We do an annual holiday show a week before the holidays. We keep it very low keyed, meaning no formal costumes and we have it in the gym at a local school. We don't want to have the parents purchase another costume so normally we have the 2/3/4/5 year olds wear their "holiday dresses". I am running out of ideas for the rest of them. Last year we had the hip hop classes wear black dance pants and red/green shirts. Another class tie dyed a shirt red/green and wore with a jean skirt and leggings. Sometimes we went with the theme of the music such as "I saw mommy kissing Santa" and they wore their p.j.'s. We wore antlers for Rudolf and Santa hats for other songs. Is there something that I am missing? Thanks for your input.

We have three different sized sets of tutus, red and white fringe skirts, santa hats, reindeer ears and red sacks (Santa's bag of toys). We just put that over their dancewear and they are ready!

We try to reuse costumes from previous years. We also use class dancewear along with holiday ribbons to tie around the waist.

Last year I had my senior girls wear scarves and gloves with their black leotard and black shorts for a tap routine and another teacher made bracelets and anklets with strings of jingle bells for the little ones.

I bought tons of forest green scarves after Christmas this year and they will wear those + a long sleeved red studio tshirt and leggings. All dancers wear this as it is an outdoor event.

Something that we have done that the kids enjoy is we go to old navy, Wal Mart and/or Target and get holiday pajama pants and the kids wear those with white, red or green t-shirts. The pants cost anywhere from $6.00 to $10.00 and the kids and parents love them, as they are something they can wear again.

For our hip-hop classes we made scarves out of fabric from the $1.00 fabric store, and they wore jeans, sneakers etc. One year we also had them wear three items of cold weather clothing. For example; hat, scarf, and gloves. Or earwarmers, scarf and boots. Which turned out really cute!

For Jazz we have had the students wear a white t-shirt or tank top with their black jazz pants and we got santa hats from Wal-Mart or Target for $2.00 each and they look great onstage. (perfect for Santa Baby or All I Want for Christmas is You)

For Lyrical we have made sheath dresses to be worn over a black leo and tights out of pillowcases. We have used red, green, pretty satin off white ones...and if there is any kind of detailing at the edge of the pillowcase, it looks great as a hem on a sheath dress. We have had to get creative when we have had a plus size student. We just normally sew two pillowcases together and it works out. But this is a project we schedule at the studio on a saturday, and each student comes and helps make it, or brings a mom or grandma to help. And we get them all done within a few hours. Many hands make light labor!


But I am still looking for some other ideas...so I hope people keep sharing!

Something that we have done that the kids enjoy is we go to old navy, Wal Mart and/or Target and get holiday pajama pants and the kids wear those with white, red or green t-shirts. The pants cost anywhere from $6.00 to $10.00 and the kids and parents love them, as they are something they can wear again.

For our hip-hop classes we made scarves out of fabric from the $1.00 fabric store, and they wore jeans, sneakers etc. One year we also had them wear three items of cold weather clothing. For example; hat, scarf, and gloves. Or earwarmers, scarf and boots. Which turned out really cute!

For Jazz we have had the students wear a white t-shirt or tank top with their black jazz pants and we got santa hats from Wal-Mart or Target for $2.00 each and they look great onstage. (perfect for Santa Baby or All I Want for Christmas is You)

For Lyrical we have made sheath dresses to be worn over a black leo and tights out of pillowcases. We have used red, green, pretty satin off white ones...and if there is any kind of detailing at the edge of the pillowcase, it looks great as a hem on a sheath dress. We have had to get creative when we have had a plus size student. We just normally sew two pillowcases together and it works out. But this is a project we schedule at the studio on a saturday, and each student comes and helps make it, or brings a mom or grandma to help. And we get them all done within a few hours. Many hands make light labor!


But I am still looking for some other ideas...so I hope people keep sharing!

Well today I ordered some leotards for $12 bucks and they are satin, as well as tutu's for $9.99 from Lebos.

The second I saw the price I was on the phone ordering. Maybe the students can pay a rental fee, and the studio retain the costumes.

You can do basic black leotards and wear a red, green or black tutu with maybe a scarf.

I tell you what I have been findind bargains, and depending on how many of anything you are buying ask for a group discount. If you don't ask you don't receive.

liberts.com
www.buycostumes.com . . .

We have been doing holiday shows from reviews to story themed for the last 15 years...We still have the same little kids red leotards (long sleeve, scoop neck from Loshin's 15 years ago). We attach tinsel garland at the shoulders like a necklace, put a piece in their hair and on their tap shoes and with white tights, they look great. bought hair ties red and green with bells at the dollar store and used them as bracelets for jingle bell rock...got matching scarves at dollar store for hot chocolate....used Christmas pillowcases as a sandwich board style with straps at each shoulders with either tights or jazz pants...we use a lot of the tinsel garland for hair as it adds glitz inexpensively....

At my studio we all wear black leotards with tan tights and get a screen printed shirt and all ballet classes wear black skirts, tap classes wear fringe black skirts, and jazz and hiphop wears black pants or capris. My baby class is doing frosty so they will wear scarfs and top hats and things like that. we keep it basic. We have our christmas shows at the local skating rink and then all skate afterwards.

Also, WalMart always has the cutest Christmas ribbon and bows for decorating the Christmas tree and I always use that stuff as costumes. One year, I bought the Christmas ribbon with the wire in it to make a cute bow for their waist. I have also used the big Cristmas bows to put on little butts. They are always so cute...

most of my baby classes are wearing black dancewear (the little skirt/leo set that most kids have anyways), black tights, and a santa hat.

My older girls are wearing black jazz pants, jazz sneakers, a colorful sportsbra,colorful cami, and colorful scarf & beanie. Everyone will wear different colors.

I hate to make parents buy something specificly for the show because it is such a non-professional show.

Thanks everyone for all these great ideas! I just have one to add myself. One of my tiny tots' mom said that she would make a short white cape for all the preschoolers in her class, there are 9. Cost is only about $2.00 each and we are dancing to Suzy Snowflake. Cute, huh!

Did anyone accidentally misread that besides me?
I did a double take when I thought it said "low cut costume"
lol

Try discountdance.com. Their costumes are very cheap and they usually get shipped right away. It only takes about a week to ship. They have a lot of really nice things.

Thanks for all the great ideas. I have found/made most of our costumes, but need something for a lyrical costume. They are wearing leo/tights but I was thinking of a sheer overlay (not a skirt). Any ideas? I have been looking in the catalogs including the forementioned. I did find a lot of accessories through Oriental trading for very little.

Dear Shellbelle
I cannot promise that we have what you are looking for, but please check our website or catalog. We have a HUGE line of Holiday costumes that are mostly IN STOCK. If we can help you please contact us and we will be glad to do whatever we can to help you.
Have a great show.
Sincerely,
Art Stone

we have our preschoolers wear their holiday dresses and the rest of the studio, black leggings and the holiday shirts from target, they only cost 5 bucks. each group gets a different holiday logo on the front of theirs. Come in all colors and different designs.

I would do things like black pants, a winter sweater, or a white shirt and cheap Santa hats, or have them wear, for some dances, hat, gloves and scarves (Baby It's Cold Outside, or Winter Wonderland and the like).

Sometimes would would buy tinsel garland and use it to decorate them. Another year I made designs on thin vinyl, and we pinned them onto white sweatshirts.

We have had them in leotards and skirts (I made a bunch of red ones, cheaply, the wrap kind, and kept them at the studio). We would put white garland around the bottom, some in their hair and on neck and/or wrists.

There are so many simple things that can be done.