Accept policies
Colours of Dance Uniform may be found through a wide array of suppliers. Please check your CoD account for details of any discounts that apply. There is a lot of choice out there, so please ensure you review these notes carefully before you buy, as it is your responsibility to provide the required items.
Please also note that parents kindly donate items back to the school to pass on to other children. Just ask if there's anything you need, and we'll check what we are currently holding - this will reduce your costs and ensure you get the right item!!
If anyone is interested in buying some off cut flooring for their children to dance on at home, please get in touch. We have flooring available at 2m x 1m = £17.50, 2m x 2m = £34.00. We can arrange a contactless collection time.
A neat classical style that keeps the hair pinned or braided close to the head is advised for our ballet students, so we put together some hair kits to help make things easier. Each kit includes instructions and all the required hair accessories and can be purchased from the office for just £2.50. A bun or other classical style is required for every lesson for girls and boys attending ballet classes at Grade 2 level and above.
For ballet exams the requirement is the same. Most of our students have long hair that is most easily captured into a ponytail-based bun to look part of their classical costume. However there are all types of hair cuts and hair types and we will work with each individual to create an appropriate classical look for their exam.
It is important to keep the strength in your feet and other muscles, and we use therabands in class for body conditioning exercises from Grade 2 and above. One way to do this is to use a theraband. You can buy these from us or in dancwear shops.
We would be upset if someone were put off dance by a uniform in which they are uncomfortable for ethnic, racial or religious reasons. For example, the standard/traditional female ballet tights and shoe colour is a 'flesh' pink, but this represents a pale or Caucasian skin tone. If you would prefer to wear a colour of socks or ballet shoes that match your own skin tone more closely, we would live this. For advice or access to other tones of shoes and tights, please speak to our supplier at Attitude Dancewear, as they will be able advice, help and supply items for you, or look online. If there are other items of the uniform which pose a problem for you or your child, then please come and speak to any of us, who will warmly welcome your questions and discussion and help you find a suitable alternative that works both for the training and for the dancer (whatever their age).
This photo is of Misty Copeland, Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre.
First Steps/ Next Steps/ Pre-Primary/ Primary
All children participating in First Steps classes can wear uniform set for pre-primary or feel free to accessorize from their dressing up box at home, but they must all wear leather ballet shoes. 
Girls - Lilac leotard and separate chiffon skirt, flesh-coloured socks, flesh-coloured* leather full-sole ballet shoes with elastic.
Boys - Pale blue t-shirt, navy shorts, white socks and leather full-sole ballet shoes with elastic.
Grades 1-3:
Girls - Lavender leotard & belt, flesh-coloured socks, (flesh-coloured tights only from grade 3), pink* leather full-sole ballet shoes with elastic, character shoes (low heel for Grade 1-2, Cuban heel for Grade 3 +) and character skirt. A bun or other classical style is required at all lessons for girls attending ballet classes at Grade 2 level and above.
Boys - White t-shirt (not for exams) or white short-sleeved leotard, navy leggings, white socks & leather full-sole ballet shoes with elastic, character shoes.
All students will need a Light or Medium weight TheraBand and a tennis ball
Grades 4-5:
Girls - teal sleeveless leotard & belt (I have a slight preference for the pinch front as it tends to be more flattering to the body shape at this age), flesh-coloured* ballet tights, flesh-coloured* leather full-sole flesh-coloured leather ballet shoes with elastic, character shoes, character skirt. A bun or other classical style is required at all lessons.
Boys - White t-shirt (not for exams) or white short-sleeved leotard, navy leggings, white socks & leather full-sole shoes with elastic, character shoes.
All students will need a Light or Medium weight TheraBand and a tennis ball
Grades 6-8:
Girls - Coloured leotard with matching elastic waist belt - this can be any colour, and a matching G6-8 chiffon skirt in any colour, flesh-coloured* transition ballet tights, flesh-coloured* leather ballet shoes with elastic, character skirt, character shoes. A bun or other classical style is required at all lessons.
Boys - White t-shirt (not for exams) or white short-sleeved leotard, navy leggings, white socks & leather ballet shoes with elastic, character shoes.
All students will need a Light or Medium weight TheraBand and a tennis ball
Intermediate Foundation & Intermediate
Girls - Royal Blue camisole leotard as for grades 6-8, flesh-coloured* ballet tights, flesh-coloured* soft-pointe ballet shoes with ribbons, pointe shoes (when advised by teacher). A bun or other classical style is required at all lessons.
Boys - White short-sleeved leotard, navy leggings, white socks & white ballet shoes (leather or canvas)
All students will need a Light or Medium weight TheraBand and a tennis ball
Adults:
All adults must wear ballet shoes. Adults are not required to wear 'uniform' but should be in suitable clothing, which is stretchy, comfortable and which allows the teacher to see the body clearly. Leotard & tights/leggings are best, but comfort and confidence are of greater importance. Please speak to your teacher for advice. Hair should be tied back and off the face & neck, ideally in a classical style, suitable for practicing turning (ie the hair shouldn't flick or fall into the eyes).
ap - Tiny Tots Tap to Grade 4All: CoD 3/4 length t-shirt & long black jazz trousers, black socks, black tap shoes
Tap - Grades 5 to Intermediate
All - NEW Royal Blue CoD T-shirt* & long black jazz trousers, black socks, black tap shoes
* Please note that for normal classes, any style of CoD t-shirt is acceptable , but for exams, the uniform style t-shirt described here will be required.
** In excessively hot weather, students may wear black leggings or shorts in place of the tap trousers
Adults:
All adults must wear appropriate footwear i.e. tap shoes. Adults are not required to wear 'uniform' but should be in suitable clothing, which is stretchy, comfortable and which allows the teacher to see the body clearly - i.e. no jeans and big sweaters! Hair should be tied back and off the face.
All Classes & Levels:
Close fitting CoD T-shirt any colour
Plain black cuffed dance trousers/dance shorts
Footwear: Bare Feet
Note on Trousers/Pants: these can be CoD tracksuit bottoms, leggings or plan cuffed tracksuit bottoms, with no zips or hanging cords, and no logos or patterns please.
** Please note long hair must be tied away from the face and off the neck. Students attending with their hair down or in their face will be asked to do their hair or sit out, as it is dangerous and unhealthy to train with hair all over the place.
All classes & levels:
Black cuffed tracksuit trousers/jogging bottoms. Black leggings or shorts may be work if preferred/in response to the weather.
Black Dance Trainers
CoD 3/4 length T-shirt.
** Please note that long hair must be tied away from the face and off the neck for class. Students attending with their hair down or in their face will be asked to do their hair or sit out and watch, as it is dangerous and unhealthy to train with hair all over the place.
It is really important that dance students learn about warming up and Colling down in ways that protect and care for their bodies, given the exercise that they do. These are the same principles they will learn at school in sports lessons (I hope), but we are particularly careful as dancers.
At the start of the lesson, students may wish to wear an extra layer on top of their dance clothes to help them stay warm, as they start their classes (and because they will walk into an airconditioned room), and in winter we particularly recommend this. As the class starts, they will do warming up exercises and after these, they will either want to take off their 'warm ups' or will be asked to by the teacher. This is at the point where it is safe for the student to remove those layers and also because at this point the teaching becomes more focused on technique and more of the body needs to be seen for fine adjustment.
There is no uniform for 'warm ups', but there are clothes that for reasons of safety or shape/fabric are simply not suitable. So below are listed a sample of permitted warmups, although this is not exhaustive. Please ask before you buy if you're in any doubt.
Permitted Warm up items - all grades - any colour
There is a huge range of warm-up stuff about these days - it's hugely diverse and fun, so there's plenty to choose from!
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