Billyelliott Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 I have looked around pretty hard over the last few years with no success . I still find it hard to believe that there is no specialist shop nor even a website that specialises in boys and men's dance things ! Is that not a business opportunity ...... I really struggle to find suitable presents eg posters , bags , duvet covers , that are male and not boring nor pink - but dance related ! Anyone found anywhere ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farawaydancer Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 I keep thinking the same thing, whenever I try to look for something. My dd is easy to buy for but her brother? It's hopeless! He's doing his first dance show soon and I want to buy him something small to remember it by, like the keyring dd has for her first show. Can't find anything suitable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 My dd has never been all that keen on girly pink anyway! Something I noticed was that all the 'how to be a ballet dancer' type DVD's for younger children all appear to be aimed exclusively at girls and tend to come in a pink box with little girls dressed as fairies etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Tell me about it! Son now nearly 20 and I've been saying it for years (and a dd who hates pink) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 With Julie on this one, I even got a letter published in a dance magazine once bemoaning the way ballet marketing is very geared towards girls. Apart from making it impossible to find something suitable for a boy I also detest the way Ballet is portrayed as pink and glittery when it is anything but! (needless to say as a child I saw myself as tragic Giselle rather than sugar plum fairy...) Many girls hate pink too but love to dance! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Just Ballet has a Men & Boys section: http://www.justballet.co.uk/shop/men-and-boys/ as does Dance Direct: http://www.dancedirect.com/uk/Category/Men/Ballet/ I must admit my dd loved the "pink and glittery" when she was little, but now she's a teenager she just buys ladieswear in petite or small, and adult dancebags etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Porselli also has a male dancewear section https://dancewear.co.uk/products&subcat=56 As do Dancemania - who also sometimes have gifts suitable for both sexes but not always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amum/Cathy Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 (edited) I mostly use dancemania or Planetdance http://www.planetdancedirect.co.uk/company.asp?ID=2. It is annoying that there's nowhere you can take your ds to and just find what you need there and then. I can't remember ever taking him into a dancewear shop for clothing. We went to the Bloch shop in Covent Garden once for tap shoes, as a treat. That was it. Everything else has been trawling through websites! Edited to add that I gave up on dance related presents. I have bought little theatre related gifts from a shop in Covent Garden (the central market section) that sells little model theatre kits. I've forgotten its name. They sell gorgeous little Nutcracker Christmas tree decorations which are good for boys! Edited May 20, 2013 by amum/Cathy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Don't Capezio now have a (small) menswear dept? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amum/Cathy Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 There do seem to be a few more capezio items on various people's websites. My Planet Dance link doesn't seem to work. Will try again. They are usually quick to deliver and have a decent range, maybe because they are the official suppliers for Northern Ballet Theatre/Academy who have plenty of men/boys! http://www.planetdancedirect.co.uk/index.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 There are definitely more companies doing male dancer than when we started out, and I've used all of those suggested (well, most) - but wouldn't it be lovely to have it all together so you don't pay extra p&p and spend hours searching. I once complied to Classic FM about their intro to ballet CD for children that was pink with a tutu on I seem to remember. So, boys don't like ballet music then.....? They weren't very helpful and just said that there were more girls doing ballet so that's what they were appealing to - I told them my daughter wasn't keen on the design either! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 There are definitely more companies doing male dancer than when we started out, and I've used all of those suggested (well, most) - but wouldn't it be lovely to have it all together so you don't pay extra p&p and spend hours searching. I once complied to Classic FM about their intro to ballet CD for children that was pink with a tutu on I seem to remember. So, boys don't like ballet music then.....? They weren't very helpful and just said that there were more girls doing ballet so that's what they were appealing to - I told them my daughter wasn't keen on the design either! I complained too- not only did they not reply but I stopped getting marketing e-mails from them as well.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billyelliott Posted May 20, 2013 Author Share Posted May 20, 2013 Thanks everyone ! It seems that as I feared there is no one stop shop easy answer out there - but I have never tried planet dance or just ballet so there are now 2 more places for me to look ! Capezio told us they were getting a men's section , but after returning 3 times they only had boys blue RAD tights! So I gave up . Will look again next time I'm up there ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidW Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 One option I (25yr old guy) use is to buy things from an American site: www.boysdancetoo.com It's an amazing site that offers a huge range of clothing for guys - they collate stuff from the big dancewear companies and also produce their own stuff. They also have a few gift options (I love my duffel bag) but the obvious problem is that it isn't cheap to ship over to the UK (especially if over the customs limit for tax exemption). Still worth checking out - I really like how they ask professional dancers (like Eric Tamm of ABT) to create a 'look' from their stuff to give you ideas of what to wear. No need to be stuck with black tights and white t-shirts! I keep asking them to open a UK branch - fingers crossed they'll become an international company soon! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w445403 Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 David, we need to all get together to do an order and save on shipping!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amum/Cathy Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 The USA certainly have more stuff for boys/men. One year a very helpful Billy Elliot fan brought me back a Capezio Billy Elliot dance bag from the Broadway show's shop, which my ds has been using for about 7 years now. They never sold it in this country sadly, yet Billy Elliot started here - WHY???!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidW Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 The USA still isn't perfect - I lived in New Jersey when I first started ballet and was a bit surprised to find that the Capezio flagship store (just off Times Square) didn't have any dance belts in Large or men's tights in Large! But in NYC, there is also the (über-expensive but über-awesome) Yumiko store which has loads of colourful and awesome menswear (I'm planning on getting some of their knee length tights/shorts when I'm calling into NYC for a conference this summer!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballet0 Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Yumiko on line has mens wear but it can take quite a long time for it to come You can design your own leotard for both men and women xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingPixie Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Indulge a proud mummy, that is my DS in the Dance Direct catalogue. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billyelliott Posted May 20, 2013 Author Share Posted May 20, 2013 The young one ? He looks so fine dancing pixie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingPixie Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Yes, the young blonde. They were taken in Year 7 which is two years ago now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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