25 of the Best Gifts for Dancers, Whether They’re a Pro Ballerina or a Dancing Cardio Queen

Bala bangles have become the fitness world’s hottest accessory, and are great for dancers looking to strengthen their muscles outside of the studio. Strap them around your wrists or ankles during sculpt classes or outdoor walks, and get ready to feel the Bala burn.

When it comes to choosing a gift for any type of fitness enthusiast, you really can’t go wrong with a water bottle. This one comes in three sizes (18 oz, 22 oz, and 32 oz) and a rainbow’s worth of colors so that your favorite dancer can hydrate in style.

This big-ticket item isn’t cheap (group gift, anyone?), but it’s well worth it for dancers whose muscles really need a little extra love. The compression boots are touted as “a personal, on-call massage therapist” that boost circulation in your legs to reduce pain and soreness and help with faster recovery.

This speaker will let dancers take their soundtracks everywhere they go. It’s got 12 hours of battery life (and, as an added bonus, can be used to charge your phone) and links up easily to your favorite playlist via Bluetooth.

Comfy post-workout shoes are a must for any dancer, and these celeb-approved slippers are this season’s most popular option. They’re lined with Ugg’s signature faux-shearling, and can be worn everywhere (as in, at home or in the streets) all winter long.

This is the type of “throw on over everything” fleece that your recipient will want to wear everwhere. It’s great for staying warm before and after a dance class (gotta keep those muscles limber!), but also looks super cute with jeans and a tee.

Dancing involves a whole lot of stretching and strengthening, and this mat is great for those non-choreographed days.

This bath soak blends three types of salt (epsom, Dead Sea, and pink Himalayan) with white clay and essential oils to give tense muscles a much-needed unwinding.

All of the most important dance essentials will fit perfectly into this tote, which has plenty of space for clothes and shoes, plus a separate laptop sleeve and water bottle holder.

Make it easy to get ready in the locker room with this travel-sized skin-care set. It comes with a cleansing oil, a washing foam, a hydrating essence, and a moisturizing cream that work on all skin types.

This form-fitting one-piece is extra stretchy, and moves in whatever ways you do. It’s equally great for wearing to dance as it is for layering under a sweater and boots post-sweat session.

With two foam rollers for the price of one, any dancer’s sore muscles will thank you for this post-class treatment. There’s a textured, hollow roller meant to be used on your arms and legs, and a smaller ribbed one designed for your back. They fit seamlessly into one another, and are small enough to carry in a gym bag.

Dance meets decor with this stunning coffee table book, which is filled with hundreds of photos of some of the most accomplished dancers in the world.

Recreate the studio at home with this ballet barre, which can be easily stored when it’s not in use. For $249, you can get the single bar pictured above, and for an extra $50 you can get a double barre for even more variation in your dance-based workouts.

Spending long periods of time in toe shoes (or doing any type of dance, for that matter) can wreak havoc on your feet. This lo-fi massager is perfect for at-home massage that will unwind all of those pirouet-induced knots.

Bring two hobbies together with this dance-inspired jigsaw puzzle, courtesy of Pablo Picasso. There are 200, 500, and 1,000-piece options, all of which are plenty challenging to complete.

Every dancer needs a solid pair of leg warmers in their arsenal, and they’ll be grateful to add these cozy ribbed ones to the collection. They go all the way up to the thigh, which means they’ll help keep all of the most important dance muscles warm and ready for action.

Resistance training is important for keeping dancer’s muscles strong enough to carry out choreography, and these bands can help. The set of five comes with increasing resistance levels (from extra light to extra heavy), and are decorated with motivational phrases to help keep you going.

Ask any dancer how annoying it is to keep their hair in place while they move, and you’ll understand why this kit makes for such a great gift. It includes hair ties, three different types of bobby pins, and a hair net—aka, everything a dancer could ever need to lock their style in for hours worth of twirling. Plus, it comes in five different colors to match any type of hair.

This kit was designed specifically for helping ballerinas stretch out their feet. It comes with a wooden ballet foot stretcher, a foot strap, and an elastic band, plus a velvet carrying case that makes it easy to take these things everywhere.

The baby ballerinas in your life will love this book, penned by none other than Misty Copeland. Though it’s technically meant for children, everyone (yes, even adults) will be able to benefit from its inspiring message about the importance of hard work and dedication.

This at-home foot spa pairs a warm water soak with vibrational massage, making it a real treat for tired feet everywhere.

This strap loops over any standard door, and can be used to help improve flexibility throughout the lower body. Great for all experience levels (and wildly easy to set up), it comes with a book that shows you exactly how to use it for optimal stretching.

Aurora Tights was founded with the goal of bringing “nude” tights to dancers of all skin tones. Their offerings come in a range of shades, which means there’s truly something for everyone.

As far as activity trackers go, the Apple Watch really can’t be beaten. It will help dancers track their workouts, as well as their sleep, steps, and a whole range of other health data, and syncs up with your Spotify and Apple Music accounts to deliver dance-worthy music wherever you are.