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Opinions wanted!


Sheila Beelam

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Hi Sheilabee, good luck with your fantastic new venture :)

 

It would be great if you could stock 'grown-up' leotards for the petite teenage dancer - my dd is 15 and very small indeed (still fits aged 10-12), she gets so fed up of everything being far too big in the adult section and too childish a cut, material and style in the children's section.

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Thanks taxi4ballet will look into Dance line tights :)

 

Thanks also Klaris - what sort of thing are you thinking about - the fancy back leos, mesh inserts, lace panels?

 

Also, colours? 99% of the dancers I know just want black....

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The great think about wear moi is the vast array of colours and being able to choose a top in one colour and a bottom in another for a unitard. Also as i said they will make to measure a bit.

 

Danz eze is great for dance belts and we always used sansha shoes.

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I would like to be able to buy pointe shoe ribbon in bigger amounts than one pair of shoes worth but not a whole roll. Or maybe if you sell whole rolls send out free samples so people can see the quality before buying.I recently spent a ridiculous amount on a whole roll of ribbon from a reputable on line seller and it's rubbish so has been relegated to the arts and craft box.That has put me off buying a whole roll again but buying individual ribbons costs a lot over times, especially with postage. (I feel guilty when I read about Anjuli recycling her ribbons but I'm just not that good!)

Same goes for invisible elastic. The amount that comes in a strip is too much for 2 of my DD's shoes but not enough for 3 so I'd like to be able to buy that by the metre or something.

And I'd really love to be able to buy Grishko flat shoes. They seem really hard to come by here and they are my daughter's favourites. I can get her canvas ones for class but she needs some satin for a forthcoming exam and I can't find them anywhere in this country.

But most of all, if you could just stock some magic hairpins that appear when you whistle for them and don't jam the hoover everytime they "accidentally" get left on the floor then I promise to never, ever shop anywhere else again! ;)

Good luck with the venture, I think it's a brilliant idea.

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Hi Pups-mum

Ribbon by the metre is a great idea - I have done the same thing as you and I also have a reel of ribbon from several years ago that is crispy and nasty in texture and has also been sitting in our craft cupboard! I've ordered both pointe shoe ribbon, narrow elastic and invisible elastic by the reel (I can assure you of the quality of this one, samples will be available!) Iwas going to sell it in shoe "bundles" but as everyone's needs are different, I thing selling it be the metre or even half metre is what we'll do!

 

Grishko, unfortunately will not stock me with shoes until I have a high street shop - hopefully this will happen by the end of the year. They will supply clothing, so reviewing those at the moment.

 

As for hairpins, we're doing the Bunheads range and also putting together a "bun pot" or "bun bag" - with bun ring, pins, grips and nets inside - people can chose from a screw top tub or small drawstring bag. Personally, I know that pins will always end up at the bottom of the bag - either ballet of hoover bag, but at least if there is a specific container, there's a chance!

 

...maybe I should magnetise the bag or pot!!!!

 

Thanks for your good wishes :)

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The Grishko pointe fitting course is excellent - though it is aimed at potential stockists, I went along out of interest when I was preparing to take my ballet teaching exams.

I learnt a lot which has helped me in both selecting my own shoes and advising students too.

There is a whole section on foot anatomy and development before having a practical session on fitting shoes with volunteers from the audience (I volunteered!). There is discussion of different shoe styles for different foot types, as well as solutions such as toe spacers and padding for more difficult feet.

Would definitely reccommend this course if you were thinking of selling pointes - it has lots to offer not just for Grishkos.

 

My absolute favourite leo, the first one I bought when I went back to ballet, is a Grishko! So yes please do stock these as I would be interested in trying more styles - they are not easy to find!

 

RK

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Yes sheilabee boys clothes. My son used to use the sansha ones (dance belts) but found they weren't so great for tall thin lads.We found Danz Eze padded very good. Same with Wear Moi. I could even ring up and chat to the lady. The unitards I ordered through our dance shop and the catalogue lets you choose so much variety. shoes again were Sansha though i think he then moved to Freed.

 

Jazz pants were a constant battle. simply not long enough. Bloch were good at one time then we went back up to get more and they no longer did them.

 

good luck with your venture.

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Thanks RK & taxi4ballet, would love to go on a pointe shoe course - I've been very lucky with feet and pointe shoes, never had any problems at all, but I see so many girls suffer in class... :( when we find premises I'll deifinitely investigate this - in the meantime I'm still waiting for Grishko rep to get back to me!

 

Aileen I have read the beginning of the thread, will go and check the updates!

 

Julie, can I ask what age your DS is? For the jazz pants are boy's the same as girl's? Forgive my ignorance but I just have a DD! I assume a stretch Lycra (non shiny?) Flared? Straight legged? v front? how about selling them in normal, long or short? I'm tall, so mine are always too short and my hubby has very short legs so it's a good job he's never wanted to wear jazz pants :D

 

Thanks again, you guys have been amazing! I can't say how much I appreciate your input!!

Sx

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Martin is now 22. The problem was getting different lengths. He has very long legs! Just as he was moving to a professional company our local shop thought they might have found a supplier. Wear Moi did do some but not quite sure why he did not like those.

 

Jazz came flared or slightly straighter. Martin did not like the ones with elasticated bottoms but think there were some. Often they were unisex.Think for quite a while we always got RAD tights. So much is preference as to what waistband they like etc.

 

But above all for us was getting them long enough.

 

Sorry can't be more help. Next time I talk to him i'll ask him what he does now! He is in Munich now.

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Thanks Julie and so lovely to hear your son is dancing and living his dream! So much of the discussions here are about children/teenagers struggling with exams and auditions, so great to hear of somebody making it to the "other side"

 

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Jazz pants and for that matter tights would be great if available in different lengths. My DD is slender with a short body and very long legs and it is a constant battle to find jazz pants and tights which are long enough whilst not ludicrously large around the waist, hips and bum.

 

(Also - although not a ballet issue! - it's a nightmare to find jeans that fit properly (does anyone know whether Gap still do their Long and Lean range, by the way? They weren't perfect but much closer than any other brand she has tried), so any recommendations would be gratefully received!)

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Hi Sheilabee,

 

Re grown up leotards for petite teenage dancers: the sort of thing my dd likes is black, high cut legs, non-shiny material, pretty straps, perhaps cut-out in back, perhaps some detailing (though nothing too fancy) - and enough chest support so she feels contained.

 

We managed to find a lovely Bloch one recently (from Porselli shop) black, with silver and diamante trim and back cut-out with strap across - the size just says 12, so assume this is age as it fits perfectly in the body. Hope this helps with ideas!

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Boys Boys Boys

So hard to find enough choice for boys particularly tights and leotards. Also ballet socks - long, cotton mix - suitable for big feet ( age 12 and already size 10 ). Dance belts and jazz pants as already mentioned

Boys accessories - warm up/practice clothes, bags that don't have pink ballet slippers or pointe shoes on them!

Full sole canvas ballet pumps in big sizes - teacher doesn't like split soles!!

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Socks we always found Next or Marks white cotton mix were great. Though these weren't knee length but mid calf. Hated the nylon ones! Freeds do full sole ballet in large sizes, or they did. But most places have to order them. We aren't far from London so did go up to freeds to try some.

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Long white socks cotton mix bloch 3 pairs about 7.50 available in white and black in 2 sizes up to 11 foot I think . Much cheaper than poselli.

 

Again long legs small waist mens jazz pants and not expensive I hate buying trousers/jazz pants for ds as if there not long enough he will pull the waist down showing that which shouldn't be seen.

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Would love to have a UK stockist of "Pillows for Pointe" lambswool toepads - the plain thin lambswool ones not their "gellows" -they are much finer than the freed/capezio ones.DD likes them - though much less padding she can feel the floor better. At present we buy them in bulk when in the US. Incidently would also be great to have a UK stockist for the Russian Pointe pointe shoes she likes.The ecowarrior in me doesn't particularly like buying these in the US when they are "handmade in Russia" then bringing them back to the UK.

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Hi Celb

I'm working on Pillows for pointe! I approached them a few weeks ago, but they wouldn't stock me directly until things are up and running (July 12) But I do have another wholesaler who stocks their products.

I'll report back as soon as I have more info!

Sx

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Thanks Janice and Ellen - is this just Grishkos? They won't let me stock there shoes as there is already a shop within 9 miles that they deal with. It's such a shame as I wear Grishko soft blocks and my daughter wears Grishko pointe shoes!! Annoyingly, the shop never has our sizes in stock and we have to wait weeks for them to come in, so some planning is needed! We will be stocking other grishko items, as the trading restriction is only on shoes.

 

Aileen I've not heard of Muse, (other than the band!) so off to investigate!

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What about soft blocks? Any votes? As I mentioned above, I wear Grishko and my daughter wears bloch - any other recommendations?

 

Also, has anyone experience or opinions on Sansha pointe shoes - I've never used these, but I have the wholesale brochure and there are 15 different styles!! PLUS some rather lovely stage pointe shoes in decorative coloured fabric - flowers, gold lace effect etc - Anybody tried these?

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