# My child was just invited to join the competition team. What do I need to buy

Source: https://dancerdeals.com/quick-answers/my-child-was-just-invited-to-join-the-competition-team-what-do-i-need-to-buy
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Last updated: 2026-05-27

> When the studio director calls to say your child made the competition team and you realize you have no competition bag, no stage makeup, possibly no competition shoes, and the first practice is in two weeks.

## Quick read

Don't buy anything until the studio gives you the first-year new member packet. Competition teams provide required uniform orders, shoe specifications, tights colors, and deadlines. That list drives everything. Once you have it: the big Year 1 categories are a competition bag that holds multiple costumes, shoes per routine, stage makeup in the required team look, backup tights in every required color, and labeled garment bags for each costume.

## Do this now

- Wait for the studio's new member packet before buying anything. Competition teams distribute a first-year guide with required uniform orders (often with specific deadlines and no substitutions), shoes required per routine, tights colors, and mandatory team warmup or jacket. Buying before this packet arrives almost always means buying the wrong item or the wrong color. The studio director or team coordinator can tell you when the packet goes out if you just found out today.
- The major Year 1 expense categories, in rough order of urgency: competition bag that holds multiple costumes, shoes for each routine type, stage makeup in the required team look, backup tights in every required color, and labeled garment bags per costume. None of these needs to be purchased the week you get the call: you typically have 4-6 weeks before the first competition. The [competition dance bag guide](/reviews/dance-bags-for-competition-weekends) has current picks by budget.
- Check what shoes she already has before ordering anything new. A jazz routine needs jazz shoes; a tap routine needs tap shoes; a character routine needs character shoes; lyrical often uses bare feet or half-soles. The studio will specify exact colors (usually black or tan) and sometimes exact brands. A dancer who's been in class for a year or two likely already has several of these. Audit first, then fill gaps.
- Stage makeup for competition is different from school or everyday makeup. It needs to survive stage lights, sweat, and a full performance day. The studio usually specifies the required team look, which dictates what products you need. Don't buy a full professional kit before you know the look. Start with exactly what the team list requires. [Stage makeup guide](/reviews/stage-makeup-kits-for-dance-competitions) covers what stays on under competition conditions.
- Buy at least two backup pairs of every required tight color before the first competition. Stage tights run without warning. 'I'll buy more if something happens' ends with you searching for matching tan tights at 7am before call time. Two extra pairs per color costs about $20-30 and prevents a real emergency. [Dance tights guide](/reviews/dance-tights-for-recital-and-competition) has color-matching and seller notes.
- Label everything. Competition dressing rooms hold 50-200 families in a tight space. Every bag, every shoe, every garment bag, every makeup case needs your child's name on it. A label maker is worth buying before the first competition: mixing up another family's costume is a memorable and avoidable problem. One labeled garment bag per costume, organized by routine number, is the system that works at any competition level.

## Mistakes to skip

- Don't order the team costume or uniform from a third-party seller. Competition uniforms are often contracted through a specific vendor the studio works with. A 'similar' costume from elsewhere is not the team costume and the difference will be visible on stage.
- Don't buy a full professional stage makeup kit before the studio publishes the required team look. A $200 kit with 40 shades doesn't help you if the team look requires two specific colors your kit doesn't include.
- Don't skip the backup tights. One pair fails, and the competition keeps going. Two backup pairs in the right color cost $20-30 and prevent the most common competition-morning emergency.
- Don't underestimate labeling. Everything goes into a shared dressing room. Every item needs your child's name. A label maker before the first competition is worth more than most accessories you'll consider buying.

## Related buying guides

- /reviews/dance-bags-for-competition-weekends
- /reviews/garment-bags-for-recital-costumes
- /reviews/stage-makeup-kits-for-dance-competitions
- /reviews/dance-tights-for-recital-and-competition
- /reviews/character-shoes-for-recital-and-musical-theatre
- /reviews/jazz-shoes-for-class-and-competition

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