EmilyR

A simple question I can't find an answer to: Should I put suede toe protectors on demi-pointe shoes?

I darn the end of my pointe shoes but this is my first pair of demi-pointe/soft blocks and I wasn't sure whether I should glue a set of suede toe end protectors on to them just to make them last longer. 

Thanks

23 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

Hello Emily, I've added a tag of tights to the top of the thread.  If you click on that lots of other threads that may have useful information in them come up.  Otherwise I am sure members will chip in with advice.

Thanks!

1 hour ago, Sheila Beelam said:

Thank you  The distributor has stopped supplying them to the UK as they say it’s no longer economically viable

HOWEVER after some pleading, they have put an order in just for us  Should be here in a few weeks - keep an eye on our social media, or if you go on the tights on our website, you can sign up for an email notification when they come back in to stock x

Ooooh great! I'll keep an eye on your website for them coming in

2 hours ago, DeveloppeD said:

I like Bloch tights. I find them more comfortable than Silky

Thanks, I'll take a look at these as Bloch products are easy to get hold of

I've been wearing Silky convertible tights for a while because they are a nice fit. Although the seam are sewn flat the front seam goes wavy (like old fashioned sear sucker?? fabric). Can anyone recommend another make of tights which might stay flat and won't show through underneath my leotard.  Thanks

23 minutes ago, Dance*is*life said:

I used to teach spotting as leaving the head behind as long as possible and then whipping it round - then I realised that that actually wasn't how I myself spot!   First of all don't choose a small focus point but rather more of a direction.  For example I might tell my students to focus on the piano or the fire door!   Then don't leave your head behind for more than an 8th of the turn, almost immediately bring it round to the other side - it keeps you straighter on balance. For a double you just have to do the head movement again.  Since I started teaching it this way I find my students have become better turners, so maybe it will help you!

Thanks, this is really helpful and fits with how I'm doing with Valentina's suggestion. I am looking to a point and thinking about my nose pointing to it rather than 'seeing' it, and then as I turn my head I am turning my nose back to the start point. I've even practised it with my eyes closed so I feel the direction of the nose. Your recommendation to turn the head after 8th of the turn seems far more achievable and is probably more like what I do when my turn goes better. If you can elaborate any more about your technique that would be great but how you have described it is very clear. Thank you. 

I'm working towards RAD Intermediate Foundation and it's the turns I need to get sorted - just getting round is not enough, they need to be technically ok. 

Am I right in thinking the RAD give exam marks for the spotting technique? 

12 hours ago, valentina said:

Yes. You’ve described your problem really well, thks. You probably need to go back to basics though and do a really simple exercise ( which I will attempt to describe) just perfecting your head, before you are ready to do pirouette!

Keep your feet in parallel and shuffle ( or releve)a quarter turn to face R side, keeping your nose to the front. Ideally, your head should be completely straight and not tilted ( inclined). Mirror handy!  Stay in parallel keeping your nose to the audience. Now, leaving your head there as long as you can, shuffle the feet round the rest of the turn, bringing your nose round v. quickly to the front - almost quicker and ahead of your shoulders to create that flick. Feet and shoulders  take time to catch up the head. Start v. slow and finish each turn with hips and shoulders and feet front before starting the next turn. Remember to do equal L and right. Or maybe more to left as most people seem to struggle with it. It takes lots of practice. Try to keep your head straight when you leave it behind, and as it flicks round, as tilted heads pull you off balance. You can then add a little low releve for the 3/4 turn staying parallel and not worrying about the legs at all, and finishing front demi plié parallel. You need to imagine your head like the ‘Churchill nodding dog’  completely free from tension but maybe not so much nodding and more whipping!

Thank you for this clear tutorial. I will start practising this today and do it each day for a month and see what happens. I am a great believer in trying things each day for a period of time. I usually find it makes a big difference - even if I don't think it will when i start. I would rather learn to spot properly than just get by with poor or no spotting, as I'm not likely to progress if I can't get the foundations right. 'Project Spotting' starts today and I'll keep you updated.

11 minutes ago, trog said:

Here's a radical idea - don't spot! Ice skaters don't; they turn too fast. I have no idea as to why they don't get dizzy. Maybe they do and just shake it off.

 

I'm the worlds worst spotter. I've tried not spotting and it doesn't help me but spotting doesn't help either.

Yes, that is one option... !

i'll persist with trying to learn to spot better, but if all else fails, maybe I'll work on being a successful non-spotter??

17 hours ago, valentina said:

Thanks for explaining. Yes, sounds like you’re hearing the tendons in your neck, moving with the motion. Mine do too, whether I’m totally relaxed or not, although I suspect I’m a lot older than you and more creaky! It is a weird noise but I think you need to get used to it by just turning your head your head from side to side (don’t overdo it) If you can get your brain used to the fact it’s normal and ok then some tension may release and your head will then be free.

Do you mind saying how your spotting, or lack of it, is affecting your turns? Is it better in turns en diagonale? Or Pirouettes? Have your teachers told you there is an issue? Do you just need to improve your turns? Or are you falling out of them? Just trying to work out what might help.

Hi Valentina, if I get the set up of the pirouette (or turn) correct, and maintain the position, then I can do a single turn with reasonable form though there is plenty of room for improvement. I  have never tried doing a double turn but I should - if only to see what happens.

I have two main teachers - one says I very rarely spot with my head and wants me to whip it round in what feels like a very fast and uncomfortable turn.She wants me to feel like I'm hitting my face with my ponytail. My other teacher says when I try to do this it's far too fast for the speed of the turn required - and when I slow it down it does feel more achievable.  On no occasion do I get dizzy with a single turn, multiple chaines make me a bit at sea but I think this is not uncommon (especially for older adults like me).

At a recent workshop the teacher talked about spotting with your knee and nose. I can't recall the full instruction but the concept of spotting with my nose rather than my eyes seems easier to understand and it gets over the issue of waiting for my eyes to refocus. If I understood her correctly, I should look to keep my nose in the line of the spot and then turn my head to take my nose back to the start position. Does this make any sense? x 

36 minutes ago, glissade said:

EmilyR - at time of writing, your post has apparently had 247 views .... I'm guessing that means that 247 people have been sitting there turning their head from side to side to see if they can hear a creaking sound!! (Or perhaps I'm the only one 🙄).

 

Sorry - I have nothing helpful to add - the mental image of so many people across the UK turning their heads at the same time was just amusing!

   I bet loads of people are now saying "yay! I hear it too and it's horrid" 

2 hours ago, valentina said:

Can you possibly explain further the ‘creaky’ feeling in your ears? I’ve never heard anyone describe this before when doing turns,  so am intrigued. For sure, if something like that is bothering you then the tension will set in and freedom of the head/ neck/ area will be constrained. Spotting will be impossible. 

I know it sounds really weird! if you turn your head to the side quite quickly do you hear a creaking in your ears? - like you can hear your neck/spine moving? If I tense then wriggle my jaw I can hear the same sound. When I try to whip my head this is what I hear. It may be tension in my neck which causes it.

I feel like I could write a book on the whys and wherefores of spotting from the wonderful tuition and visualisations several very well respected teachers have given me.... but I still can't spot!!!!!! 

After much analysis and probably a bit of overthinking it, I feel I have two main shortcomings:

1) I actually can't see the spot point very well in the first place and then the whole of my vision becomes rather a blur until after the turn.

2) I REALLY hate the creaky feeling spotting gives me in my ears so I think I hold my head stiff to avoid this.

AAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!

Any suggestions will be gratefully received

12 hours ago, Farawaydancer said:

 

We’ve found the same problem with the SD16 but can’t find any more hardwearing ones that they love as much. 

I should have kept a log of how many hours I got out of them. I'll perhaps do that for this next pair. 

**UPADTE**

i am still loving my So Danca SD16 shoes and the Silky tights BUT my shoes have worn through on the end of the big toe on the left foot. I've ordered some more but did wonder if going through a pair of canvas shoes a month is normal??

Also - I bought some toe sepatators which I've worn for a little while each day. My toes feel much less old aged and bunched together  

35 minutes ago, Moomin said:

Did you manage to try some non stretch shoes as well?

I tried the Sansha Pro Split Sole but there were huge around my whole foot, and the Bloch Pro Elastic which fitted across the top of the foot but there was a lot of spare fabric down the side of my toes. I think I'm a bit fussy and I have funny toes because I have broken several of them more than once (not dance related). Canvas with a bit of stretch seems to fit them nicely  and I'm discovering that the thinner the fabric the more I can feel the floor. Does that help you at all?

Here's an updated on my trials of shoes, tights and modification of tights....

I tried hooking my convertible tights over my toes but leaving my big toe free. It was ok but the fabric between my big toe and first to got a bit gathered and became slightly uncomfortable but not painful.

I tried a C fitting of the Bloch Zenith but they worked their way down my heel and finally slid off totally half way through class!!!

I've tried several different pair of tights - makes sometimes unknown as I borrowed some of them - and have found I like the Silky convertibles best however they laddered on their second wear. reviews say they ladder easily and if that's the case they could be a costly option??

I tried the Capezio Hanami and So Danca SD16 shoes, settling for the SD16  in a medium (C) Fitting and so far these, combined with may beautifully laddered Silky tights, have given me an excellent toe to floor connection. The fabric of the SD16 is quite fine so I don't know how hard wearing they will be but hey! - that could be the price I have to pay for liking how they feel.  

3 hours ago, The_Red_Shoes said:

I find that if my tights are of the very strongly elasticated kind they squash my toes together and then I can't spread them to give a wider platform for balance.

So do you have a brand of tights you like best?

3 hours ago, Loulou said:

My dd is at a vocational school and a lot of them wear convertible tights, but roll them up to the ankle, never actually asked her why ?! Would you be able to do this ? 

 

Like this 

Thanks for the suggestion and photo. This style is ok for my open classes but we have to wear full tights for the syllabus classes.

3 hours ago, invisiblecircus said:

How is your balance in pointe shoes?

My balance is generally fine, it's just the lack of connection with the floor.

2 hours ago, invisiblecircus said:

I was just thinking the same! I never had a problem with balance and footed tights, but I always preferred dancing with flats over bare feet and never really thought about it being about feeling the floor more easily.

Having given it a bit more thought, do you always wear the same brand of tights and shoes, @EmilyR? If so, maybe there is a brand of tights out there that's less slippery or shoes that have a different lining. Also, check the fit of your shoes. Maybe they're too wide and your foot is slipping about inside them.

I went through about 10 different makes/styles of shoe before getting to the pair I have now. Despite them all being the correct fit they just didn't feel right. I now dance in Bloch Zenith and buy the narrow fit. I don't have particularly narrow feet but they just fit me perfectly. I did try the medium width once with and although they weren't too big they just made my feet feel out of control. Interestingly I wear a two X in their pointe shoes which is also quite narrow and they are a dream to wear.

I have a few makes of tights I'll see if one pair feels more slippy than the other.... thanks for this suggestion. 

On 28/02/2019 at 07:24, invisiblecircus said:

Could it be that your tights are too… tight? Maybe you could try a larger size so that they're not pulled so tightly over your foot.

As a temporary fix I hooked the tights over my toes and stuck my big toe out through the hole in the sole. I was certainly an improvement!!

22 hours ago, Kate_N said:

Have a look at Olivia Cowley's Ballet Style Instagram & website. She has a few posts on how she modifies her tights so that her toes are bare, so she can feel the floor through her shoes.

Thanks for this suggestion. If you find a link to any of her posts could you send it to me please. I have looked everywhere for one but without success!!!!

2 minutes ago, taxi4ballet said:

You can get stirrup ballet tights, Move Dancewear do them, and probably other suppliers as well.

Thanks!

Do you know if they cover the full top of the foot so it looks like you have tights on?

When I dance in my canvas split sole shoes and don't wear tights my balance is fine, however when I  wear tights (convertible) with the same shoes my balance is terrible. It feels like I have lost the connection with the floor - and my toes get freezing cold!. I have to wear tights for two of my classes so I don't have any option to go barefoot.

Has anyone experienced the asme problem? can you offer any suggestions to solve this issue?