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Viv

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  1. Viv

    Jet Glue

    Viv replied to Moneypenny's topic in Doing Dance

    After trying without success to buy jet glue/hot stuff glue/etc that ships to Aus without insane shipping costs, I have given up and bought normal superglue. I did a bit of research though, found a glue that was a cyanoacrylate liquid (not gel) for porous surfaces in a larger bottle with a long neck for easier application. It looks identical to the jet glue bottle with a different brand on the front and was under £3 from the local hardware store. I have just used it on my shoes this morning so can't confirm the effectiveness yet (also I've never glued by shoes before so I don't even know if I did it right), but if you are having difficulty sourcing glue then with some research you might find some that works just as well but without the added 'dance tax' that a lot of dance specific products seem to attract.
  2. Viv
    While there are adult dancers in my area, the whole notion of intensives and master classes are almost non-existent for those over 18. One company started up in 2015 to run a 2 day workshop specifically for adult dancers which has seen a lot of demand, so maybe that'll lead to further developments in that area. Another problem comes from the RAD staff in this area, who have openly told me they think it's weird that an adult is interested in syllabus at all. Maybe this new syllabus will change that idea If they start running rep workshops for kids I may try and argue my way in Good luck at bringing more workshops up North @sophie_rebecca Not to derail the conversation... If anyone is wondering what the Coppelia variation looks like, the choreography I remember from watching the girls at my studio last year looked similar to the first minute or so of this video
  3. Viv
    I may have let my teacher talk me into doing Grade 7 and Intermediate AND Advanced Foundation next year...so I think rep would be a bit much on top of that. I love the Coppelia variation in level 1 though! Ah well, maybe I'll get the opportunity eventually I do envy all you in the UK who get to do repertoire intensive workshops, that sort of thing doesn't really exist where I live.
  4. Viv
    Oopsies, my mistake! I've been watching the Intermediate Foundation DVD religiously for the last few months so I think that's what I was expecting. Hopefully I never witness a crime where I have to guess anyone's ages Maybe they were just all so talented I couldn't believe they were still students
  5. Viv
    I'm quite interested to see how this works out. My teacher trialled the program last year (not with me) but I don't believe she has plans on continuing with when it's formally released. I wouldn't mind giving it a go though, one of my favourite parts of syllabus classes is learning the dance! Quite interesting that the performers on the DVD are clearly adults, considering the usual syllabus DVD I was expecting children. Seems they are definitely directing this towards adult dancers!
  6. Viv
    I don't know if this is available to those of you in the UK, but the RAD Australia shop is now online and has some pretty cute stuff like journals and makeup brushes - https://royal-academy-of-dance-merchandise.myshopify.com/pages/gifts-accessories I particularly like the 'Stylish RAD Dance Bag'. I just wish there were more pictures, I never buy a bag I haven't seen the inside of.
  7. Viv
    @Cara in NZ I think she's trying to push us beyond the exam content for next year so when we start learning that we find it easy (the Intermediates are doing double pirouettes en pointe in their piece!). My teacher thinks there's a massive jump in pointework in AdvF that Inter doesn't really prepare you for so I think that's what is driving this. I'm a little worried about picking up bad habits because the music is so fast, sometimes it's tempting to bend my knee juuuuuuust a little to temps lie up... But eagle eyed teacher is quick to spot and call me out on it. I have noticed that I'm no longer as scared as I was of doing things on one leg so even if it beats the fear out of me then it'll be a good thing haha. Teacher has not yet decided whether we'll appear en pointe, she wants us to learn it that way but if by the concert our technique looks bad or it looks dangerous, she's taking us off and doing it in flats so we look our best.
  8. Viv
    @BalletRocks1 I'm afraid I can't help you too much with leotards because I have to wear a set uniform (designed for 12 year olds which pulls down at the front and up at the back...), but I'm sure one of the knowledgable people here will be able to help I know that Bloch have an entire collection dedicated to RAD exam wear so you may find something you like that's suitable on their website (I like their Pansi style, it's got wider straps but a nice high leg line and is very flattering, and it's fully lined which is good if you're going without a bra). Freed I believe are the 'official' uniform suppliers but I have heard that their leotards can be a bit difficult to fit, I've never worn one myself.
  9. Viv
    @Cara in NZ Sounds like it all went pretty well! Well, maybe not for your DD's exam partner If it makes any of them feel better, my exam partner dropped her scarf in the exercise for upper back and my character shoe came off in the mazurka, so I think that exam is bound to be a bit of a mess haha. I also made zero heel clicks, which was of course picked up by my teacher who was standing outside with her ear to the door But oh well, you can only do what you can do on the day, and the examiners understand that we're human and make mistakes and stand on scarves and forget things, particularly under pressure. I like to think of everything that went wrong, so when I get my marks I can go 'okay, I understand why I got that, that's fair' and just pretend I would have done amazingly well if the exam had gone perfectly Now onto preparing for the concert. The IF dance this year is en pointe and I'm very nervous about it... Don't see how doing three exercises in the exam entirely prepares us for a 3.5 minute dance including arabesques and chaines turns en pointe! But we have 9 more weeks to work on it so as long as I can avoid breaking an ankle before then, I'm sure it will be wonderful.
  10. Viv
    @Cara in NZ @sophie_rebecca Thanks so much I'll let you know when results are in, I'm thinking they'll be fairly similar as I was better in IF but it's harder to get the marks in vocational exams. So fingers crossed! And on the topic of dances, I actually hope I get to do variation 2 for intermediate, it's so much fun and I love the story behind it. My teacher today said 'congratulations on completing your first vocational exam, you're officially an intermediate'. That made it sink in a bit! Guess class tomorrow means back to work! Actually, it was a toss up for me between doing classical or free movement. They were both about equal but I felt more comfortable with the classical (the jumps that change direction at the end of free movement mess with my brain). 50% of the grade 6s did free movement this year at my studio
  11. Viv
    @Cara in NZ I did classical for both of mine as well. Teacher said she was glad I learned Variation 2 for this because it helped loosen me up (I tend to be quite stiff when I dance), but the style didn't suit me. I didn't learn the character dance for grade 6 (in fact, we only started learning the character exercises in July!) so can't comment on that, but since I hate character I would probably have done classical anyway haha.
  12. Viv
    Just finished IF exam! It went well (mostly). Not the best I've ever done but I was on my leg in adage and most of my turns came off, which is all I ever ask for haha. I did blank out the pirouette en dehor and instead of doing the grand battements on the second leg I did another set of tendus to the front and side so...oops! I still did the right number of turns and I releved on the music so I'm hoping that mistake doesn't cost me too badly Back on the first page, I remember asking if the free enchainments my teacher gave were harder than average or about what you'd get in the exam. In case there's anyone lurking on this thread who is wondering the same thing, this is the free enchainment the examiner gave us. As @sophie_rebecca said, it's set by the examiner on the day and will feature one of three focal steps (jete, assemble and sissone ferme) in a combination joined by a series of linking steps (not sure what they all are but include changement battu, glissade, releve, etc). My enchainment was this: Music was 4/4 with a 4 count introduction. Start croisse, left leg in front. For the introduction stand still on 1 and 2, raise your arms to 5th on 3 and then to 2nd on 4. On counts 1, 2, 3, three sissone ferme in a row (over, under, over) with arms changing on each one (3rd, demi bras, 3rd), then stretch and bend on counts 'and 4'. On count 5, extend the back leg to second en fondue, then pas de bouree under 'and a 6' to face corner six. On count 7, changement with arms to 5th, changing your alignment to face corner five. Repeat on the other side. Then do it all again on both sides! Now just the long wait for results...
  13. Viv
    So grade 6 was this morning. It went pretty...badly haha. I got something wrong in every exercise, forgot part of the port de bras, started the petit allegro on the wrong foot, had my character shoe come off during the mazurka. But oh well, will just have lowered the examiners expectations for tomorrow! Had class for IF tonight so that work is back in my head, though my balance was completely off Hopefully tomorrow is a new day, and despite being exhausted and sore I'll be able to pull it off. And I'll keep all shoes on my feet this time!
  14. Viv
    Thanks so much everyone I'll be sure to check back in next week to tell you how it all went (and to type out the free enchainment to help out people who are taking this next).
  15. Viv
    @Cara in NZ My studio used to do vocationals in July and grades in October but this year we're mixing it up. Every exam is being held over a three day period, which means some girls are actually doing three RAD exams in one session (I know a girl doing grade 6, Intermediate and Advanced Foundation - nightmare!) Luckily our chiffon skirts have an elasticated waistband , though I've noticed mine is starting to rip... The biggest problem has been the scarves, which were only available to purchase 2 weeks ago! Most of the girls in my class have had 3 classes with an actual scarf and they're quite tricky to use. But ballet it meant to keep us on our toes
  16. Viv
    Try GMs for £115! £65 is for regular old bloch, of which we have only half the styles available elsewhere. But I've ranted about this before... Might just have to save up all my experimenting till I can get over to the UK, then take an extra suitcase just to fill with half price pointe shoes! I have Grade 6 on the 10th and IF on the 11th. I haven't enjoyed grade 6 as much as I thought I would. I think it was because my regular teacher didn't take this class, we had a new teacher who doesn't know the syllabus well, so we spent every class learning the same exercise 4 different ways because she kept changing her mind... Not sure what's happening next year with grade 7 but hopefully it'll be good Good luck to your DD for the 17th!
  17. Viv
    That's interesting, I'm the opposite! I have horrible feet in flat shoes, but when I go up en pointe I normally get shocked expressions and 'you look so nice en pointe!' which I choose to take as a compliment... I've always assumed it's because I don't have the strength to make my flat feet look slightly less flat without the shoe to push against, but maybe not? It's my left that is the bad one too though As for experimenting, I know how you feel At £65 a pair and limited styles sold locally, experimenting to find the right shoe (or any shoe that is at all suitable) is almost as hard as mastering the darn things when you do get them! Officially 1 week until my exam! Getting so nervous now.
  18. Viv
    @balletgremlin I think, like a great many things in ballet, you just have to resign yourself to sucking for a bit hahaha. You're training your body to move in an unnatural way, to do things we were never meant to do. I get the frustration, honestly I do, because my pointe work is the worst in the class. What I have to remind myself is that there's no use comparing yourself to anyone else. We all come into ballet with our own bodies, our own strength and flexibility issues. Perhaps you can't get over your boxes (yet!) but maybe you're really strong in your core. Maybe you've got that effortless upper body quality that disguises the feet working frantically below. Maybe the women you see around you who seem to have taken to pointe work quickly have done it before, or have been dancing longer than you, or have been doing pre-pointe longer. Or maybe they don't struggle to get over but have issues controlling their arms en pointe. Or remembering to plie, or point their feet in between movements. As humans, and particularly as adult dancers, we normally only focus on the things we're doing badly and see everyone else doing well. It's harder to recognise what you're doing well at that others might be struggling with, because you find that bit easy so why pay attention to it? At the end of the day, think about when you first started ballet, you were a month into classes. Did you suck? Probably! We all do! Knowledge and skill is what you aim to have coming out of class, not going in. Give yourself a break, keep doing your strengthening exercises, and stop thinking in terms of day or weeks. It took me 2 months for my shoes to break in enough to even start getting over my boxes. If you want a booster, video yourself now and again in 6 months and then you'll start to recognise how far you've come. @The_Red_Shoes Intermediate is lovely, isn't it? I've only done a few classes when I couldn't make my regular IF class, but the port de bras and variation 1 are so luxurious. It's hard though! Especially the allegro 2.
  19. Viv
    @JCS How exciting! Congratulations When will your exam be? I have an exam preparation workshop this week so I'll be able to see exactly how far I can push it. But I'm sure in the exam the adrenaline will hit and it'll be fine! @balletgremlin I started pointe for the first time as an adult in February this year and unfortunately I'm still pretty crap... A bad fitting with my first pair of shoes didn't help, but a lack of flexibility in my ankles and serious weak toes have contributed to what is, quite frankly, awful pointe work haha. But I'm only 8 months in so I've come to terms with being crap, and we're doing a pointe piece in the end of year concert so I'll have a chance to work on it for the next few months. Though occassionally I do look back on my first few weeks en pointe where I thought I might as well give up to now, and realise I'm probably doing better than I thought Are you already en pointe, or have you been given exercises to strengthen you pre-pointe? If the former, how long have you been doing it?
  20. Viv
    @JCS Even waiting till after Christmas isn't that long now! At least you're getting back to doing things full out now, the exam will be on you before you know it I'm sure I have had no alleviation in back pain after two weeks rest, so I'm booked into the GP to discuss pain relief and anti-inflammatories. With the exam in one week now (ahhhhhhhhh!) I need to start going full out again in classes this week. My physio has said dancing won't make the injury worse, it'll just hurt a bunch, but I'll go back to rest after the exam. Just want it to be over, excited to start learning something new again
  21. Viv
    Injuries! I feel like they've plagued my year. I'm at that odd stage of injury where it normally doesn't hurt while I'm dancing and then is crippling when I stop, which makes it difficult to know where to ease off. And with only 2 weeks to go I've already been entered for both my exams and as the physio hasn't said to stop it's just trying to manage the pain and get through the exam. My exam partner is also injured but unfortunately to the extent that she's had to pull out I'm sorry that you've had to sit out for so long but fingers crossed you get the go ahead this afternoon! Please let us know, it's nice to think there are a few of us going through this thing together
  22. Viv
    @JCS How are you going in preparing for your exam? Does it look like you'll be going ahead in November or December? My exam is now 2.5 weeks away, though because of school holidays that translates to only 4 classes! And I have injured a nerve in my back so I am struggling to do any of the set work at the moment It's very disheartening to know you've been preparing all year for something and then a last minute injury can put you right off! I think I'll just be happy when the exam is finally over haha
  23. Viv
    I despise character, because I'm terrible at it, but I still see the value in it. From Grade 6 onwards they start giving you character dances they are specifically tailored to scenes from classic ballet productions (which they tell you about on the DVD). Even paquita has a number of traditional polish(?) steps, just done in pointe shoes, so a familiarity with the moves can be beneficial. Of course, since by the time you get to doing these productions you've probably done enough dance to pick up very quickly, learning character from a young age isn't essential. But it also gives a break from the purely classical elements, encourages some fun twirling around in long skirts, trains different muscles to classical ballet and also gives an introduction to a range of musical time signatures and styles from an early age (e.g. mazurka, polka, polanaise). There are also certain parts of the dances where the dancer contributes rhythmically by clapping, stamping, clicking and some people find they perform better in character because the toes don't have to be as pointed and some is done in parallel. Some teachers also take the opportunity to teach a bit of dance history, for example my teacher explains that the arms in a character balancé can't come as far across the body because the shirts originally worn for this dance style were much stiffer. So I will continue to despise character and see my teacher physically wince when I try it, while still valuing the skills it's training.
  24. Viv
    Instagram, though that might just be my age bracket. Apart from this place, it's the only way I connect with the online dance community and you could continually share snippets of content to try and value-add or entice new people to donate. If you're already connected to one of the big dancewear brands, having them promote the project on social media is a cheap way to attract more people to both the brand and to your project. It's also built in marketing for when the film is funded and heading out to audiences. You could also consider teaming up with them to have a giveaway or competition which will get all those instateens with the massive numbers of followers involved. Or a lot of the dancewear brands already have insta 'ambassadors' so getting them to make a passionate plea may drum up some grassroots support. Sounds like you have the perfect setup for crowdfunding already, and social media/instagram/etc aren't as confined by geographical boundaries as other forms of print media, widening your pool of potential donors.
  25. Viv
    I have to confess, I made my mum sew mine on last year when I couldn't justify the expense of a new character skirt just before the uniform was due to change. I asked her for advice and while I don't have a clue what any of this means, she said to use 'silk bias binding' rather than 'natural ribbon'. Her technique was to use a marker to mark the line of the skirt where you want the ribbon to go, then pin the ribbon to the line and hack away at it with your sewing machine. And be aware that the ribbons stretch so make sure to pull the material and ribbon equally taught (I think by this she means "don't pull the ribbon tighter than the skirt or the material will bunch" but not really sure). My pro-tip is that the shop bought skirts at my school have only sewed the top edge of the ribbons and left the bottom edge free, so don't feel the need to sew the ribbon down on both edges.
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