Coffeemum Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Hi, does anyone know if it's compulsory to wear soft blocks for inter-foundation? (RAD) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletbean Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Hi, According to RAD uniform list (sorry no good at copying links) soft blocks are not needed until Intermediate. My DD took her IF last July without but I have now purchased them for Inter. Hope that helps. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemum Posted April 25, 2017 Author Share Posted April 25, 2017 Thank you, balletbean. Problem with having two teachers with different ideas! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Hello Coffeemum and welcome to the Forum! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Balletbean is quite right. Soft blocks are optional for IF and compulsory for Intermediate onwards. The uniform requirements are all on the RAD website so maybe you could print it out to help your discussion with the teachers? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemum Posted April 26, 2017 Author Share Posted April 26, 2017 Thank you all for the comments. She's doing the exam with her local dance school, whose students will all be wearing soft blocks. Her private teacher and also her associate program teacher say that it's better not to at this stage so she learns to use her feet better, which I totally understand. Problem is, my daughter will then feel uncomfortable if she's the only one in exam with flats! If she's not used to wearing them, will she then loose marks on her foot line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theother51 Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 It is her exam so she should wear whatever she is most comfortable in. If she was attending a Public Centre then she may well have been with candidates wearing other shoes/uniform. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing unicorn Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 Hi I would say let her use soft pointes with her teacher she is doing the exam with and get used to them and therefore do her exam in them. I'm pretty sure it wont affect her exam marks! And let her wear ballet flats with her private/associate teacher (assuming thats its an RBS JA teacher - surely shes not allowed to wear soft pointes for assiciate classes anyway!). Plus if anything like our JA teacher when dd was a JA they had to use full sole leather shoes which helps the children use the floor more and therefore strengthening the feet! That way it keeps both teachers happy! ?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pointetoes Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 Let her wear what she feels most comfortable in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing unicorn Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 Following on from my post above. I'm sure that when my dd did her IF exam at vocational school that they didn't wear soft pointes. So if you're dd wears them or not it won't make any difference to how she dances or what mark she gets. But she does have to feel comfortable in whatever she chooses to wear, be it softs or flats! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theother51 Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 I had read your original post to mean that your dd studies with a Private teacher but is taking her exam at a local dance school (presumably as private teacher does not have enough candidates). Its fairly common for schools/teachers to band together to put on an exam session. If this is the case and its her private teacher who has prepared her for the exam then I wo0uld say that what she says should be what your dd does. If, however I have read it wrongly and your dd has been prepared by the teacher of the local dance school then her shool, her candidate, her rules. My dd took her IF at vocational school and wore flats. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 Dancing in soft blocks feels different to dancing in flats especially when the shoes are new. Maybe read a few of the posts on here about the care and feeding of soft blocks before deciding whether to buy some for your dd's IF exam. You don't have to have them for IF, but if you choose to do that I would buy them well in advance and make sure that your dd has got used to wearing them in class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mummy twinkle toes Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 I agree she needs to be used to wearing Demi's prior to exam. Balancing in them can be harder. Dd2 loves them but dd1 prefers old pointe shoes. If she has the option then she should wear what she wants. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemum Posted April 27, 2017 Author Share Posted April 27, 2017 Thank you for all the helpful comments. I will get her some soft pointes and see how she gets on. The private teacher does a different syllabus with her but occasionally goes through RAD stuff to help. I was under the impression that soft pointes were optional for the local dance school but recently found out that they're meant to be in them all the time! Hard to keep everyone happy - don't want to undermine her old dance school teacher, but want to do what's best for my daughter, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legseleven Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 DD's teachers like vocational grade students to wear soft pointes for all classes from intermediate upwards because they have to be worn for the exams. Soft blocks are required for the terms leading up to an exam and are much preferred at all times so that students are used to balancing in them. They don't require IF students to wear them for classes or for their IF exams as their view is that while it would be helpful to get used to wearing them all the time, there is little point wearing them for an exam when they aren't required, as flats are so much easier to balance in (and make even ordinary feet look more arched than soft blocks would do) and are worn by almost every IF candidate (this information came from her examiner teacher). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 According to the RAD exam specification on their website, soft blocks are optional for IF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Is she starting pointe work ( can't remember if that's in what used to be Elementary)? Because we started wearing old pointe shoes with the shank taken out - so just the box - as a way of gradually getting used to doing everything in pointe shoes. Of course, we did actual pointe work in pointe shoes! Otherwise, I can never really see the point of soft blocks/demi pointe shoes. If you're working your feet, ankles and turn out properly and being taught well, with sufficient variety and challenge, then your feet and ankles will get strong! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 It depends if deshanked pointe shoes fit you..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 20 hours ago, Kate_N said: Is she starting pointe work ( can't remember if that's in what used to be Elementary)? Because we started wearing old pointe shoes with the shank taken out - so just the box - as a way of gradually getting used to doing everything in pointe shoes. Of course, we did actual pointe work in pointe shoes! Otherwise, I can never really see the point of soft blocks/demi pointe shoes. If you're working your feet, ankles and turn out properly and being taught well, with sufficient variety and challenge, then your feet and ankles will get strong! A few decades ago (!!!) I think that most vocational students had to wear soft blocks. Whenever we could get away with it (warm ups before rehearsals/sorry my ribbons have fallen off my shoes and I didn't have time to sew them) we'd use our flatties because they make your feet look nicer and are generally much easier to work in. I honestly am interested about the reversal in the trend, as surely for students who want to prepare for a career in ballet would ideally be doing most classes with shoes closely related to those they would potentially be performing in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mummy twinkle toes Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 If was pre elementary and used to have maximum age of 15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemum Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 22 hours ago, Kate_N said: Is she starting pointe work ( can't remember if that's in what used to be Elementary)? Because we started wearing old pointe shoes with the shank taken out - so just the box - as a way of gradually getting used to doing everything in pointe shoes. Of course, we did actual pointe work in pointe shoes! Otherwise, I can never really see the point of soft blocks/demi pointe shoes. If you're working your feet, ankles and turn out properly and being taught well, with sufficient variety and challenge, then your feet and ankles will get strong! Yes, the IF includes pointe work. I'm guessing that they generally wear flats for the rest of the IF exam as they tend to be quite young still, so need to build up foot strength..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 The IF exam has just a few exercises en pointe its really nothing to worry about. You are right that most of the exam is in flats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophie_rebecca Posted April 29, 2017 Share Posted April 29, 2017 I can confirm that soft blocks are optional for inter foundation, if you wear flats they still need ribbons, the pointe exercises are at the end & obviously you're given time to change into pointe shoes, you then do 2 barre pointe exercises, 1 in the centre & finally the reverence. The exercises are At the Barre Rises in first x3, plie, transfer to side & close, x3 rises again, plie, transfer to side & close Releve 5th, down, echappe releve 2nd, close to 5th, echappe releve 2nd, close to 5th, releve 5th, couru change feet, come down into 5th repeat In centre Start in 5th, releve 5th, down, echappe releve 2nd, close to 5th, echappe releve 2nd, close to 5th releve in 5th, lower & 3 classical walks, repeat. All echappe to 2nd are with a change in both exercises, it's also worth noting that the uniform is actually optional & not points are awarded for correct uniform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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