What to wear
Dress code & dancewear
Proper class attire helps dancers move safely, lets instructors see alignment and technique, and teaches the professionalism of the performing arts. Come dressed to move. Come ready to learn. Come ready to shine.
General guidelines for every class
- • Dancewear and appropriate shoes are required for all classes.
- • No jeans or restrictive street clothing for dance, cheer, acro, gymnastics, or tumbling classes.
- • Shoes worn outdoors should not be worn on studio floors unless thoroughly cleaned and designated for class use.
- • No dangling jewelry, watches, large earrings, necklaces, or bracelets during class — small stud earrings are permitted unless the instructor says otherwise.
- • Long hair must be completely secured away from the face.
- • Appropriate undergarments should not be visible beneath dancewear.
- • Skin-tone tights are permitted and encouraged when appropriate.
- • Clothing should allow instructors to clearly see body alignment and movement.
- • Warm-ups may be worn at the beginning of class but may need to be removed once class begins.
- • Students who are not properly dressed may be asked to modify their attire or observe portions of class when participation would be unsafe.
Dress code by class
Find your dancer's class below for the exact attire, shoes, and hair expectations.
Ballet & Pointe
Girls: ballet leotard in the assigned class color or approved KAD ballet attire, skin-tone or pink ballet tights, and pink canvas or leather ballet shoes. Black ballet skirts may be worn with instructor approval. Boys: black fitted dance pants, leggings, or dance shorts with a white, black, or approved solid-color fitted shirt or tank, and black ballet shoes.
- • Hair secured neatly away from the face — a secure ballet bun is preferred and may be required for upper-level ballet and pointe.
- • Junior-level dancers and above should arrive performance-ready: bobby pins, hairnets, and clips as needed.
- • Pointe shoes are individually fitted and must be approved by KAD faculty before being worn in class — don't purchase pointe shoes until your instructor approves.
Tap
Leotard, fitted dance top, or athletic top with dance shorts, leggings, fitted pants, or a dance skirt. Clothing must allow the instructor to see leg and foot placement.
- • KAD dancers wear TAN tap shoes — we do not use black tap shoes as our standard studio shoe.
- • Approved styles vary by age and level and will be communicated by KAD faculty.
- • Hair completely secured away from the face — ponytails, braids, or buns are all acceptable.
Jazz
- • Leotard, fitted dance top, sports bra-style dance top, or fitted athletic top.
- • Dance shorts, leggings, fitted dance pants, or dance skirt; skin-tone tights may be worn.
- • Tan slip-on jazz shoes.
- • Hair secured completely away from the face.
- • Oversized shirts may be worn for certain choreography at the instructor's discretion, as long as technique and alignment stay visible.
Contemporary, Lyrical & Modern
- • Leotard, fitted dance top, or fitted athletic/dance top.
- • Dance shorts, leggings, fitted pants, or dance skirt; skin-tone tights are permitted.
- • Bare feet, nude lyrical shoes, dance paws, or another instructor-approved shoe depending on the class.
- • Hair secured away from the face.
- • Footwear may vary by class level, choreography, or performance requirements.
Hip Hop
Hip Hop attire may be more relaxed while still allowing students to move safely.
- • T-shirt, tank, fitted top, sweatshirt, or appropriate dance/athletic top.
- • Joggers, sweatpants, leggings, warm-up pants, or basketball-style shorts — no jeans, and graphics must be age-appropriate.
- • Hip Hop sneakers or clean indoor-only athletic shoes with non-marking soles; outdoor shoes stay off the dance floor.
- • Hair pulled away from the face when needed for safe movement; hats may be permitted at the instructor's discretion.
Acro & Tumbling
Safety is especially important in Acro and Tumbling — clothing must be fitted enough that instructors can safely spot students during skills.
- • Leotard, fitted athletic top, or fitted dance top with fitted shorts, leggings, or a unitard.
- • No loose shirts, oversized sweatshirts, wide-leg pants, skirts, or anything that may interfere with spotting.
- • Bare feet.
- • Hair securely pulled away from the face — long ponytails may need to become a low ponytail, braid, or bun for tumbling skills and inversions.
Gymnastics
Girls: leotard, unitard, or fitted athletic top, with fitted gymnastics shorts or leggings if desired, and bare feet. Boys: fitted athletic shirt or tank with athletic shorts or fitted pants, and bare feet.
- • No loose clothing — it can interfere with spotting, tumbling, bars, and other skills.
- • Hair must be fully secured away from the face.
Cheerleading
Fitted athletic clothing that allows for safe jumping, tumbling, stunting, and spotting.
- • Fitted athletic tank, T-shirt, or sports top with athletic shorts, fitted leggings, or cheer shorts.
- • Appropriate athletic undergarments; no jeans, skirts, jewelry, or oversized clothing during practice.
- • Clean cheer shoes or lightweight athletic shoes with non-marking soles, securely tied — cheer shoes may be specifically required for stunt-based classes.
- • Hair securely pulled away from the face in a ponytail, braid, or bun; large bows may need to come out for tumbling or stunting.
Preschool, Beginning Dance & Dance Combo
We want our youngest dancers to feel comfortable, confident, and excited to come to class while learning proper dance-class habits from the beginning.
- • Pink, black, purple, or another approved leotard with skin-tone or pink convertible tights.
- • Dance skirt or fitted dance shorts if desired.
- • Pink ballet shoes for ballet, tan tap shoes for tap, and the appropriate shoes listed for other styles.
- • Convertible tights are recommended for Dance Combo students so dancers can transition between ballet, tap, acro, and other styles without changing tights.
- • Hair completely secured away from the face.
Boys' Dance Attire
- • Fitted solid-color T-shirt or tank.
- • Athletic shorts, dance pants, fitted joggers, or leggings depending on the class.
- • Appropriate shoes for the dance style — boys in Ballet follow the Ballet shoe and attire requirements above.
K Company & Performance-Based Classes
- • K Company dancers may have additional dress-code requirements for technique classes, rehearsals, conventions, auditions, performances, and guest faculty.
- • Company dancers arrive class-ready and performance-ready: appropriate shoes, dancewear, hair, and training equipment.
- • Faculty may designate specific colors, leotards, tights, shoes, or rehearsal attire throughout the season.
Shop KAD Couture
Finding your KAD dress code is easy! Shop our curated class dress-code collections — each one includes approved options to make shopping simple. Dancers aren't limited to only the items shown; you're welcome to shop additional leotards, dancewear, and apparel throughout the KAD Couture boutique as long as items follow the guidelines for your dancer's class.
KAD Couture also carries tights and shoes, dance accessories, hair accessories and essentials, and additional boutique apparel.
KAD Studio Pro Shop
Don't forget the Studio Pro Shop for KAD gear — studio apparel, branded gear, accessories, and other favorites for dancers and families. Dress code for class plus cute KAD gear outside of class? We've got you covered.
Need help?
When in doubt about shoes, sizing, tights, or whether an item meets the dress code, check with KAD faculty before purchasing — we're happy to point you to the right items before the first class.