if you’ve got a dancer of your own in your life, you know this to be unequivocally true. This holiday season, show your support for their passion with one (or several) of the best gifts for dancers, from warmup clothes to products to help their hard working legs recover

Whether your loved one is a professional ballerina or simply a dance cardio enthusiast, scroll through to shop gifts they’ll be endlessly grateful for.

Gifts for warming up and working out

bala bangles
Bala Bangles—Set of 1-Pound Weights — $55.00

Bala bangles have become the fitness world’s hottest accessory, and are great for dancers looking to strengthen their muscles outside of the studio. Strap them around your wrists or ankles during sculpt classes or outdoor walks, and get ready to feel the Bala burn.

Simple Modern Insulated Water Bottle
Simple Modern Insulated Water Bottle — $25.00

When it comes to choosing a gift for any type of fitness enthusiast, you really can’t go wrong with a water bottle. This one comes in multiple sizes (14 oz, 18 oz, 22 oz, 32 oz, and 40 oz) and a rainbow’s worth of colors so that your favorite dancer can fill it up with their favorite hydrating beverages. It also has a straw built in for easy drinking, and the larger sizes come with multiple lids

Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $150.00

This speaker will let dancers take their soundtracks everywhere they go. It’s got 15 hours of battery life on a single charge and links up easily to your favorite playlist via Bluetooth. It has easy-to-use controls and is waterproof, too.

Manduka PROlite Yoga Mat
Manduka PROlite Yoga Mat — $75.00

Dancing involves a whole lot of stretching and strengthening, and this mat is great for those non-choreographed days. It’s lightweight so you can tote it from home to the studio and back, and is available in different lengths.

Dagne Dover Landon Carryall — $185.00

All of the most important dance essentials will fit perfectly into this tote, which has plenty of space for clothes and shoes, plus a separate laptop sleeve and water bottle holder. It’s made of a durable neoprene material, has a recycled lining, and comes with a shoe bag.

Warew Travel Set Aqua — $70.00

Make it easy to get ready in the locker room with this travel-sized skin-care set. It comes with a cleansing oil, a washing foam, a hydrating essence, and a moisturizing cream that work on all skin types.

Floor Standing Ballet Barre — $249.00

Recreate the studio at home with this ballet barre, which can be easily stored when it’s not in use. You can get the single bar pictured above, and for extra, choose the double barre for even more variation in your dance-based workouts.

bala bands
Bala Bands — $35.00

Resistance training is important for keeping dancer’s muscles strong enough to carry out choreography, and these bands can help. The set of three comes with increasing resistance levels (from light to heavy), and are made of premium, woven fabric elastic.

La Esmeralda Ballet Professional Wooden Pine Foot Stretchers Set for Dancers — $69.00

This kit was designed specifically for helping ballerinas stretch out their feet. It comes with a wooden ballet foot stretcher, a foot strap, and an elastic band, plus a velvet carrying case that makes it easy to take these things everywhere.

Stretch Strap with Door Anchor — $15.00

This strap loops over any standard door, and can be used to help improve flexibility throughout the lower body. Great for all experience levels (and wildly easy to set up), it comes with a book that shows you exactly how to use it for optimal stretching.

Manduka eQua Yoga Hand Towel
Manduka eQua Yoga Hand Towel — $17.00

On those days where you break more than a small sweat, this hand towel will keep you feeling cool. Made of a soft, microfiber, it’s also lightweight and absorbent. Just toss it into your bag and you’re good to go.

Clothing and accessories gifts for dancers

UGG Women's Tazz Slipper — $120.00

Comfy post-workout shoes are a must for any dancer, and these celeb-approved slippers are this season’s most popular option. They’re lined with Ugg’s signature faux-shearling, and can be worn everywhere (as in, at home or in the streets) all winter long.

Girlfriend Collective Micro Fleece Full Zip Jacket
Girlfriend Collective Micro Fleece Full Zip Jacket — $98.00

This is the type of “throw on over everything” fleece that your recipient will want to wear everwhere. It’s great for staying warm before and after a dance class (gotta keep those muscles limber!), but also looks super cute with jeans and a tee. Bonus: it’s made with 100% recycled plastic bottles.

lululemon Align Bodysuit
lululemon Align Bodysuit — $128.00

This form-fitting one-piece is extra stretchy, and moves in whatever ways you do. It’s equally great for wearing to dance as it is for layering under a sweater and boots post-sweat session. It’s sweat-wicking and has a built-in shelf bra for support.

Free People Pirouette Leg Warmers — $38.00

Every dancer needs a solid pair of leg warmers in their arsenal, and they’ll be grateful to add these cozy ribbed ones to the collection. They go all the way up to the thigh, which means they’ll help keep all of the most important dance muscles warm and ready for action.

Bloch Dance Ballet Hair Accessories Kit — $10.00

Ask any dancer how annoying it is to keep their hair in place while they move, and you’ll understand why this kit makes for such a great gift. It includes hair ties, three different types of bobby pins, and a hair net—aka, everything a dancer could ever need to lock their style in for hours worth of twirling. Plus, it comes in five different colors to match any type of hair.

Aurora Tights Candice Adult Footed Tight — $20.00

Aurora Tights was founded with the goal of bringing “nude” tights to dancers of all skin tones. Their offerings come in a range of shades, which means there’s truly something for everyone.

Apple Watch Series 8 GPS
Apple Watch Series 8 GPS — $389.00

As far as activity trackers go, the Apple Watch really can’t be beaten. It will help dancers track their workouts, as well as their sleep, steps, and a whole range of other health data, and syncs up with your Spotify and Apple Music accounts to deliver dance-worthy music wherever you are.

Alo Cropped Escalate Wrap Top
Alo Cropped Escalate Wrap Top — $68.00

This long-sleeve wrap top will provide a super lightweight layer while still giving you plenty of room to move. It has front tie strings so you can wear it multiple ways, and thumb holes to keep your sleeves in place.

Gifts for recovery

NormaTec Pulse 2.0 Leg Recovery System — $699.00

This big-ticket item isn’t cheap (group gift, anyone?), but it’s well worth it for dancers whose muscles really need a little extra love. The compression boots are touted as “a personal, on-call massage therapist” that boost circulation in your legs to reduce pain and soreness and help with faster recovery.

Linné Bath Salts — $36.00

This bath soak blends three types of salt (epsom, Dead Sea, and pink Himalayan) with white clay and essential oils to give tense muscles a much-needed unwinding.

lululemon double roller
lululemon Double Roller — $64.00

With two foam rollers for the price of one, any dancer’s sore muscles will thank you for this post-class treatment. There’s a textured, hollow roller meant to be used on your arms and legs, and a smaller ribbed one designed for your back. They fit seamlessly into one another, and are small enough to carry in a gym bag.

Uncommon Goods Foot Sole Massage — $38.00

Spending long periods of time in toe shoes (or doing any type of dance, for that matter) can wreak havoc on your feet. This lo-fi massager is perfect for at-home massage that will unwind all of those pirouet-induced knots.

Conair Foot Pedicure Spa with Soothing Vibration Massage — $25.00

This at-home foot spa pairs a warm water soak with vibrational massage, making it a real treat for tired feet everywhere. It has a pinpoint massage attachment, an extra deep basin to fully soak your feet, and there’s a button you can tap with your foot to turn it on and off.

Unique gifts for dancers

The Art of Movement — $37.00

Dance meets decor with this stunning coffee table book, which is filled with hundreds of photos of some of the most accomplished dancers in the world. The book features dancers and their inspiring words from companies including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham Dance Company, The Royal Ballet, and more.

Three Dancers by Pablo Picasso Jigsaw Puzzle — $39.00

Bring two hobbies together with this dance-inspired jigsaw puzzle, courtesy of Pablo Picasso. There are 200, 500, and 1,000-piece options, all of which are plenty challenging to complete.

Firebird by Misty Copeland — $14.00

The baby ballerinas in your life will love this book, penned by none other than Misty Copeland. Though it’s technically meant for children, everyone (yes, even adults) will be able to benefit from its inspiring message about the importance of hard work and dedication.

Homesick Nutcracker Candle
Homesick Nutcracker Candle — $32.00

Whether they’ve done the dance of the sugar plum fairy or just enjoyed the classic ballet, this Nutcracker candle is perfect for creating a relaxing mood for any dancer. It has an 60-80-hour burn time and warm scents of cinnamon, clove, sandalwood, vanilla, and more.

 


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