With how busy this time of year is, we leave some things to the last minute. It happens to the best of us! Below are some stress-free, easy to find gifts for the dancers in your life.
Epsom Salts. You can find these at the grocery store and pharmacies. Bath product stores will sell them in all kinds of different scents, in lovely packaging. Personally, I love the look of a glass jar of epsom salts (I use these) with a scoop in my bathroom. It’s simple and reusable. Both the epsom salts and the jar are inexpensive, but look lovely together. This is an especially nice gift for a dancer as it makes for a relaxing, pain reducing, muscle soreness relieving bath. Perfect!
L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil. This is the most beautiful and luxurious product I know. At $25 for the full sized bottle, it isn’t outrageously expensive either. I love using this after an especially hard class, or after walking home from class on a cold winter’s night. The scent is lovely and lingers on your skin. The product itself is beautifully moisturising, but rinses clean, leaving no residue. If you want to splurge a little, I also strongly suggest the Milk Concentrate, which is their body cream, and the Supple Skin Oil. They are both very moisturising, but sink in to the skin relatively quickly. I especially love mixing the Milk Concentrate and the Supple Skin Oil together in my palm before applying.
Elevé Custom Leotard. Elevé creates the most beautiful leotards. They have a huge variety of different cuts, colours and fabrics, and offer a range in sizing. With the custom leotard option, you can choose your cut and colour, your sleeve length, the inner lining, and the fabric texture and finish. I’m personally looking at the Allison leotard in an emerald green, with mesh 3/4 length sleeves. Although the actual leotard would not come in time for Christmas, you can give a gift card and they can create their perfect leotard from there.
Classes! Many dancers, especially outside of professional or full-time programs, take drop-in classes and buy class cards. This gift could mean that the dancer is taking an extra class a week, or is able to dance for longer throughout the year. This is what I have personally responded with when asked what I want for the holidays. Ballet isn’t the least expensive interest and it is always wonderful to have a little help.
S’Well Bottle. These can be found anywhere nowadays. They are also available in different sizes and in a variety of colours. I love the matte black, London Chimney, and the Teakwood colour ways. While these are a little more expensive, they do an excellent job at keeping hot drinks hot, and cold drinks cold. For me, that means filling my bottle up before class, and the water stays fresh throughout. Something I really appreciate in a hot studio. I’m currently looking at getting a smaller one to fill with drinking-temperature tea before leaving for class. It would be lovely to sip on my camomile tea during my 30 minute walk home after class, especially in the winter cold.
Foam Roller. If the dancer in your life doesn’t already have one, they should. Foam rolling helps work out the tension in the muscles and the surrounding fascia. It brings blood flow to the area and flushes out toxins. It is wonderful to use before and after class. Its uses and benefits are endless. Look for a foam roller that is solid throughout, and firm. You shouldn’t be able to bend or squeeze the foam. These are pretty easy to find. You could go to a therapy clinic, but I’ve also seen these sold at Winners and on Amazon.
A Massage. A lovely treat for anyone, but especially for a dancer. A massage is an excellent way to relieve stress, reduce muscle tension and soreness, increase blood flow, help deliver oxygen and nutrients into the muscles and flush out cellular debris and toxins. Especially at the end of a Nutcracker season, a tough semester, or just at the end of a bout of classes, a massage is a luxurious treat for any dancer.
Tickets to a show. This wouldn’t be From The Audience if I didn’t mention going to a show. Shows are great experiences, inspiring, educational, beautiful, they’re lovely date nights… I could go on. Every dancer, whether a child, teen, professional or an adult just starting, benefits from going to a show. It doesn’t have to be The Nutcracker, though that is likely what you will find nearest you at this time of year. Look into what companies are around you, and see what shows they have coming up. If you are struggling to find a local company, a couple companies live stream their ballets in cinema throughout the season. Consider purchasing tickets for a livestream. The Bolshoi stream ballets at Cineplex Theatres (you can see the schedule here) and The Royal Ballet livestream worldwide (search for a ballet near you here). I’ve written reviews of going to see The Bolshoi in cinema for their performances of La Sylphide and Don Quixote, which help show you what it’s like. This is a wonderful experience to give to any dancer.
I hope this list of last minute gifts for the dancer in your life was helpful. I know that these are all lovely gifts that any dancer would enjoy and appreciate.
What would your perfect gift be?