Most studios ask for much the same thing. What varies is the shoe, and that is the part worth checking before you order.
Below is the dress code from Erin’s own studio, BORN Dance Academy, included as a worked example. Yours will differ in the details, but the shape of it will look familiar.
| Class | Shoes | Clothing |
|---|---|---|
| Tiny Tumblers | Pink ballet shoes for girls, black ballet shoes for boys | Dance clothes of any type are acceptable. |
| Tap — Mini | Black patent bow-tie tap shoes | Leotard, dance tops, fitted shorts or dance skirts. No street clothes.Tights are required for recital but not for class. |
| Tap | Black oxford-style tap shoes | Leotard, dance tops, fitted shorts or dance skirts. No street clothes.Applies to all tap classes above minis. Tights are required for recital but not for class. |
| Ballet | Pink canvas split-sole ballet slippers | Leotard, dance tops, fitted shorts or dance skirts. No street clothes.Tights are required for recital but not for class. |
| Jazz and Hip Hop | Tan slip-on jazz shoes | Leotard, dance tops, fitted shorts or dance skirts. No street clothes.Black tennis shoes may be required for recital. Tights are required for recital but not for class. |
| Lyrical and Contemporary | Pink or skin-coloured canvas half-sole shoes | Leotard, dance tops, fitted shorts or dance skirts. No street clothes.Tights are required for recital but not for class. |
| Acro | No shoes — clean bare feet | Leotard, dance tops, fitted shorts or dance skirts. No street clothes.Tights are required for recital but not for class. |
| Adults | By genre — see the requirements for your style | Anything that allows you to move freely and safely. |
Every class: hair pulled back off the face. No jewellery except stud earrings. No street clothing. Instructors may deem any outfit inappropriate for class.
How to read your own dress code
Three things decide whether you have bought the right shoe: the style, the material, and the colour. Miss any one of them and the shoe goes back.
Style means split sole against full sole for ballet, or bow-tie against lace-up oxford for tap. Material is usually canvas or leather, and studios are rarely flexible about it. Colour is pink or black for ballet, tan for jazz, black for tap.
A note on shoes
Shoes are the part worth getting right. Dance shoes are sized differently from street shoes, and the difference varies by style. A canvas ballet slipper runs well over a size small. A lace-up tap shoe sits much closer to street size.
If there is a dance shop near you that does fittings, that is the easiest way to get it right the first time. If not, check the sizing note on each guide before you choose a size.
Clothing
Clothing is far more forgiving, and it is close to identical across every class: a leotard, dance top, fitted shorts or a dance skirt. No street clothes. Tights are usually required for recital but not for regular class.