We'd been wanting to draw ballet for a long time. Lots of the girls who dance flamenco have also spent time at the classical barre, lots of mums take their daughters to ballet school every afternoon, and there was nothing pretty to do it with. So we started drawing, and out came two new ballerinas: Tina and Marina.
With them we're launching a complete ballet collection, designed around what really goes to class: the bag, the bottle, the bun kit, the shoe bag and the notebook. All featuring original illustration hand-drawn in Spain, and all made to mix and match.
Two ballerinas, two characters
Tina is the ballerina seen from behind: a pale pink tutu, a white flower in her bun and a sky full of stars on a fuchsia background. She's the boldest in colour, the one you'll spot from the other side of the changing room.
Marina faces forward, arms raised, in a fuchsia tutu with pink bows in her hair, on a soft pink background. She carries three words: Sueña, Baila, Brilla. And because dance knows no borders, Marina also comes in French (Rêve, Danse, Brille), Italian (Sogna, Danza, Brilla) and German (Träume, Tanze, Strahle): a lovely touch if your dancer is learning languages, has family abroad or simply wants something a little different.
The collection, piece by piece
1. Zip-top ballet bag, 40 x 40 cm
The centrepiece. It holds the leotard, tights, tulle skirt, ballet shoes and wash bag, and zips fully closed so nothing goes missing between the car, the changing room and class. Handles with a 27 cm drop for carrying on the shoulder, tough 400 g/m² polyester and the illustration printed on both sides.
Zip-Top Ballet Bag 40 x 40 cm — €23.50. Also on Amazon.
2. 500 ml insulated bottle
Double-walled stainless steel: cold water for up to 24 hours for long rehearsals, or a hot infusion for up to 12 hours on winter afternoons. It fits in the ballet bag and the school rucksack, and on Marina's the three words appear as you turn it.
Ballerina Insulated Bottle 500 ml — €22.90. Also on Amazon.
3. Wash bag, 22 x 17 cm
The bun kit: hairpins, hair ties, hairnet, hairspray and show make-up, all in one place. It's waterproof, zipped and illustrated on both sides. Away from ballet school it works just as well as a pencil case or a travel wash bag.
Ballerina Wash Bag 22 x 17 cm — €12.95. Also on Amazon.
4. Ballet shoe bag, 20 x 36 cm
A long shape for soft ballet shoes and pointe shoes, in children's and adult sizes. The front carries the illustration and the back is breathable mesh, so shoes can air after class instead of staying damp inside the bag.
Ballet Shoe Bag 20 x 36 cm — €16.00. Also on Amazon.
5. Notebook, 17 x 24 cm
For the teacher's corrections, new steps, the show checklist or simply for school. 100 sheets (200 pages) of squared 80 g/m² paper, a semi-rigid cover and a spiral binding that opens flat. The first page is illustrated too, with DANCE on Tina's and DREAM on Marina's, and the inside pages carry little details from the collection.
Ballerina Notebook 17 x 24 cm — €9.95. Also on Amazon.
Five packs, ready matched
If it's a gift, the packs cost less than buying the pieces separately and arrive with the same design throughout. All of them come in Tina and in the four versions of Marina.
Ballet bag + wash bag pack. The ballet-school essentials, sorted in one go. See the pack — €31.90 (€36.45 separately). Also on Amazon.
Insulated bottle + ballet bag pack. The big gift of the collection: everything that goes to class every day, all matching. See the pack — €38.90 (€46.40 separately).
Insulated bottle + wash bag pack. A perfect birthday present for the dancer who already has a bag. See the pack — €27.75 (€35.85 separately).
Insulated bottle + notebook pack. For ballet school and for school: the two things that come out of the rucksack every day. See the pack — €29.90 (€32.85 separately).
Wash bag + notebook pack. The little gift for under twenty euros: perfect for classmates, for the teacher or for the ballet school Secret Santa. See the pack — €19.90 (€22.90 separately).
For now, the packs are only available in our shop.
Three tips for choosing
Tina or Marina? If she loves bold colours, Tina. If she prefers something softer, or you like the idea of giving her a message, Marina. And if you can't decide, the collection mixes well across both: nobody says the bag and the bottle have to feature the same ballerina.
Start with the bag. It's the piece that's seen most and used most. From there, each new piece adds to a set that already exists, which makes birthday, Christmas and end-of-year presents really easy.
Think about the calendar. There are three key moments in a dancer's year: going back to ballet school in September, Christmas and the June show. A matching gift at any of the three gets used the very next day.
Where to buy it
You can see the whole ballet collection in our shop, with the packs and every version of Marina. The individual pieces are also on Amazon, with fast Prime delivery.
And if you're looking for a little something for the teacher, here are nine gifts for the dance teacher and, for this season, our autumn gift ideas.
The illustrArte products featured in this article are our own designs, sold in our shop and on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
