Dance costume costs

[luvmy3jewels]

What a budget buster!!! Last night, my dd brought home the balance that we owe for my girls' dance costumes. When you add in the cost of the costume deposit I paid in the fall, the cost of costumes this year exceeds $500!! This is for 7 costumes and one pair of tights which averages around $72 a costumes. These costumes are not high quality at all! They are basically made to wear a few times (in my girls' case 4 times - 1 for pictures, 1 for dress rehearsal, and 2 for recital) and then they are no good and sometimes they are messed up before they are finished with them with seams coming out and fraying.

Do studios usually take a cut of the costume costs? I can't imagine these costumes costing so much, it really leads me to believe the studio is taking a portion of the costs as well.

Anyhow, I was just curious how this compares to what those of you who have children who dance pay for costumes.

 

[angierae]

My daughter was last in dance in 2005 but we paid about $50 or 60 for her costume so honestly, that sounds reasonable.

You say she's in 7 classes. When she was taking ballet/tap/jazz it was with the same group and they wore the same costume or version of it for all three performances - add a skirt here, add a hair piece there - so that kept down the price. I can't imagine paying for seven different costumes but I can't imagine my kid having time to take 7 dance classes, either.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

We usually end up in the $50 - $70 range for the costumes. DD studio tries to get by with 1 per year with changing it to get different looks. Like adding a skirt or gloves or shorts. Even taking the pieces and using them with a black leo. It helps a lot that way. We go to the local dance shop to buy the extra pieces. The girls get 3 recitals out of 1 outfit this way. One of the reasons I choose this studio is that they try to not make it too expensive!

 

[tinker&belle]

My daughter's teacher sells the costume at cost and the costume this year was $43.90 (includes a pair of tights). The children can use their ballet and tap shoes from the year. She charges a $25 recital fee, but we don't have to buy tickets, we pay the fee and can invite as many people as we want. I really don't know how she makes money on all of it.

 

[tlbwriter]

These costumes are not high quality at all! They are basically made to wear a few times (in my girls' case 4 times - 1 for pictures, 1 for dress rehearsal, and 2 for recital) and then they are no good and sometimes they are messed up before they are finished with them with seams coming out and fraying.

And the beauty is, if they're anything like they were when my DD was in dance, they're not done! You have to sew on the skirt or the trim!

 

[mom2shayleeandlogan]

My daughter was $55 this year. I am friends with the owner and I know she sells them for cost. It's the same dance studio I took lessons at for 15 years and I still have my costumes from all those years and they still look great. My daughter plays with them and they have held up well

 

[luvmy3jewels]

And the beauty is, if they're anything like they were when my DD was in dance, they're not done! You have to sew on the skirt or the trim!

Yep, you are right! We always end up having to sew something relating to their costumes.

Just for clarification (not that it matters), I have two dds that dance. I have a friend who has three dds who are all very devoted dancers that take every class they can. I think it's not uncommon for her to buy between 15-20 costumes a year!! She pays monthly towards her costume balance, but I still would hate to have to pay that bill.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

DD is 5 and this year has ballet and tap costumes, $65 each. The bigger kids are $85 each. This includes tights. Recital was just under $20pp last year, not sure what it will be this year b/c it is going to be at a new location. I am sure the dance studio gets a cut of the costume (and the pictures, etc.)

Last week we got to see pictures of the costumes and the mom's flipped when it said 'white ballet shoes'. They wear pink for class- so you either have to buy white shoes or spray paint the pink ones. One the moms spray painted them last year and she said they don't stretch out after you paint them, so if they are a little tight- they will now be much more difficult to get on. The teacher was going to speak with the owner and see if she will allow the pink ones since they really aren't that dark. I hope pink, DD needs new ballet shoes ASAP and it is much easier to find a wide width in pink than white!

 

[bridget]

I pay $75, but I don't have to do anything with them once I get them. This year she has a hip-hop costume, tap and jazz costume. The quality is pretty good.

 

[Kitzka]

DD has danced for the last 10 years. She currently takes 10 classes a week and is at the studio 14 hours a week (most classes are over an hour). The new studio does not order from costume books/costume catalogs but tried to find stuff at local stores that can be used for numbers.

Our old studio used costume books and the studio did 'mark up' the costumes. Usually the mark up went towards office staff measuring students, placing the order, making the payment, following up when costumes didn't arrive, etc. I am all for a reasonable mark up but my old studio was marking up about $20-30 per costume. When you think that last year she needed 8 costumes that adds up! and honestly, you only measured her 1 time. why am i getting charged so much?! then when you think that i have to then have them altered. they were costing about $125 EACH!

that being said, studios around me do mark up costumes. i'm not sure it's the same way for every area but it's common practice here.

lara

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Yep, you are right! We always end up having to sew something relating to their costumes.

Just for clarification (not that it matters), I have two dds that dance. I have a friend who has three dds who are all very devoted dancers that take every class they can. I think it's not uncommon for her to buy between 15-20 costumes a year!! She pays monthly towards her costume balance, but I still would hate to have to pay that bill.

Normally we pay 50% by Sept 15 (DD's first class was the 9th-lol) and balance by Nov 15th. This year they were using a new on-line payment system and it just wasn't working, so they charged everyone 100% on Nov 15th! Just in time for holiday shopping!

 

[LisaNJ25]

Ours are $70. Yes, the studio gets a cut.. My sons last years was a karate kid halloween costume. The $30 invoice was in my bag

 

[jen22984]

This is our girls' first year in dance but their costumes for their recitals are $25. They wear the same costume for all 3 recitals during the year and the costumes are the same every year so they can wear their costume from this year until they out grow them.

 

[mindyd]

My daughters costumes range from 55 to 85. There was only one that was the 85. She is in 5 numbers this year and I paid around 340.00. She still has two other numbers but it is a 80 theme so we get to do those costumes are self.

 

[Hannathy]

$72 sounds very reasonable. My DD took for 16 yrs, she is a freshman in college this year so no more dance and recitals! Way back at the beginning they were usually 45 -50 but toward the end you were lucky if it ended up near $72. I would say in the last 5 yrs more were closer to 100 than 72.

I would like to ask that if she needs to wear those tights with more than 1 costume I would buy 2 pairs. That is a lot of wear and if she needs to take them on and off with changes, a lot of chances for holes,runs.
And it can be darn near impossible to find an exact match to all the other girls if something happens close to the recital.

 

[Hannathy]

Forgot to ask what size? when they start getting into the adult sizes the prices take a big jump.

 

[CherylA]

OP I'm in your shoes too. I have 2 dds. Each is in 2 classes but they are "combo classes" so tap/ballet, ribbon/funky jazz. Each number in the recital wears a different costume. So thats 4 costumes per girl times two girls, 8 costumes. Ours are "cheap" at $70 each so I spend $560 on costumes. Then another 35-40 per girl for an accessory package and occasionally there are other small extras. Then we pay for photos and $20 each for tickets to the recital. And we ponly have 1 recital night so we don't even wear them twice. We do wear them for pictures and rehersal. Oh and of course I actually have to pay every month for the dance classes! Oh and as for size my kiddos are 5 and 8 so not paying for adults sizes yet. That will be fun when we get to take that leap!

 

[mrsyakitori]

I'm paying $450 this year for 3 costumes and they are rented. We return everything at the end of the year. That strictly includes the costume. Tights, jewelery & make-up are all extra. I would gladly take $65 for a costume I could keep!

 

[Green Tea]

That sounds about right for typical recital type of costumes. Some of my DD's are $400 or more, but the company pays for them.....reused over years. The ones she started out wearing were about what you pay, and yes, it does get expensive!

 

[clori]

Both my dds take a ballet/tap/hip hop combo class. For the spring recital they each have a 3 in 1 costume - 1 leotard with 3 different bottoms for $90 each not including tights. One of my dds is on a dance team (non competitive) and has a $100 outfit pants/jacket that she wears to any performance and as many years as it fits.

In the winter they do a small Nutcracker dance and just wear holiday dresses. This year the older girls needed a black leotard instead because some people felt they are too old for holiday dresses (at 8-10 years old). Fortunately my dd happened to have a black leotard already. My girls also do an ice skating recital which is similiar to a dance recital. The costumes are just dance costumes. I paid $60 including tights. Pictures are taken at dress rehearsal so only need to be worn twice.