For a ballet or an opera with children, neat and comfortable clothes are right: the kind of outfit you would wear to a nice restaurant or a school concert. Check the theater’s website if you are unsure. Opening nights, galas, and some festivals are dressier, and a weekend matinee is the most relaxed.
The short answer
| Show | Adults | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend matinee | Neat casual: trousers or a skirt with a shirt or a sweater | School-concert clothes, or a party dress |
| Evening show | A step up: a dress, or a jacket | The same as a matinee, with a warm layer |
| Opening night or gala | Formal clothes are common. Check the website. | A best outfit |
| Outdoor or summer festival | Check the website. Some ask for formal dress. | Layers for a cool evening |
What works for children
- Soft and comfortable. An opera or a full-length ballet is a long sit. Choose a soft waistband and fabric that does not scratch.
- Layers. Theaters can be cool. Bring a cardigan or a sweater.
- Quiet shoes. Skip shoes that light up, squeak, or have hard soles that tap.
- A party dress, if your child wants one. A favorite dress or a small tiara adds to the day at a family ballet. Check that the skirt is easy to sit in.
- Low hair. A high bun or a tall bow blocks the view of the child behind.
- Pockets or a small bag for a tissue.
What works for adults
Wear what you would wear to dinner with friends. You will see everything from jeans to evening dress in the same row. Shoes that are easy to walk in help on theater stairs.
What to skip
- Bracelets that jingle. A quiet scene carries every sound.
- Hats. They block the view.
- Strong perfume. Seats are close together.
- Coats that rustle. Hang them in the cloakroom if there is one.
- Sequins and stiff tulle against bare skin. A child who itches cannot sit still.
Dressier nights
Some nights are dressier than others.
- Opening nights and galas. People often wear formal clothes.
- Festivals. Some summer opera festivals have a tradition of evening dress.
- Opera houses abroad. A few have rules, such as no shorts. Read the visitor page before a trip.
If the website says nothing, neat clothes are right.
Plan for a long sit
An opera can run for three hours or more with its breaks. A full-length ballet is often shorter.
- Ask the theater for the running time and the number of breaks.
- Use the toilet before the show and at each break.
- Bring a booster cushion, or ask whether the theater lends them.
- Eat before you go.
Read how long is the Nutcracker ballet?
What to bring
- Tickets
- A warm layer for each child
- Small binoculars or opera glasses
- Tissues
- A drink and a snack for the break, if the theater allows them
Binoculars give a child a job. They can study the costumes, the dancers’ feet, and the players in the orchestra pit.
What do the performers wear?
Ballet dancers wear costumes made to show the line of the body. The short, stiff skirt is called a tutu. Many of the women dance in pointe shoes, which let them stand on the tips of their toes.
Opera singers wear costumes and wigs that fit the story and the time it is set in.
The orchestra sits in a pit below the front of the stage, dressed in black.
Things to do together
Dress rehearsal. A few days before, try on the outfit and sit in it for the length of a cartoon. Change anything that itches.
Design a costume. After the show, your child draws a costume for a favorite character.
Spot the tutu. Ask your child to count the kinds of costume in the first scene.
Take the photo first. Take pictures in the lobby before the show, while everyone is still tidy.
A worry to let go of
At most shows, no one is checking what your family wears. A child who is comfortable will sit and watch, and that matters more than the outfit.
Read more
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.