The cost of living continues to rise and, in turn, is responsible for raising many people’s anxiety and stress levels, particularly as the Christmas season approaches once more. Cutting down on spending might be on many people’s lists this year. But how, without losing the joy of giving?
Dancers, who, due to the nature of the industry, might find themselves on a variable income, can still give deeply and generously by getting a little creative and thinking outside the box.
“It’s the thought that counts?”
We’ve all heard that phrase before, and it’s true! Whether you’re stuck for fresh ideas, or seeking cost-effective gifting for friends and family, we’re about to take thoughtful to the extreme with this Christmas list of considerately indulgent presents, most of which won’t even dent your bank account at all!
#1. Gift lessons
Who do you know who has always wanted to learn to dance but never had the opportunity to? Make a personalised gift voucher for them and pledge your time and expertise to give them an introductory dance lesson, or series of lessons. If you can add a date, place and time, it will give your gift an official seal and your recipient a wonderful experience to look forward to doing, plus spending time with you!
#2. Personal plan
Create a Personal Training Programme for someone. Who do you know who has goals to strengthen their core, become more flexible, or to get off the sofa and beat the winter blues? You can use your dance training to help them. You could design and laminate an achievable personalised plan for them – or schedule a diary date to create one alongside them. Why not join them for their first workouts, and be a supporter, whether you’re near or far, to encourage them in their new goals.
#3. Tickets
Do you have access to free, or discounted tickets to a show you’ll be performing in? If so, this could make an ideal gift for someone who’d love to come and watch you. Present the ticket with a little basket of show or travel snacks for the ultimate wow factor! Or get tickets to go and watch a live cinema relay of a ballet, musical or play with your recipient. Your gift of time will touch so much deeper than you might imagine.
#4. Photos
Frame a photo of yourself dancing. Even decorate a plain frame yourself for an extra-personal touch. Could you make a sketch of a photo of you dancing and frame it? Shopping for dancing friends? Put together a montage of your favourite pictures together. Print it out yourself, or have it transferred onto a canvas, available online at competitive prices. There are lots of photo-gift ideas if this appeals to you, including printing photos onto mugs, or creating a jigsaw from a photograph.
#5. Pointe shoes
Decorate an old pointe shoe of yours. Let your creativity loose and utilise beads, glitter, fabric paint, material swatches, buttons or whatever you have around the house to glue or sew onto the shoes to make them thoroughly unique. Tie the ribbons together to make a hanging loop and give to a younger member of the family who looks up to you, or an older one who’s extremely proud of you.
#6. Show-time
Remember putting on shows as a child for your parents? Pull out all the stops and do a super-deluxe version now. Choreograph to music they love, get your best costumes out, or create some. Make a beautiful invitation/ticket with date and time of the proposed performance – include refreshments, get into the kitchen and rustle up some brownies or popcorn, and pour a glass of prosecco for the guests of honour. Move the furniture to create your performance area, being considerate of comfy seating for your audience. Consider lighting; maybe atmospheric fairy lights will do the trick. Then give the performance of your life. This could work as an ideal gift for multiple family members – don’t underestimate how much it will mean to them.
#7. Dance gifts
Dancer friends in your life would fall in love with these accessories from Capezio. Capezio Varsity Crew Socks at £7 per pair could be the ideal Christmas gift for a friend. You could even them stuff with chocolates or sweets for the ultimate Christmas stocking! An Eat. Sleep. Dance. Drawstring Bag at £8.40 would always come in useful for shopping or keeping dance bits together, or a Fleur Vanity Case at £12 – pop in your friend’s favourite lip balm or mascara to really personalise it!
Só Dança is also offering a budget-friendly range of gorgeous Glitter Pointe Shoe Keyrings at £6 each, as well as Stirrup Legwarmers in four colours and Patterned Wrap Around Skirts at £19. That’s going to be difficult to choose! On a larger budget, especially if you’ve managed to make savings elsewhere, Stagestep have a range of Turning Boards and personal practice mats that could be just the unique gift you’ve been searching for.
#8. Creative projects
Dancers are creative beings. What secret talents are you harbouring that could be brought to light to generate custom-made bestowals? Hand-written poetry, prose, drawing, sewing, embroidery, painting, sculpting, crafting and baking could all be wonderfully well-received results of your labour of love. Who wouldn’t love a gift of pointe-shoe shaped shortbread cookies?!
Perhaps these ideas have made you think about Christmas gifts from a different angle, and maybe even sparked some giving schemes of your own. A return to giving handmade gifts from the heart, aside from being cost-effective, can help forge deeper personal relationships between the giver and recipient; greater human connection being something we desperately need in this fast-moving modern world we’re living in. It could be a perfect way to guide our youngest generation too; demonstrating using our creativity and skills to enrich other’s lives.
Christmas doesn’t have to be such a financial pain, and perhaps if it is, we’re missing the point of the holiday season. Good luck with your gift planning!
By Louise Ryrie of Dance Informa.
