Anna C

Exciting, C4D! Best of luck to your dd for the exam. :-)

Might also be worth asking your dd's teachers about soft blocks, balletjack. Many teachers like these to be worn for 6 months or so prior to starting pointework. (Equally, some don't!)

They are very strict - suggest emailing the exams department and explaining the situation. They are always very helpful. http://www.rad.org.uk/article_green.asp?id=237&realCat=302

Good question! Can't recall the exact price, but about £12-ish for the split soles?

Oooh, and mine was! :-). And they had miniature ones but I didn't dare spend any more money!

I would worry about her starting point when she's only *just* 11. My dd started the month before she was 12, but for the first 3 or 4 months or so it was literally a few minutes at the end of Associate Class, doing rises at the barre in parallel and in first. She took her I.F. Exam 11 months later. Just to play Devil's Advocate, If it were my dd I would ask if she could wait 6 months or so. My dd learned the whole Inter Foundation syllabus in soft shoes and then mastered the small amount of pointe a couple of months before the exam.

Hi Noa, and a very warm welcome to the forum. :-)

Excellent news! :-)

That's good to know, Spooky - it'll be interesting to see how dd gets on with her Freeds as she usually outgrows pointes before she kills them. She did kill a pair of Bloch Jetstreams though as she's doing more pointework. With EYB coming up I'm beginning to wonder if I should have bought 2 pairs of Freeds! :-/

Oooh, I LOVE Kidsweek! Very jealous - have a great time! :-)

We've had good and not-so-good experiences of fitters wanting to see shoes: Good - Tiffany in Bloch wanting to see the shoes that had been causing issues, to show us precisely which parts were wrong for dd's feet. Bad - an assistant in Dancia who wanted to see which model of shoe dd was wearing so she could give dd the next size up in that same model - without trying any other shoes.

Mmm, my dd's most recent split soles are chacott from the freed shop. They're very nice - and the elastics are completely pre-sewn! Bonus! :-)

Hi robin64, Let's take your questions in order: No, you don't need an appointment at Freed, but if you want a particular fitter, it's best to phone to find out when they are working. Freed is not on the same street as Dancia, Sansha and Bloch (all on Drury Lane), or Capezio (Endell Street which runs parallel to Drury Lane). Freed is on St. Martin's Lane, on the other side of the road from the London Coliseum. Leicester Square is the nearest tube station to Freed. It's walkable from Drury Lane for fit people. :-) Freed only sells Freed pointe shoes (oh and Chacott ballet shoes). Dancia is the only shop I know who sells Grishko, Gaynor Minden and Bloch. Amazing range but the fitting can be hit or miss. Hope that helps! :-)

Well, not too painful - financially or literally! The nail beds are "involuted" (?) which means they are not ingrowing but have the potential to do so. However, they are not infected and we have been cutting them correctly. The chiropodist tidied them up and clipped little bits of skin and nail away to sort them out for now. Dd has to soak the feet in warm salted water after ballet but just for 5-10 mins, then wipe with surgical spirit, and we don't have to go back until they start to look as they did before, or if they start hurting. Job done! :-)

Tasty!

Yes, she said to dd "straighten those knees even more or I shall smack them"!! :-) Assuming dd gets on ok with her Freeds (which I am sure she will), we will definitely go back now.

The only bit of housework I actually quite like is the sight of clean washing drying on the line on a sunny day; I find it curiously satisfying. Although it is a pleasure I've been afforded only 3 or 4 times since this miserable excuse for "summer" began!

I am so delighted for both your lovely sons, Julie and hfbrew. You should justifiably be very proud of them and of yourselves for having supported and encouraged them all the way and raising fine young men. :-) Very many congratulations to all those graduating today - and congratulations and good luck to those starting the next leg of their journey in September; whether that be moving to Upper School, starting Vocational School, moving up a year in Associates, or starting at CATs or Associates.

That was exactly what the wonderful Tiffany at Bloch used to do; she recognised that dd's left ankle was slightly weaker than the right, and suggested some exercises for it. She's a dancer too. Michelle at Freed had a long hard look at dd's feet. She seemed happy with them so we didn't get any exercises ;-) but my goodness she knew her stock, and which shoe makers would suit dd's feet. I can see why some people may have found her a little intimidating in the past, but she was nice to dd.

Oh super! Who did you see, do you know? :-)

Excellent article! Thank you for posting. :-)

Looked as if they had some guest performances from ENB too; did I spot Junor de Souza?

Both! :-)

Fair enough! :-) Could you put it quite diplomatically, something like: "I'm just trying to work out what level dd might be working at in comparison to RAD or ISTD?"

I don't know NATD grades. Probably stating the obvious, but could you ask your teacher?