ScottishDancerMum

I took her to a gymnastics summer taster program 2 years ago... I figured it would be fun as she loved dancing so much. Nope. She begged to quit, on the second day. She doesn't like the vertigo feeling of her body being above her head, and I think it's developed into a mental block. I've left it as I didn't want to make it worse. Her PE classes in school don't cover gymnastics (very small school) and I was just hoping she could work around it. But she's gotten all worried she'll need them for senior associates, despite being reassured by our director that it's not a requirement. I told her it would be easier to learn a cartwheel now than as an adult...

My 8 year old has a fear of gymnastics - even forward rolls seem to send her into terrors. She's a lovely dancer, but is worried that she's going to have to learn them sooner or later. What are your experiences? Thanks x

I was told by a ballet director once that she hated satin flats. Canvas split-soles all the way!

Does anyone have any links for places to apply for additional funding? As Daughter gets older things are getting more expensive... like Associates. I figured it's always worth applying x

I follow the Grishko video for ribbons on flat ballet shoes - it worked perfectly, much better than it did when I cut the ribbon into 4 pieces.

I mean people decide on a new brand they like better, but they already have sewn ribbons in the old brand. There's lots of reasons people need to sell brand new shoes... better they find a new home than collect dust.

Thank you for all your wise words, Taxi, and I wish you and your daughter all the best

There is also this Facebook group, which was suggested by a member here to me last year. I spent so much time there, I was made into an Admin! We often have pointe shoes for sale for exactly that reason.... tried on, ribbons sewn, brands changed. Come give us a look https://www.facebook.com/groups/1417886585123947/

I know that building! Excellent news, am really pleased about this

I know dancers have been using jet glue on their shoes for decades, but you do have to wonder about the safety of this stuff when it's being used in contact with possibly open skin. Blisters and abrasions can all let this stuff leech into the body. I'm a nail tech, and I use cyanoacrylate adhesives as tip glue. The stuff bothers my asthma something awful, so I have to use it quickly and put it away (nail acrylic smells worse but doesn't bother me to the same extent). In my profession, we are all instructed to take precautions and use proper ventilation when using any sort of adhesive... do dance teachers and pointe shoe suppliers teach this when strengthening pointe shoes with jet glue? I hope so! It reminds me a bit of when I had to take a COSHA course on dealing with hazardous substances and chemicals. One of the examples was acetone, and they asked us what we should do if a member of staff has an exposure to acetone. The rest of the people in the course were warehouse and factory workers.... they all felt it needed a brisk wash with lots of soap and water, and possibly a dr visit. Meanwhile, we nail technicians dip people's nails in acetone on purpose. Stay safe with this stuff. Seriously, cyanoacrylates are dangerous if they aren't used carefully.

Even though I'm striving to make sure everything about this National dance is authentic(music, dance, costuming), I'm guessing there's a good chance that a lot of that detail could get missed by adjudicators, particularly hearing about the Russian boots! Pups Mum, I agree about picking on the young dancers when you know it's not their makeup and hair techniques on display. A discreet note is good, but picking on the child directly isn't good.

Yeah, the costume changes will definitely need practice and fine tuning. For authenticity, I've been referencing some of the costumes used in the 1985 tv version of Anne of Green Gables, which was known for being really nit-picky about correct costuming details. So rather than the dress/apron, we might go with something like this: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/259168153533655185/ Then the costume changes head from old-fashioned to modern.

Hi everyone - thank you for your thoughts! For the character piece, she wants to do Hermione Granger. I have a costume for her, but it looks very authentic to the movie, although we've shortened the pleated skirt to dance in. We were thinking of a small table - maybe the size of a collapsible tv table - with a small black cauldron on top. We've thought of more complicated options (like a cauldron with those silk "fire" lights inside), but might just use pantomime for that. The "story" is of Hermione making the Polyjuice Potion and accidentally turning herself into a cat by making an error with one of her ingredients. I'm still trying to think of a way to make cat ears grow out of her head, but we have time for that. ___________________ The national piece... this has been something I've been stewing over for a few months now. I'm Canadian, and my daughter is half-Canadian... why shouldn't she have the option of dancing to part of her own culture? Tricky thing is that Canada doesn't have one particular national song or dance. So we've done this medley... 30 seconds per song, and three different types of music and dance. Log Driver's Waltz (a song every Canadian knows), with an American Smooth waltz step (different than a standard waltz) Canadian Girls - a country song, with the Canadian Stomp line dance Hina Na Ho - a pop Inuit song, with an Inuit inspired dance Costuming... we were going to start with a dress/apron combination, but this hardly looks terribly specific or particularly Canadian so we're still researching. For the line dance, the skirt will be pulled away to leave black leggings underneath, and the top will be a blouse/waistcoat that will look very much like a typical line dance outfit. For the last dance, the top will come away to have a black tank top, with a white feather motif. *** I am in no way going to attempt an Inuit or First Nations costume, which would be considered highly offensive if anyone from Canada ever saw it. We are trying to go for respectful nod to First Nations culture being an important part of Canada, without trying to dress up like Indians and doing a Peter Pan inspired war dance It might break a lot of rules, but I'm almost at the stage where, why the heck not? It might liven things up a bit...

Hi all! After getting our feet wet with competitions this year, we're preparing for next year by adding to Daughter's dances. She currently has a Ballet and a Tap number, and we are adding a Character and a National. But I was curious about a few things, and if anyone had experience judging these or dancing in them, I'd be grateful for some guidance... 1) Is there any sort of limitations on props/costume for Character? 2) For National, I understand that popular dances are from Russia, Poland, Ireland, and lots of European countries. We are planning a dance medley from Canada - Canada doesn't have one particular national dance or song, so we are putting together something that encompasses 3 styles, which includes some convertible costumes. Are lyrics permitted for National? (I hope so, as we've picked songs with lyrics.... ) Do the judges typically study the forms of National dance ahead of time? i.e., will a judge be able to tell a good Russian step from a poorly executed one? What are the criteria? How about for costume? We are doing our best for authenticity, but will judges think, "oh, that doesn't look right..." Many thanks for putting up with my questions!

I work on a costume resale forum and was helping someone today looking for ballet shirts for boys for a competition. I was appalled to see how little is available! As I'm sure it will come up again, can the dance parents of boys tell me where they get their costumes, or does everything have to be bespoke? Many thanks x

UKA is actually UKA Dance (United Kingdom Association of Dance). https://ukadance.co.uk Our school is primarily Highland Dance, so I'm guessing that's why the RAD syllabus isn't adhered to. The UKA has their own ballet syllabus. I'll have to ask her teacher if the UKA has a character element. Most other skills seem to be covered by the syllabus... just some variations on order they are taught.

I see the skirts and shoes for sale all the time on the second-hand ballet costumes page on FB. None of the shoes look terribly used. We're UKA rather than RAD... I'm not sure if they have a character element later on (we're only up to grade 2).

Can I ask a stupid question? What are the ribbons on character skirts for? My daughter hasn't done character work yet, and I'm a bit puzzled by the ribboned skirts and the different shoes.

Got it! Congratulations to all the finalists! https://www.rad.org.uk/news/finalists-of-the-2017-genee-announced?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Genee_FinalistAnnouncement

I just heard from Ellis Derrick's FB page that Ellis made it into the finals!!!!!!!! Any other results?

I like this idea, DrDance - I'm just wondering how to find the right person, and is it overkill to get a physio for an 8 year old child who isn't injured? (not that I want her injured... I just don't want to be seen as an overbearing stage mother.)

Hello! My daughter keeps trying to contort herself into more and more extreme stretches but I get concerned about her pushing too hard or doing herself some damage. I asked another dance mum and she said she uses a flexibility app with her kids. Can anyone recommend anything she can use to ease into things safely? Thanks x

I've been following Ellis Derrick - give her a huge whoop from me!

I wouldn't go for anything huge... I doubt accommodation is all that big! I like the idea of a foot spa, plus maybe a picture (or a little album) of a favourite places from home?

I ran across this on Facebook this week and thought immediately of this thread. There's got to be a better way of moving to protect precious knees! (sorry that I can't find the video off FB yet)