Best Ballet Buys | Clothing Goals For Ballet

Best Ballet Buys | Clothing Goals For Dancing 

Hey, hope all's well,

I am one for the sales: like the sales that give you 70% or more off items for great prices. And so it should be too with Ballet clothing and accessories.

My cross over cardigan
before it's tied.

My cross-over cardigan
connected on one side
through the loop.

    Ballet clothing and accessories can be expensive. A skirt can cost over thirty pounds, or a branded bag can cost up to fourty pounds. So I've decided to give a bit of inspiration on my recent purchase, especially when you're like me, where being a full-time student means you can't work that many hour to earn enough to spend on ballet expenses or on other fashionable dance items as well.

I recently purchased a short wrap cardigan, perfect for Ballet with it's light weight material that's short in length, and its cross over effect that can be tied into a bow to the front or side of your body for a casual look. When it comes to Ballet items, as long as they're suitable for their purpose, such as size or length, then whatever you find that doesn't have to be specifically from a big Ballet brand, like Pointe shoes, can be used for your usual dance lessons.

Cross-over cardigan
connected from behind which
is done through connecting ties
through the
loops on either side.  

The cross over cardigan
completely tied with the cardigan
crossed over and tied to the side
for a nice elegant finish.

This cardigan was £7.00 from H&M and I have been looking for a short, wrap cardigan that's perfect for my usual Ballet lessons, and at a good price. In the past, my only other cardigans I have to wear for ballet is a bat-wing, over-sized effect cardigan, which persistently kept falling off my shoulders when I went to do an arabesque or a jump; so I think I can say that this cardigan definitely wasn't ideal for my usual Ballet lessons and was extremely annoying to have to constantly adjust.   

Hope this was useful and proved just how much easier it can be to find the perfect dance wear, such as for Ballet that's cost effective and looks great too. 

Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,

Caris

Summer Rush | Catch up

Summer Rush | Catch up

Hey, hope all is well,

Now it's been a while, well a very long while, since I've posted anything; and I'll explain why to you all following both, or one of my blogs. It appears that over the past few mall why. It appears that over the past few months, since my mock A-Level exams around April time, I've been extremely busy with revision for my first year of A-Level exams, my AS exams, which if I don't pass successfully, my chances of continuing A-Levels can be reduced because of these results that my A-Level exams will display. I've also been busy revising for my GCSE Maths re-take which is still the one exam that stresses me out the most, as unfortunately I don't find maths easy apart from the simple things.

Maths revision sat in the sun
for my GCSE Maths
re-take.

   
After I had my mock A-Level exams at college, a few weeks later I had my real AS exams, which again have the ability to affect my progression onto my second year of A-Levels, and so I've beenglued to revision, bit of Drama and Theatre-Doll's House is one I am glad to put away-English Language and Literature, and oh what fun I've had with good old pal William Blake and his in-depth poems, and of Fitzgerald's novel 'The Great Gatsby', which I must admit is a well structured and detailed read. 

     Alongside the majority of my revision being that of Sociology, which strikes as the most demanding subject I've ever done in my whole life and as the most horrible exam that I unluckily experienced because of my nerves getting the better of me with six questions to answer :/ And as expected, my Sociology revision sessions at home and at college ended up lasting for two straight hours of social science theory, facts, research methods and terminology, and of course social statistics; be warned, if any of you want to do A-Level Sociology this September, it's very demanding with over 30 modules to study for just one exam, so it can be easily composed the idea of me sitting on my bedroom floor complaining that my brain hurts and that I need a break but have to keep on going xD So as you can read, see, well you know what I mean, things have become kind of hectic for me; until now.

My Sociology revision cards for my AS
Sociology exam, which are about 1/3 the total number of
revision cards I have now I've finished my revision.

Because now, I am glad to say that I will now be literally "free"-meaning not attending college for over a month, yet alas I've still another year to do-and will be posting again, including any holiday posts with a multitude of images once again with the next eight and a half weeks of summer holiday I have been given (beginning today Friday! :) ) 

       Also, I am glad to say, that after a year of A-Level English Language and Literature, I am finally starting work on creative writing and ways in which different interpretations and versions of, say 'Fairy tales' -which I've been doing in lesson during these past few bridging weeks at college- can be produced and will start on my course work this summer, and no worries, I'll still be here sat in my room, with my trusty old pal 'Lenovo' laptop and lazy-day clothes typing away for hours on end.

My dance shoes for all three seperate
dance performances ready and waiting
to be worn.

To add to my massive catch-up for you, look out for possible Ballet fashion and best-buys posts, as I have come to the conclusion that it would be interesting to add to my blog's Ballet page, and that I will be posting about my dance school's dance show where I performed four times, performing twice a day from Friday to Saturday, and where I took part in three separate dances and the finale, and not forgetting all the technical issues we faced, which has some humor to it I think :),

Have a great few weeks, if you're on holiday already, say just finished your exams, then well done and enjoy, and if you're still at school or college; then hang in there like I did, it'll all be worth it! :)

Thankyou for reading,

Yours truly,
Caris

Pointe Shoe Accessories | Must Have Items For New Pointe Shoes

Pointe Shoe Accessories | Must Have Items For New Pointe Shoes

All the items I use for my Pointe shoes. 

In my previous post, The Search For New Pointe Shoes | Pointe Shoe Fitting, the post about my new pointe shoes, purchasing new Pointe shoes and having them fitted, I had to obtain the appropriate items for my new pointe shoes in order to wear them. So here's a list of some of the key things you need prepare and do before you can start dancing in your new Pointe shoes. The post is mainly aimed at beginners but could provide useful for anyone else who believes it to be relevant. 

Pointe Shoe Ribbons:
Ribbons are important and must be 'Pointe Shoe Ribbons', so that they are durable and effective enough to be used, as normal ribbons wont do. Pointe shoe ribbons are a must to keep your shoes on your feet, therefore reducing risk of injury. To add, ribbons make Pointe shoes look more attractive and elegant.

Pointe shoe ribbon cut to length for oneof the
two ribbons for one shoe

A tip: Be sure the Pointe shoe ribbons match the colour of your Pointe shoes as much as possible, such as light pink ribbons for light pink Pointe shoes, or black ribbons for black Pointe shoes, or if possible, purchase the ribbons from the the same brand that your Pointe shoes are from. Some brands such as Bloch, sell ribbons the same colour and hue as their Pointe shoes.
You can purchase Pointe shoe ribbons on a dance website or from a dance shop like I did when I purchased my new Pointe shoes, and they only cost a few pounds. Some places sell singular amounts and lengths of ribbon, while others may also sell bulk amounts on a wheel, and whichever you choose will be fine. If you're new to pointe work and are not sure where to get them from, here are two links to dance websites I have used in the past - www.dancedirect.com/uk , www.movedancewear.com . Due to my personal choice of wishing to spend a average price on accessories in the past, I personally find www.movedancewear.com provide items which are more affordable for myself and provide my sizes in stock.

Pointe Shoe Elastic:
I myself have never yet had elastic designed for Pointe shoes sewn onto my Pointe shoes. Many people may want to at first, to ensure their shoes stay secure on their feet, such as during rehearsals or during a performance if your ribbons were to come undone, in order to reduce injuries. However, Pointe shoe ribbons are supposed to be tied the correct way and knotted appropriately and so it would be unlikely that the ribbons should or will come undone x
If you feel you would like elastic, go ahead and purchase it from either an online website, such as the ones linked above, or from a dance shop. Some places sell a certain length, where others sell a whole wheel of elastic in bulk to last longer. Which ever option you choose is fine. There are many types of Pointe shoes elastic, some being thick, pink elastic, others light pink with gaps in the stitching to appear transparent or barely there, and others completely transparent and invisible on stage.

Pointe Shoe Thread:
Pointe shoe thread is for sewing the ribbons and elastic onto the pointe shoes. The thread must be for Pointe shoes as it needs to be the correct colour and hue, thick enough, strong enough to keep the ribbons and elastic sewn tightly onto the Pointe shoes.
Some shops and websites sell wheels of thread, and some brands sell starter packs or all-in-one packs with everything you need, such as the Stitch Kit from Bunheads, which involves a tube with an instructions booklet, a needle and Pointe shoe thread. I personally prefer to use a thinner needle that I already have in my sewing box, to use to sew my ribbons onto my pointe shoes, but the instructions
booklet is really helpful for when I first started sewing ribbons onto my Pointe shoes, and the wheel of thread has last me a long time still with many more uses in the future.

Suede toe protectors:
Suede toe protectors for Pointe shoes, are small suede patches designed to be glued to the platform of the Pointe shoe, in order to provide grip for the dancer, reduce risk of falling from slippy surface of the silk-like material covering the Pointe shoe and the floor's surface. I have once fallen and hit my knee against the ground whilst doing a pirouette on a polished, wooden dance floor whilst wearing my old pointe shoes, which had no grip added to the shoes. You can purchase these from a shop or an online dance website, and some brands have suede toe protectors for Pointe shoe designed for their brand of shoes, however any suede protectors should be fine. I purchased my suede toe protectors online from www.movedancewear.com for £1.95.


There are a few of the must-have items for new pointe shoes, alongside a few suggested links to websites I have visited to buy these products and where you can find the above products.


Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,
Caris

Breaking In Your Pointe Shoes | My Quick Trick

Breaking In Your Pointe Shoes | My Quick Trick

When you first get a new pair of Pointe shoes, they can be like two bricks. The shoes are made to be so strong to hold your weight as you wear them on pointe, spin in them, jump in them and so on. However this also means that they can be a pain to break in, especially as a beginner when you are getting used to the techniques and creating strength in your feet and ankles in order to break in the shoes. Without strength, the shoes can take effort to break in. Some brands are harder or softer than others. My old pair of Grishko's, my favourites as they tailor to all my needs, were extremely stiff and hard to break in. It depends on the brand. 

So here's a trick I use once to break in my pointe shoes recently, due the issue of having to wait months to buy new shoes and I must start rehearsing in my Pointe shoes a.s.a.p; I can't afford to wait weeks and weeks for them to break in:

1) Simply find a place to use for breaking in the shoes: on a hard surface that is stable, ideally a clean

Step 1- Face the shoes as shown above 

carpet or floor (I use my bedroom carpet as it won't get my shoes dirty with fluff etc). You will need a hard surface as you're going to bend the shoe against it for support to break it. 

2)Take your Pointe shoe in both of your hands. Make sure the shoes face the way that it would when on your feet. Flip the shoe over so the inside of the shoe faces the ground and the suede shank and sole face towards you, as shown in the picture. Place your hands at the front of the shoe as shown, and gently but firmly push the heel of the shoe into the ground with your hands, being sure to evenly bend the shank for a few seconds. When you are done,

Step 2- Be sure to use both hands, however I have
one hand holding the shoe as I had
to take a photo and hold the shoe

the shank (sole of the shoe that helps you to keep standing) may feel bumpy and more flexible than before, that's fine because that's a sign the shoes are broken in and the shoes will have the curved shape of a foot that they should have. 

3) Now repeat the above on the other shoe. Be sure NOT TO repeat too many times, as this could damage the shank and the shoes structure. Also ensure you use both hands when pushing the shoe into the ground, so the shoe
breaks in evenly.

Step 2 and 3- repeat for step 3

  The reason why this breaks in the shoe, is due to the fact that the shank is being bent slowly from being pressed against the hard surface, and being pushed down on by your hands. Of course, the more the shoes are worn, the more they will break in naturally until you will require new
shoes, however Pointe shoes need to be broken in to a certain extent in order to use them properly. 

The result- broken in shoes, that if you look carefully you can see the
shoe is bent to the shape of my foot and is slightly bumpy underneath
the shank in the image; this is the broken in part

There you go, a quick trick I use to break my shoes in and that I have recently used to break in my new Pointe shoes. My dancing teacher informed me that I had broken in the shoes effectively, and now I can move around in them freely.

Thank you for reading and I hope this helps,

Yours truly,

Caris 

The Search For New Pointe Shoes | Pointe Shoe Fitting

The Search For New Pointe Shoes | Pointe Shoe Fitting

My old, no-more worn, Pointe shoes from August 2014
, as I was that delighted I wrote inside when I first purchased
then xD

My beloved old Pointe shoes are no more. They're frayed, too soft to use and just worn down. So off I went in search of my new Pointe shoes. As a result of this long journey in search of actually having my Pointe shoes fitted, I now currently have lovely, bright, lively Pointe shoes, and what a surprise the same brand... And by the way, some amusing photo of me my sister in law took of me during my Pointe shoe fitting, so yes, laugh away like she did haha.

New Point shoes compared to my old Pointe shoes.
 Old shoes left, new shoes right.
You can see some difference in their structure. 

Let me fill you in. I live in a Town near Oxford by roughly 40-60 minutes in the car, depending on traffic. The nearest Ballet Shop that sells Pointe Shoes as well as having a trained individual to fit the shoes for you, is on the outskirts of Oxford. I had multiple attempts to figure out a method of travel to get to the shop. Bus? No I finish college when the bus leaves and would have to wait over 40 minutes when I am busy later on. Train? wait the train goes back to where I live, not where the shoes are. Car? Oh wait, I can't drive without another individual with me as I am a learner driver. Walk? Oh no, that would take probably a day or more. Lift from someone? NO, no, no. Then: how about my brother and sister-in-law? And that's how I managed to get the Pointe shoes I  needed. Thank you to my relatives I appreciate it so so much :)

So on the day, a Monday to be exact, I went to college in Oxford for the hour, the only hour lesson I have on a Monday, travelled back on the train to the town centre of where I live, met my brother and sister-in-law in the train station car park and hopped into their car. We set off towards the dance shop, which took about 45 minutes, finally arriving at the shop which had wooden floors, white wash walls, and a stash of new Pointe shoes of various different brands to the right of the shop's entrance.

Yep, this was taken the moment I couldn't get the shoe
even onto my heel they were so small! 
And yes, my
face says it all haha xD

When starting to try on shoes, we started with a brand that I hadn't heard of before, and annoyingly have forgotten. These were not very wide, and I couldn't even fit my feet into them. The next, the same brand and the next width up, still had the same issue. Next up, we tried the same brand, as this brand offered shoes for those with tapered feet, like mine. We didn't try on any Bloch brands as these are for square feet and unfortunately don't provide for my build of my feet.

After about 20 pairs of the same brand, and 45 minutes of deciphering the right width and length of the shoes best for my feet, I tried on Grishko Pointe shoes; resulting in more hopeful chances of finding the correct shoes for myself.  The first pair of Grishko's was a pair that once again, the incorrect width, and in fact I couldn't even fit my heel into them. The second, had too much length to them, as my feet slipped down into the shoes when on point: definitely not the right size of shoe. The next pair, once on my feet standing and on point, were literally perfect, Right width, length and size. Only issue was that the shank (the part of the shoe that keeps the shoes structure and that you stand on) was too long, it dug into my feet and even after five minutes of wearing them staring to dig into my left foot really badly, ouch! So then the shop owner got another pair of Grishko shoes, the Grishko 2007 's. Once I put these shoes on, I knew they were the right ones. How? Because my feet weren't being crushed to death within a second of wearing them, because they fit snugly, not too tight or too loose. Standing on point felt effortless without pain as I was able to get over the vamp and onto the platform easily to stand.  I had found the right shoes! After an hour and fifteen minutes, I had found them! Finally after waiting months to go and get a Pointe shoe fitting, I had finally got the Pointe shoes that were perfect. So I brought them, £45.50 plus length of four ribbons for £1.50, cheaper than I had ever seen these items on any dancing website that I know.

New Pointe shoes and correctly coloured ribbon for my Pointe
 shoes brand new in their bag. 

 The happiness I get from the fact they are more comfortable than my old Pointe shoes, because they fit me! The fact that my left foot is half a size smaller than my right, that my feet are tapered (or 'somewhat tapered' because of my longest second toe), my arch is high and my feet are slim but wide where the toe bones meet the foot and that I have long toes, especially a longer second toe. All the things that made it so impossible and frustrating to find the right shoes, had resulted in the best, comfiest shoes! And yes, it still hurts to go on pointe and to wear the shoes, but the normal

My new, shining, well-fitting Pointe shoes.

pain to expect with Pointe shoes, and a pain that is so much less than what I experienced from my old pointe shoes.

Now I can finally reherse in my dance school's dance show in June, without struggling to get over the vamp and onto the platform because my old shoes were too small and the vamp was too long for my feet :)

Thankyou for reading,

Yours truly,
Caris

Feeling The Pressure | When Things Get Tough Don't Give Up

Feeling The Pressure | When Things Get Tough Don't Give Up

There are days where I may struggle with my daily life. Things get too busy, hectic and jam-packed with all the different things I am currently balancing in my life, and this got me thinking: what makes me feel this way?

We can create amazing things when we keep
on going (photograph property of me Caris)

I am someone who has a lot of anxiety in life and stress can trigger it and even make it worse. I may not appear to be affected in this way by stress and stress-related anxiety towards others, but to the extent where my anxiety can affect my mood cannot be good. It can decrease my level of motivation to complete work, cause me lack of sleep and loss of appetite, and as capable as I'd like to think I am at managing stress related anxiety, sometimes it feels like the odds are against you. 

      My A-Levels for instance are causing me a lot of stress. I feel like no matter how hard I am trying, I just can't manage to maintain the 'correct' standard. Speaking to another individual the same age as me who's also turned eighteen and also did a college course before A-levels and who has a part-time job that demands a lot of free time; they told me they too feel the same. It feels like I'm running a never ending treadmill where eventually it gets too much and I fall: I fall down, I get up again, I try harder, I fall again. But I just have to keep trying and then, I get somewhere. I pass that test with 'flying colours', I managed to keep my cool when I am one to panic under pressure. I have to keep trying, keep prioritising everything I do. And I realise, 'actually I can do this' and I surprise myself with what I can do when I keep pushing, because at the end of the day, we are our individual selves and we set our own expectations of ourselves, not setting the expectations that others have for us. 

Keep running those extra minutes, keep pacing yourself, keep going to your best ability and if you stumble, you have the ability to pick yourself up, brush yourself down and keep on going. There may be moments of anger, stress, anxiety, frustration and just feeling like giving up, but we're only human and feel emotions, even ones that we really would rather bury in a box and never recover (for me anxiety is one)
And this is how I think when things get tough, be it education, family, work, a hobby, stress, anxiety, expectations, anything: we have the ability to fuel ourselves and achieve things we never expected.
Everyone has had their own experiences, and everyone is their own individual self, meaning that we all experience things differently, but we are all human.

Thankyou for reading,

Yours truly,
Caris 

      

Bun Head Looks | Three Dance Bun Styles To Style Your Hair Into

Bun Head Looks | Three Dance Bun Styles To Style Your Hair Into

I have had the idea to write about suggestions for different variations of buns that you can style your hair into for any dance occasion, be it the usual dance class, exams (going to be the plainer ones here for this, they always plastered my hair flat with gel, ick!) dance shows and performances; these styles will fit. These are just suggested styles that many may know already, so why not give them a try. 

The Double Bun: 

Ever heard of this before? I think that it's pretty cool to be honest and is great for days when you want to stand out ever so slightly. Instead of doing one pony tail and turning it into a bun, place another on top. In order to do this I found that if you have layers in your hair like mine that are either short layers or varied so they get longer further down your hair, be sure to use plenty of hair grips and spray. 

The gone crazy 'Messy Bun':
This is probably the easiest and quickest bun to do. Just put your hair into a high pony tail, twist the pony tail into a circle, holding it there, take another hairband and stick it on top of the twisted hair. Get hairgrips and place into your hair to keep the extra strands of hair in place. Spray with hair pray lightly to ensure your hair stays put and voila! Be sure not to put too much hair spray on as this could make the hair look stiff and not give the 'just done' look. I styled my hair into the messy bun and it adds a laid back look to your outfit. The day I had my hair styled in the messy bun, I styled my hair like this because I was aiming for a laid back casual look and I think it was achieved from the compliments I recieved :D I wore blue Skinny Jeans, a laid back Jersey Top consisting of a white body and red sleeves, a light and dark blue faded Denim Jacket and white Sneakers for a laid back casual look.

The Serious Exam Bun: 
This is the bun that is used for exams. You know the exams where no hair, including my block of a fringe to be stuck up with a whole tub of VO5 hair gel. I kid you not. Basically brush your hair and grab a hair band. Put it into a pony tail, covering the hair (but not the pony tail) with hair gel or hair spray (which is a million times more pleasant) Next twist tight the pony tail round in a circle around the hair band holding the pony tail up to make a bun, place a hairband over the bun to keep it in place and if needed, place a hair net on top of the bun which should be coloured to your hair. Place hair grips into the hair and over the hair net or extra and shorter strands of hair in place. Add other hair pins if needed. Finally spray or gel your hair to keep it in place.


Hope you found these hairstyles interesting and worth a try if they haven't been attempted already. Thank you for reading 😘

Yours Truly
Caris