Anna C

We had the same there taxi; too tapered and the vamp was too high so it was pulling her back off pointe. :-(

I wish I could see that in slow motion!

Bankrupt-mum, have you seen this? http://www.pointeshoefitting.co.uk/pointe_shoes/Grishko_Maya_1_%26_2_Pointe_Shoe_2.html This lady seems to be able to fit and order many Grishko models. I also meant to say that if people are having problems at Bloch, you can still make an appointment to see Bob Martin there who will specify custom-made shoes.

Many many congratulations to your dd Fiz. :-)

Definitely depends on the fitter, doesn't it! :-)

Forgot to say that no, sadly Porselli is no longer in London. :-(

I must say I was wary of Freed but a friend's dancing daughter had the most fantastic fitting there with Sophie so as Tiffany had temporarily left Bloch, I thought I'd give Freed a go. Sophie wasn't there but Michelle Atfield was there and (her slightly fearsome reputation notwithstanding!) she was excellent with dd. I must say dd's Freeds lasted her all through EYB and only just gave up the ghost a week later. She didn't have even one blister throughout the whole process. We went back last week and had a different fitter who the other staff seemed to defer to, so whether she is a Manager of some sort I'm not sure. This time we are trying the same shoe with a regular shank (instead of hard) as dd isn't doing pointe every day this term. She was a very professional and nice fitter. So I'd say give Freed a try but do give the other shops a try as well because everyone has different experiences.

Sounds sensible Julie - keep us posted! :-)

Well, on Drury Lane you have Bloch and Dancia. Parallel with Drury Lane on Endell Street you'll find Capezio. Sansha is also on Drury Lane and Freed are further towards Leicester Square/Trafalgar Square (on St. Martin's Lane near the London Coliseum). The only two I feel happy to recommend wholeheartedly for pointe fittings are Bloch (especially Tiffany, who is back - for now) and Freed. Capezio are lovely for leotards and Bunheads stuff but really don't seem interested in fitting shoes. I've had similar experience in Sansha. Dancia can be a bit hit and miss - dd's first pointes from there were ok but after that they literally just wanted to give her the same model in the next size up, not taking into account whether they were still suitable. We've had two different fitters in Freed and I liked them both. But that's just our experience - give the shops a try, don't be afraid to say you have other shops to try, and see what you like and don't like. :-)

I'm not sure any kind of elastic support (unless you were thinking of a really constrictive one) would actually give the ankle the "braced" feeling it requires. Obviously a brace is out. One of my ankles became like that after I had sprained it several times, and the only thing that helped it feel more secure was a lot of strengthening exercises. I know there is a lot you can do with strapping/taping but it's not something I'd EVER attempt myself. If getting your dd to a dance physio isn't feasible, could you get her in to see a good local physio quite quickly?

Oh bless her, well she's even taller than my lovely niece then. So glad she got some lovely pointe shoes. :-)

My beautiful and tall niece is between a 7.5 and an 8.5 in ladies' shoes Robin, but her feet don't look big. Is your dd tall?

Gosh! :-)

If you are upfront with both teachers and are clear which one will be entering your child for an exam, there shouldn't be a problem. It's courteous to ask your "first" teacher for permission to take classes at another school, but you are the customer and if there is no conflict between teaching styles and no conflict about where the student will take exams, there shouldn't be a problem (in theory!). The only conflict we ever had was when dd danced locally and with Tring Park Associates - Tring wanted to enter her for RAD exams but she had already done Grades 1-3 locally and the local school wanted to enter her (more quickly than Tring). Eventually a letter from the local school's founder regarding "RAD code of conduct" sorted things out with no real problem. :-)

I have a feeling my cousin's MA was from Central (school of speech and drama, not ballet! ;-)). He seems to have got on very well there.

Hi eloise_please, Your dd clearly has potential, which is super. However I would suggest - if you can - increasing the ballet training now. Is there a non-syllabus class available? Or another Grade 2 class? I'm simply thinking of the huge amount of technique my dd has had to learn since her Grade 2! :-)

As your daughter gets older she will need more local training though, and if her teacher is good - and interested - then she will get to know your daughter's physique but also as a person, which I think is important. My dd's local teacher has not had the performance experience that her Associate Teacher has had, but having taught her for six years, she knows my dd's complexities and strengths, but also her personality. Associate Classes are often bigger and the teachers will expect the students to be doing a fair amount of training locally, and then to come to Associates to be polished and moulded to the school's way of doing things. So as your dd gets older, I would say she needs to add in more classes locally. :-) Lilac, to get back to your question, it's admirable that your dd wants to stay loyal to her friends and to her dance school, but you may have to point out that IF she wants to try for a career in ballet, then she needs to move to a school that can help her. If however she wants to keep dance as a hobby, then she can stay where she is but you'd have to consider whether you can still afford the cost and time commitment to get to Central each week. It's a hard choice but in economic times like these, very few people can afford to do everything they want and £100 a term is a lot of money to be paying unnecessarily.

I saw Phantom when I was a teenager, the year it opened in London. Michael Crawford was utterly heartbreaking in the role and I can remember blubbing all the way home. :-) I've had a soft spot for Phantom ever since, but how good it is does depend on who's playing him - John Owen Jones being my fave after Michael Crawford. The anniversary concert is fab too, as they staged it in spectacular fashion at the RAH. Wish I'd seen it live, but the tickets were outrageously pricey! Anyway, sorry Fiz, I've digressed from your question! :-)

Associates are supposed to be complimentary to your local training, and they do free work at an age-appropriate level. It's not that they don't think exams are important, but they teach their own syllabi. I do think it's important that if a student is planning to try for 16+ training, they are working at a certain level (say for instance RAD ADV. 1) and have a corresponding level of vocabulary, but whether you do that via exams or freework is personal preference. For children going to Vocational School at 11 it's obviously more important to have the appropriate physique, musicality, talent and potential, but even so, Associates should always work alongside local training, not instead of - if that makes sense!

Ah! Fair enough. :-) I love Phantom! :-) *runs away*

We moved our dd to her current school aged 7 as, had she stayed where she was, she wouldn't even have taken her Grade 4 by now (she's just starting Grade 7). She missed her teacher for a little while, but obviously 13 year-olds know their own minds a LOT and are harder to guide than little ones! You don't want her to dig her heels in, so could she do parallel classes at both local schools for a while in the hope that she'll see for herself which has the better teaching? And if all else fails, I agree with laying it on the line and asking her if she wants to try for a ballet career? I wouldn't worry too much about trying to do Intermediate within a year by the way - a year to 18 months is fine, IMO. :-). There's a lot to learn!

Can't!

Why are you hissing at Phantom, Fiz?? :-)

I'm still trying to find out how to get a sticker! ;-))

Love your articles Anjuli. :-) I just wish I could take up ballet now. :-(