Sheila Beelam

Is this still available please? X

I’ve been talking to Ivan and we are sending a parcel of dance shoes and clothing to France to help a little! 🩰 So pleased they’ve been offered a residency ❣️

We have a roll of Sonata flooring from LeMark left from our studio renovation and will be selling it in manageable sizes for home use, on our site from later in the week. Any ideas on what sizes people would be interested in would be great. I chose a floor for the studio that had great grip for pointe shoes, but enough slip for turns https://www.lemarkfloors.co.uk/sonata-ballet-floor/

We sell the tendu darning thread.. https://www.justballet.co.uk/products/anchor-darning-thread And also Russian Pointe sewing kits which have a very strong thread https://www.justballet.co.uk/products/russian-pointe-sewing-kit X

It’s a familiar shout, more larger leotards and more men’s wear! We are trying! We always try and include L, XL and XXL in the ranges we stock, where they are available. Likewise we’ve recently got some lovely bright men’s/boys leotards in, but it does also come down to a “general” lack of demand, compared to smaller ballet sizes. We are always left with the L and XL leotards in stock, but sell out of the XS-M? Likewise lots of boys leotards are hanging around in the shop Ainsliewear are good for long bodies and go up to XL, which is about a UK 14. There new season range will be extending up to XXL So Danca go up to a size 7/XXL in some styles and these are about a UK 16. Feel free to DM me with any specific requests

Thanks Anna I agree with the above, though I don’t think elastics at the heel are strictly necessary. However every foot is different and I do think the fitting of shoes should be looked at on an individual basis, the first port of call being your teacher and then your fitter. I wouldn’t like to comment on the fit of the shoes without seeing your bare feet. But I would suggest you always tie your inside ribbon first to minimise any movement of the shank away from the arch of your foot. So start by wrapping the inside ribbon around the front of your foot, then around the front of your ankle and back to the inside. Hold that and then wrap the outside ribbon over your foot and around your ankle, to meet the other ribbon on the inside. Please work closely with your teacher and don’t go on to pointe without putting your shoes on properly, even if practicing at home. The ribbons are functional, not decorative Going back to elastics, if you feel your heels are slipping off you can stitch elastic in a loop at the back of the shoe so it sits around your ankle. However make sure you stitch it parallel to the back seam of the shoe and not over it or sideways, as this adds to the bulk at the back of your heel and can irritate your Achilles. You don’t look like you need elastics at the front of the shoe so I would remove those and move your ribbons slightly forward as people mentioned above. Nothing comes quickly with ballet, it takes time to build strength and rushing will only lead to injury and bad habits, take your time and enjoy the process! 🥰

My non DD also had problems a few years ago from a blister on her foot from sport, ended up with several days in hospital on IV antibiotics! Don’t ignore them!

Just about to post the same - mentioned on their Instagram! A relief for many

It was my left arm and we have an automatic so I was able to drive. When fully frozen, if you tuck your elbow into your waist, you can move your forearm - just look a bit like a deranged T-Rex 😂 I’ve seen an osteo and physio re my right side, taking anti-inflams and magnesium, daily massage and lots of stretching and *touch wood* the niggle seems to have gone, so I’m hoping it wasn’t the other side starting, just a trapped nerve! I’m also dancing more and I’m sure that’s helping too

Oh my goodness. Please take all the professional advice you can. ❤️ I had a frozen shoulder and it lasted over 2 years, triggered from a shoulder op we think. Absolutely the worse pain I’ve ever had in the freezing stage - and I’ve had two children with no gas and air! It stopped me doing my Adv1 5-6 years ago and although I have 97% ROM back, aa a dancer I still notice the last niggle At my worst I could raise my arm to about 4 o’clock at the side and from and nothing to the back. There’s a great support group on FB where you can compare notes on how to do things like wash your hair, fasten your bra, deal with “zingers” etc The upside is you will defrost with or without intervention. I had hydrodilation which was very painful but gave me more ROM. My other side showed signs of starting a couple of months ago, I’m hitting it hard to prevent another onset as Adv 1 is on the cards this year!!! xxx

The Diva has a very long vamp and a wedge of gel in the bottom of the shoes. These are two things we find people either love or hate. The gel can be pulled out, but the vamp is what it is! The Diva is a beautifully made shoe, with an integrated suede tip. They’re good for reining in bendy feet, but quite often we’ll see people pulling back on pointe, causing a break in the line of the foot as they battle to get fully on to the platform. The shank is man made and just like a plastic ruler, if bent back and forth for long enough, it can snap. The shoe is available in a hard shank version. The standard width is a C, and it’s quite a square shoe, so we don’t often need to go up to a D, but quite often fit the narrower B width. If you like the shoe but battle with the vamp, it’s worth trying the Cloe, it’s sister shoe, similar features to the Diva, but a lower vamp. The shoes are made in France and supply time can sometimes be an issue but they’re very helpful and if customers have unusual shoe sizing, we try to keep spare pairs in the shop ready for you! I hope this helps somebody Sheila x

Yes you're correct Alison! I can't seem to edit it though....!

I’m not sure whether this photo will upload, but I saw a lady in her 50’s today who was new to pointe and struggles to leave the barre. The shoe on the left is the one she’s had for about 6 months and the one on the right is what we fitted her in today. Her centre of gravity is so far back as she can’t get on to the platform it’s no wonder she needs the barre! She’s in a much better alignment in the new shoe and this will improve further with ribbons and a little breaking in. Shoes are SO important! ❤️

Looks like the pads you get to put on the feet of furniture to stop them scratching wooden floors?

I agree with Anna re padding. Instinctively if something hurts, you want to pad it, but the padding itself can add to the pressure and cause more problems than it alleviates unfortunately there is no magic formula for pointe shoe fitting!