12 Days of Christmas - Dancer Wellness Gift Guide

Anyone who has a dancer in their life likely knows that all they want for Christmas is anything and everything dance related! But what EXACTLY is it they want? Enter the Dancer Wellness Gift Guide! I’ve compiled a list of all my favourite health and wellness related gift ideas, to make your holiday shopping easy and stress free!

Day 1 = Muscle Rub! What dancer doesn’t have tired and sore muscles?!? There are tons of different options on the market, but my absolute favourite is Deep Blue Rub from DoTerra. Deep Blue contains essential oils like peppermint, wintergreen, ylang ylang, and helichrysum to help sooth tired and sore muscles. Perfect for every dancer after long days of rehearsing and performing. For more product info, click here.

Day 2 = The Stick! Another must have for every dancer. I love that they come in lots of different sizes (the smallest of which is perfect for fitting in your dance bag!) and can be used on basically every muscle group in the body. Use it as part of your warm-up to prep muscles, or after a long day to help relax tired and sore muscles. More info available here. If you’re local to Vancouver, I also stock the 14” and 17” sizes. Contact me in you want one!

Day 3 = Photo Shoot! Ok, so not ‘exactly’ wellness related, but still something every dancer on your list will LOVE! For those of you local to Vancouver, Laura Zeke Photography is offering gift certificates in any amount starting at $25. Perfect as a stocking stuffer, for a studio secret santa gift or for a full photo shoot (hello audition photos!).

Photo Credit: Laura Zeke Photography

Day 4 = Mini Bands! Resistance bands of any kind are a definite must for every dancer, but I especially love these mini bands from Synergee! They come in a 5 pack with various levels of resistance, are a local Canadian company, and are super durable (I’ve had mine forever!). Mini bands are so versatile and can be used for all sorts of upper and lower body strengthening exercises. Added bonus, they’re also the perfect stocking stuffer size!

Day 5 = Tickets to a live dance performance! Part of perfecting one’s craft as a dancer, is also watching and studying the art form. If you’re local to Vancouver, I highly recommend Ballet BC’s upcoming production of Romeo + Juliet (running March 4-7, 2020).  A contemporary twist on a classic ballet, this one should not be missed! For ticket info click here. 

Day 6 = Apolla Shocks! Did you know that the majority of injuries in dancers occur in the lower body? Unfortunately, traditional dance shoes and footwear aren’t exactly designed with comfort and support in mind (hello pointe shoes!). Enter Apolla Shocks. Compression dance socks that fuse sport science technology with a design that understands a dancers' needs. Apolla Shocks are durable compression socks that come in a number of different designs, from half soles all the way up to full compression leg warmers. Recent research has demonstrated that the use of padded socks, like the Apolla Shocks, can decrease peak forces through the foot when compared with dancing barefoot.

Day 7 = Turnout Discs! I can’t think of many dancers who don’t want to improve their turnout. One of the best ways to do this is by strengthening the deep hip rotator muscles, and turnout boards are a great tool to help with this. They help to decrease friction, preventing you from using the floor to ‘force’ your turnout and helping to isolate the hip muscles. In clinic, I use these ones, but a less expensive option for home practice is these ones. Interested in a set? Contact me for ordering info!

Day 8 = Dance Inspired Jewellery! Who doesn’t want a sparkly necklace or charm under the tree this year!?! Rhythm Jewellery makes beautiful, high quality, dance inspired pieces that I absolutely LOVE! Choose from sterling silver, yellow or white gold to suit everyone on your list. Makes a great teacher gift as well! Don’t forget to enter code Erika15 at checkout for 15% off your purchase.

Day 9 = Nutrition Advice! Dancers are elite athletes, and need to fuel their bodies accordingly. However, in the dance world there is huge amounts of conflicting advice about what this actually means. Fortunately, there are some amazing resources designed specifically for dancers in this area. One of my favourites is the programs offered by Rachel Fine of To the Pointe Nutrition. Her Healthy Dancer program is available online and covers topics like basic nutrition, mealing planning and meal prep, healthy snacks for dancers and so much more!

Day 10 = Target Training Online Institute! Although this strength and conditioning program is designed specifically for Irish Dancers, it’s super beneficial for any dancer looking to improve their strength, power and stamina. Most dancers know they should be cross training, but are either unsure of what they should be doing, or struggle to find the time. Target Training programs are entirely online and can be done in the convenience of your own home.

Day 11 = The Dancer’s Way! Everyone needs at least one book under the tree at Christmas, and The Dancer’s Way: The New York City Ballet Guide to Mind, Body and Nutrition is the perfect one! This book is a wonderful overview of how top professional dancers stay healthy throughout their career. I especially love that it multiple aspects of wellness, as I think a lot of recourses about healthy dance tend to focus so much on the physical side of things.

Day 12 = Online subscription! Dancers today are sooo lucky to have so many resources available to them at the tip of their fingers. There are tons of great online subscription options (two of which were already highlighted on Day 9 and Day 10) and these are a few more! 

For the acro lover (or teacher!) in your life, check out Acrobatic Arts. They have an awesome app with amazing acro skills progressions. You can even upload videos of you doing certain skills and compare them to the technique videos!

 For your favourite #bunhead, check out Progressing Ballet Technique. Many people are familiar with the PBT syllabus through classes at their own studio, but did you know they also have an online training option? Another gift that is great for both dancers and teachers. 

My final recommendation is Sugarfoot Therapy. Sugarfoot is a scientifically proven, injury prevention training program for dancers. Think dance conditioning, but super functional! This is my top recommendation for freelance dancers who are (maybe for the first time) in charge of their own conditioning and physical well-being. They have an amazing library of workouts, most of which can be done with minimal equipment.

So there you have it. My list of mostly wellness related gift ideas for the dancer in your life. Dancers, what are you hoping to get under the tree this year? What did I miss from my list? Comment below!

*Disclaimer: some of these links are Amazon affiliate links, which means if you order through the link I receive a small commission. However, these may not always be the best price, so I encourage you to do your own research, and support local small businesses wherever possible.