Taking photos for RBS summer school

[LinMM]

I think the soft blocks advice is excellent Ribbons.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

My daughters old ballet teacher will not under any circumstances put a child under 12 en pointe.

[Anna C]

Nor mine, and I was perfectly happy with that. In fact dd was 2 months away from being 12 when her Associates teacher said she could start pointe and her local teacher then approved her shoes - but for months the only pointe work was rises and relevés at the barre.

 

I would go with the soft blocks for photos if at all possible - and if not, just do the best you can in pointes.

[Dance*is*life]

Thanks everybody for your replies.  I think I'm just frustrated because they are really good girls - otherwise I wouldn't bother even applying for them.  I took a few preliminary photos and they just didn't do them justice - to say the least..........  Oh well, not to worry, we'll keep trying until we manage something acceptable.   I really think that they should leave the senior school SS applicants to struggle with the poses wearing pointe shoes and perhaps add a middle set for the inbetweeners.  As I said the funny thing is that they both found the one pose on pointe the easiest to balance! 

[Moomin]

Maybe it would be worth getting a professional photographer between the two as you could then concentrate on helping them into the position and they should be able to capture them quickly at the optimal time?

[Legseleven]

There are some makes of soft pointe shoes which look almost identical to flat satin slippers when pancaked - or some canvas slippers can look like pancaked satin. I know you said that neither girl wears soft pointes as yet but wondered whether they have outgrown pointe shoes which could be deshanked, bashed, stretched if necessary (although DD says that deshanking seems to 'give' an extra half size or so in outgrown pointe shoes), then pancaked as they will almost certainly find it easier to balance in deshanked and pummelled old pointe shoes? Alternatively a pancaked pair of slippers with ribbons attached wouldn't look too obviously like flat shoes rather than pointe shoes, especially if their pointes are pancaked anyway? (I realise that this is cheating! but on reading through the comments it sounds as though the shoes worn for the photos aren't likely to be a deal breaker in an event if your students are what the RBS is looking for.)

 

Wishing both girls the very best of luck!

[Elliepops]

Maybe a silly question to ask, but does the application state that pointe shoes have to be worn for all poses for that age group?

 

Could you not take pictures of the "flat" poses in flats and the en pointe one in pointe shoes (obviously!)

 

It would not be unreasonable to conjecture that photo's were taken at the end of a "flat" class and pointe shoes changed into for the required pose.

 

Just a thought !

 

Otherwise some very soft, soft blocks or de shanked and suitably prepared pointe shoes.

 

Best of luck with photo's and applications.

 

J x

Edited December 31, 2013 by Elliepops

[Dance*is*life]

Rather off topic. but I am intrigued by all the "pancaking" of pointe shoes as no-one I know here does this.  Is it to make them look less shiny? 

[Lildancer96]

It makes the shoes blend with the tights

[Katymac]

Glad you asked Dance*is*life; I didn't know either (although DD's teacher has suggested she uses calamine lotion to change the 'sound')

[Stirrups36]

I think people have said what I would say, don't get too hung up on photos. If they are looking for 12 year olds on pointe, then that's what they are looking for and if my daughter can't... Then she can't so it isn't worth trying to make it look as though she can! But as others have said, they may see potential in all the other poses. So you could still give it a try or maybe just wait a year. There are lots of other really good summer schools around that may be cheaper, do as good, if not better a job for your children and are just as enjoyable, again, if not more, enjoyable for your child.

 

For my son, we took the photos ourselves in our next door neighbours extension (better light), copying the poses we saw in a book. He got in twice to RBS SS, is now well established at ballet school, but on the converse, never got accepted for associates. And his favourite summer school isn't an RBS one. (And to answer another question on the forum, we could try keeping him from dancing during the vacations... But We might as well cut his feet off!)

 

Have a good new year all. Dancers and dancer dads and mums.

[Anna C]

It makes the shoes blend with the tights

Yes - it can shrink them slightly too; something to beware of. :-)

[Balletmumfor2]

Our dance teacher insists on shoes (both flat and pointe) being coalmines for exams and festivals. This is to make their legs look longer as the shoes become one with the tights and ribbons. However, royal prefer shiny shoes as this is what they ask their associates to wear for auditions. My daughter keeps new shoes shiny for rbs auditions then coalmines them for regular class after. Calamining also helps to clean up shoes which have got dirty in the studio.

[Legseleven]

DD's teachers insist that shoes are pancaked (using water based makeup) for exams, festivals and performances from grade 4 upwards and would prefer all satin shoes to be pancaked even if they are only used in class. Their view is that it 'blends in' shoes with tights and looks more professional. Two of her teachers are RBS trained, so clearly the current policy at RBS is different from when they trained there, Balletmumfor2 ;-)

 

Pancaking can also be repeated if the shoes become dirty and we have never experienced it shrinking the shoes as the makeup only needs to be slightly damp when applied to the shoes.

 

I was told by a dance shop owner that calamine can rot the shoe fabric, but I did wonder whether that was because she would naturally prefer me to buy the water based makeup...Certainly I have never heard of that happening.

[Balletmumfor2]

Oops, meant 'calamined' not 'coalmined' in earlier post. Not sure what RBS do at the full time school but notices at associate classes before auditions have suggested the children may prefer to wear satin flats rather than the leather shoes they normally wear for weekly classes but have specified that if they do so, then these should be left shiny and not calamined. I am therefore assuming this is what RBS prefer to see.

[Anna C]

Dds shoes definitely shrank having been calamined for her Intermediate exam. I wonder if the Boots' calamine lotion I used had a higher water content? It's a possibility.

[Balletmumfor2]

We always use Boots calamine but you need very little rubbed lightly over the surface to take off the shine and the shoes should dry within seconds. If you put on too much, the shoes go very white and the surface tends to crack once dried out. I expect this could also make the satin 'wet' which could cause the shoes to shrink. A small amount rubbed in well should have no effect on the overall size of the shoe. You can use quite a dry piece of cotton wool with calamine on but still achieve the full effect if you rub it in well. 'Less is more' in this case I think!

[BankruptMum]

You can also use rosin to remove the shine. Works well without the threat of shrinkage.

[balletla]

"Not sure what RBS do at the full time school but notices at associate classes before auditions have suggested the children may prefer to wear satin flats rather than the leather shoes they normally wear for weekly classes but have specified that if they do so, then these should be left shiny and not calamined. I am therefore assuming this is what RBS prefer to see."

 

Re: above quote: there is a difference between satin ballet flats and pointe shoes. RBS don't do anything to satin ballet flats but would always expect pointe shoes to be roisined to take the shine off them.

[Balletmumfor2]

Thanks for clarifying that Ribbons. At SA classes the girls are split between calamined and uncalamined pointe shoes presumably depending on what their own dance teachers prefer so we have never been sure what RBS likes. Now we know...thankyou!

[BankruptMum]

Let's remember SS candidates are hopefully selected on body suitability rather than shoes!

[Tulip]

Photos done and application sent off, job done.

[munchkin16]

Don't know if this is the problem but if the outer sole isn't quite flat it can be more wobbly. I read somewhere that you can shave this down a bit to even the surface but I don't know if it would work/help!

[Tulip]

I would suggest to let the girls wear the point shoes at every opportunity around the house, not up and down stairs though, just to he used to wearing and feeling point shoes on their feet.