LoobyLou

Agreed. Try a range for starters. I always had Freed and am a big fan so for my daughter we started trying those but turns out she has "Grishko feet" - like your daughter Noobag! Grishkos are great for really narrow, bendy feet.

Noobag - funny, I read your post at the top of this thread ???? and was going to suggest you try Grishkos for narrow feet...then realised you posted that last year and that you'd probably be sorted by now ????

I didn't know you could do that! Thanks shygirlsmum ????

My tricks for the arabesque monster photo....

Start in first position

Prepare the arms

Get someone to hold their hand

Use tummy muscles

Then slowly keeping everything still take the leg back to arabesque remembering big toe on the floor

When they are balanced let go of hand and take multiple photos AS FAST AS YOU CAN until they fall over

 

Its so so hard!

Thanks Bluebird, I'll give this a go. As princessballerina says, it's so difficult for them if they've never done it before, too many things to remember all at once!

Thanks princessballerina. That arabesque pose is giving us the same problems for the same reason - she is grade 1 too. Is that a lack of strength or balance thing, or just because they haven't come across it yet in class? Will try the chair trick!

I echo what others have said above. Things happen for a reason.

I didn't get first choice Uni, but absolutely loved where I ended up and had four fantastic years there and made lifelong friends (and got 1st class degree which arguably I might never have got if I'd sailed into my first choice without the initial shock and upset of not making it).

And DD1 ended up at local comp, not grammar (for travel reasons), but is loving it there. Facilities are great and she has had so much more dance and drama opportunities there than she would have elsewhere. So never despair ???? X

Depends how much of a 'ballet eye' you have - last year I rashly decided to do my DDs and by photo 3 was inwardly cursing trying to get the poses look right! This year her ballet teacher is doing them

Well...I thought I had a good 'ballet eye' but these photos are testing me. I think I've done a good job until I look at them and see arms/hands/feet all in the wrong places! By photos 5 & 6 DD has got bored and won't stand still and pulls silly faces ???? - am beginning to understand why teachers do them. Problem is teacher really busy and stressed out with approaching exams so any advice gratefully appreciated (especially for photo 6!) x

I noticed someone up thread talking about "araldite (super glue)". It's not the same thing. Superglue or any of the many knockoffs are all the same chemical, cyanoacrylate. The great thing about it is that it sets very quick on contact with the air. You won't have a second chance to adjust.

 

Araldite is two different chemicals, that you mix immediately before you apply them. The setting happens as a result of the reaction between them. So does a nasty pong that tells you that you mixed them thoroughly. It takes several hours to finish setting, and you'll have some opportunity to fiddle before you're committed. Once done, though, it will outlive the shoes and probably you. Scrape the bits you don't want off with a very sharp blade.

I used Araldite superglue (its name). Easy, rapid bonding, no time for messing, no smell.

Other araldite products do smell.

And any other brand of superglue would work just as well, just always gone for araldite as my Dad always used it (in fact this was my Dad's tube ????).

Proballetdancer: "Most likely though, the very successful brain surgeon will cut off all contact with her parents because they destroyed her childhood dream of becoming a ballerina."

????So true! I was so cross with my mum for telling me in my late teens that she'd made the decision not to let me audition for WL. My teacher had wanted to send me, had begged her to send me, but mum told her there was no way I'd go off to boarding school, that she had to drag me in fact into my tiny primary school every morning crying my eyes out not wanting to go! It was true of course and now I understand but at the time I was mad!!!

The problem with fabric glue is that it can come unstuck, especially if it gets warmed up, so teacher advised against that as it could cause a nasty injury if comes off while dancing ????????

Hi, we've just done it! I was a bit scared taking glue anywhere near those beautiful satin shoes but teacher is very strict - no tips no dancing. Spent a lot of time reading about rubbish glues that didn't work, then went with the proper stuff...

We used araldite (superglue), it was easy and worked brilliantly. Quick drying too so no holding in place for ages. The only thing you have to watch is making sure you get them positioned right first time - once that glue hits the shoe there is no re-positioning!! I got my husband to hold the shoe firmly upright, glued the suede tips then stuck to shoe starting at the leather sole (matching where I'd cut the tips to the sole) and folding round the top of the box. Job done and it was easier than I thought. They look fab too ????

While reading through this thread, it makes me realise how much I appreciate our local dance shop. Yes, I know that items can often be purchased cheaper from other non-dance shops, or even very large dance shops online.

 

However, I really feel strongly that I should continue to support our local shop, as it's existence is increasingly threatened by online shopping amongst other things. I have always sought guidance from the shop owner, right from the early days in 'Help! How do I make a bun?' through to questions about our DD's vocational training, many miles away. My knowledge of ballet has only increased slightly over the years, so I know our local shop will always have my support. It is also nice to keep the owner updated with what our DD is doing in her training. After all, they have watched her progress over 13 years and do take a real interest in what she is doing.

 

While items may be more expensive bought locally, I look upon it as an added opportunity to post them to our DD along with a few other 'goodies' so she has a parcel to look forward to. And, as it happens, my last parcel to her did contain toe pads too!

So true. Our local dance shop closed last summer (online shoppers ????) and I miss it so much. Always used them, the owner fitted my daughter's shoes since she was 3 and knew her feet - I was absolutely gutted that they closed the term she needed pointe shoe fitting ????. The next nearest dance shop is 65 miles away! I really dislike this move to online shopping (who does that for ballet shoes??!!) as there will soon be no such thing as specialist advice.

Which is why if you read the rest of the sentence I go onto say "and even more on personal observations....."

The narrative in reports is generally more valuable that the statistics, but that does not mean a huge amount given that performance statistics on such small sample numbers are almost entirely meaningless. Saying x>y does not imply that x is large, merely that it is larger than y.

Pups_mum is absolutely right - do not be swayed by meaningless statistics. All the school websites, vocational or not, have details on academic courses offered, at GCSE and A level. From my hunting around, it seems vocational courses offer less choice and limited number of GCSEs offered, some only 7-9, whereas at a larger state school the options to do more, 12-14, are typical and with wider choice. I guess it really comes down to how much your dc wants a vocational training and dance career.

You can buy them in Boots or most good chemists, don't have to get them from specialist dance shops/sites ????

Thanks both, a lot is probably also down to the fact that dc are more likely to stand still for the teacher and do what they're told!!! I'll have a go and see what happens...

Yes, you don't want to upset a ballet teacher! Was planning just to take them at home - is that what most people do or do teachers do them in studio?

Thanks Princessballerina. Do they have to be done by the teacher? Wanted to sneak in to earlybird registration, if I wait for teacher I don't think she'll want to pay the extra £10!!! ????

A quick question on the photographs - in pic 3 is that demi-plié facing front? Looks slightly side on to me but maybe that's either their graphics or my eyes!!! ????

To all those trying for yr 7 places, can I ask what grades your dc were at when they auditioned? Especially those who only started ballet fairly recently.

Hi Pixie, the nearest to you would be Birmingham, not so very near!

Hi Flowerpot, I think they hold classes in Birmingham, Manchester, Sunderland and Plymouth. Not sure if they've added any other locations since I last investigated.

Another quick question - how many children audition each year roughly?

We worry about it more than the kids ????

...and then of course there is the beautiful dancer at vocational school that has suddenly got an entirely different body at 15/16 and is out...performing arts as you say takes no prisoners!!!

In a similar position to you Princessballerina. DD2 wants to try but has not got the long limbs and short back physique, quite the opposite!

It's frustrating because DD1 has always had the longest legs, short back, long neck etc but didn't want to do it (audition for extra classes that is, even though she loves dance) and DD2 who has more strength, flexibility, musicality etc etc does not have the same physique.

On the live q&a RBS did recently they said at JA level they weren't so fussed on shape as it can change so much later on but do they in reality select the long-limbed over others?

Fairy liquid (or similar) will do the trick, especially if it's greasy. It's the gentlest way and least harmful so good to try before getting harsher things on the material.

Thanks everyone! Really helpful x