Stepping up the pace....

Well you'll be please to know, I've had no more injuries since Christmas!  For me - this is quite an achievement.

As many of you know, over the last year or so, I've been trying to run before I could walk.  I had thought I could tense my muscles the same, jump the same, put in just as much effort and my body would follow suit.  However, at almost 30 years old and many other issues (detailed in previous posts), things weren't quite that simple any more.

After class, all my joints tend to scream in pain, my feet swell and my hips feel like they are being crushed in a nutcracker.

Once Christmas was over, I decided to treat my torn calf with seriousness.  I made sure I took the appropriate amount of rest as specified by my physio (and actually adhere to it this time) and I warmed up fully before class - EVERY class.  One of the younger girls in the class before mine commented to her teacher, 'That lady is here SO early!  There's still 25 minutes of our class left!'  The teacher replied, 'That is because she has an injury.  You should all be doing the same if you don't want the same thing to happen to you'.

So many of the people barely warm up for class, if at all.  Until the last couple of years - I was one of them!  I never saw the importance, because I'd never had a problem.  My body did what I asked it to without complaining. I used to consider basic barre my 'warm up'.

Since all the trouble with my torn calf,  I now religiously warm up around 20 minutes before class.  I tried to get away with it once, and ended up injuring it yet again.  So I've made myself a routine and I stick to it. Warming up isn't about slowing 'breaking in' your muscles - it is actually about increasing blood flow to those areas - hence why many professional ballet dancers actually wear a million layers as they are beginning their classes.

Now we are nearing the end of April, things are SO much better.  I feel like I've come on leaps and bounds compared to all the set backs of last year.  I felt like I couldn't retain information and improve whilst I was constantly having time out.  After easing myself back into 2 classes a week in January.  I'm now in the studio 4 days a week.  Not all for physical class, one day and a morning are for teaching observations.

You might remember from a previous post that my teacher was encouraging me to train to teach.  I've learnt SO much from theses sessions and even stepped in for my teacher when she needed to split her very large class.  I taught a 45 minute lesson for grade 2's and I absolutely loved it!  I'm starting to learn the ISTD syllabus for all the grades so that I can eventually take the DDI exam, but I really need to focus on passing my Intermediate vocational exam first.

I've been working on the Intermediate exam a lot over the last couple of months and almost have all of the set exercises memorised.  There are a LOT!  I still find Adage the most difficult because of the weakness of my abdominal muscles.  Holding my leg a la second en l'air is extremely difficult, particularly the 3rd set adage which consists of a Grande ronde de jambe en l'air (big rounding of the leg in the air - for those wanting to know what the heck that means).  I don't know about any of you, but doing it en dedan is so much harder than en dehors!

I'm currently trying to tackle double pirouettes, brisés and failli assemblé.  Double pirouettes are my nemesis though.  I am almost trying to retrain my brain on my entire technique here, because I think I 'cheated' a lot when I was younger.  I'll let you know how I get on with those.  I did manage several ok (ish) ones last week when nobody was watching me.

So the Intermediate exam is hopefully going to happen in July.  I happen to be getting married at the end of that month too!  I just thought it would be highly amusing to really push my stress levels! :-/

I'll check in again before the exam and let you know if I'm pulling my hair out!

Rach

The ongoing dilemma of pointe shoe tip grip!

So I really wanted to share my great lightbulb moment with you!  Depending on what floor your studio has, you may or may not find that you have grip issues en pointe.  Those that have a 'company' style floor are probably absolutely fine.  These are usually sprung with a vinyl surface.  Most professional ballet companies now have these installed - White Lodge at the Royal Ballet, for instance.  They offer the best surface for the right level of friction whilst still providing easy movement for pirouettes etc.  A lot of local dance studios, however, are multi-purpose.  Many local schools teach an array of dance genres, needing a floor which caters for all.  This usually mens it may not necessarily be the best for your particular dance genre.

Our studio has a sprung wooden floor which is often highly varnished.  The school caters for ballroom, modern, tap, street dance, contemporary and more.  So they obviously need a versatile floor.  Unfortunately, with it not being the best surface for pointe work, it can prove a little tricky when you are either a beginner or tentatively getting back in the game.

I know if I 'trust' the floor, I will 'trust' myself more.  Of course I 'should' be perfectly fine on any floor if I am 'over my box'.  But when you are learning or teaching your legs and feet to remember how to dance again, sometimes things aren't always that simple.  You may not quite get over your box. You may come down from your pointes at an odd angle. You may be a bit worried getting that posé into arabesque.  All of these pose a significant risk of slipping on a varnished wooden floor.

There are SO many methods of preparing your pointe shoes and SO many ways to prepare the tips too.  I go more in depth about the pros and cons of different methods in my previous post which you can read Here.  However, since this post - I did a lot of research and found there really isn't a lot of advice about this.  Probably because the most obvious information comes from companies who have ballet-specific vinyl-surfaced floors.  After trawling the web for hours on end, I came across two posts where a couple of professional dancer shared a 'top tip'.



PLASTIDIP!



Oh my God it really is such a Godsend! I don't know how the ladies had come across this solution, but what a great one it is.  They spray a thin layer or two on the bottom of their pre-ripped pointe shoe.  Allow a good hour or so to dry before applying multiple layers.  Simply leave to dry overnight to make sure and Voila! There you have it!

I wanted to try this out properly for myself and use them in studio before advocating my little find.  But I can surely say, it really does work.  It creates enough friction for a bit of grip (no A over B moments) yet enough movement for turning and echappés etc.  I feel much more confident now, result in stronger legs and more meaningful intentions (no 'dipping-toes-in-cold-water' uncertainty).

So feel free to go and try it for yourselves! Let me know what you think?  Click HERE for the official website, but you can get it cheaper on amazon etc if you have a look.  I chose the spray as it is easier to apply.  You can even get colours and glitters if you are feeling Disney-inspired!!

Back at the barre

Wow!  I haven't written in a long time.  Quite a lot has happened actually, which is probably why.
The lead up to Christmas and the Christmas period in general were hectic to say the least.  We ate a LOT of food and so did our little sausage dog.  She is a bit porky now too, so we're all on January diets!  Here is a picture of the little fatty :-)

We did the traditional trip to the theatre to see the Nutcracker (well, live streamed to our local cinema - LOVE that they do this now!!).  I think the Nutcracker is a must at Christmastime.  It really embodies the sparkly, exciting bubbly feeling we all want to kick start.  We saw Francesca Hayward as Clara and she put all the emotion in the world into her performance.  Lauren Cuthbertson played the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, amazing as always!  The one that really stood out for me was whoever played the Rose Fairy!  She was so strong and held her positions remarkably!  I didn't catch her name because the cinema didn't give us programmes this time, which I was quite miffed about!

Me being me, I obviously pulled a muscle just before Christmas.  So I spent the end of December making sure that healed properly.  I am now making a point of spending 15 minutes before class warming up properly.  Dynamic stretching only, of course.  I don't want to cause any more issues! (I'll write an article on the difference between dynamic and static stretching soon).

My physio also recommended deep heat to keep the muscles in prime condition.  So I've been using that to warm my muscles before class.  Although, I was a little worried as my teacher said not to use it before a class in case I won't feel the pain of pulling a muscle.  Luckily, my physio assured me that deep heat doesn't contain anything like ibuprofen etc.  It basically warms up the area and increases blood flow to it- which is exactly what you want.  It may give the feeling of 'pain relief' because it has warmed up and loosened your muscles, but this will actually help you during your exercise, not mask a potential injury.  Phew!  I might just use the non-smelly patches for class though because everyone could smell the deep heat when I wore it too class and it is rather potent!!

During October and November I really felt like I'd started improving.  I'd started memorising the Intermediate syllabus better and was working hard on increasing my stamina.  The afore mentioned Christmas binge totally ruined a lot of this.  So here I am, at the start of January and needing to shape up!

I've set a target with my teacher of completing the Intermediate exam by July.  This was a a fabulous idea, as this month is also the month of my wedding.  So that won't be too stressful at all! *bites lip in worried frown*  Having said all that, I need to have a goal to work towards, otherwise I will become extremely de-motivated if there isn't a plan in place.  The main things I'm acutely aware are a big problem for me at the moment are pirouettes and developé a la seconde in the centre.  With my distinct lack of core, my body really struggles with these.

Towards the end of last year I started chatting with friends and family about my burning ambition to gain my teaching qualification. I think at this point in my life, self doubt had crept in, extinguished that desire and left but a few glowing embers.   I didn't believe I would ever get to the point where I could consider this again.  I remember reading the course specifications over and over again last year and thought, 'No....I can't do it. I'm not good enough'.  But with some perseverance and lots of encouragement, information and insight from my teacher, I began to see it was a possibility not too far from my grasp!

If I can just get through the Intermediate vocational exam at some point this year, I can think about doing the teaching course.  I can't actually express how happy it would make me to teach others all about what I love so much!

Anyway.  Just thought I would check in, and I will make a point of writing more over the next few months about my journey into 2016!!

Strengthening and lengthening

Pre-pointe classes didn't exist in my day.  Our school didn't use soft blocks either- we just used normal pointe shoes to save cash.  Whilst I think we shouldn't namby pamby kids, we do have a duty to protect their bodies and adhere to basic health and safety.

These days the classes are really acting as the preparation and stepping stone to getting your 'big girl' shoes.  With good reason.  Every child develops at different stages of their lives and every child's feet are different.  You won't suddenly 'be ready' for pointe shoes just because you hit 12 years old and you are in grade 4.  It doesn't work that way any more, now we know more and the information is so widely available.  There are so many factors including foot and ankle strength, core muscle control and ability to work easily on demi pointe in the first place.

When I was a child, there wasn't the capacity to think about children in the same class going en pointe at different stages.  Plus I just think my teacher didn't want to have to get so in depth about it all.  You either wanted to do it, or you didn't and you were old enough to know if you can handle it.  She was certainly not one for molly coddling and I loved her for it to be honest!  It was just a different time.

I went en pointe at 13 years old because I'd hit grade 4 ballet class and theywere 'the rules'.  I was relatively lucky in that my feet were quite strong, had a moderate arch but not high.  They adapted very well and quite quickly, I found it quite easy to get over my box and turn demi movements into full pointe.  However, I can't say the same for some of the girls in my class.  It still pains me to see bent knees and 'backward' soggy ankles.  Or even sickling.  It amazes me how these girls even manage to get up and stay there!!  It's not only painful for the dancer but it is really painful to watch and doesn't look attractive either.

The thing is, the teacher or ballet school won't see the pain or damage they have caused the child because by the time it happens they might be in their 30's and 40's and perhaps not dancing any longer.  All the children think is, 'I really want to go en pointe' and believe me, I understand.  When I was told I could go out and buy my first pair, I wanted to squeal!  It must be really heart-breaking if your friend has stronger feet/posture and can go en pointe before you, but they will be grateful in the long run!

I am now attending a pre-pointe class at my studios because, although I have danced en pointe many moons ago, my feet have had lost a lot of strength over the years.  Not just my feet, but my ankles seem to buckle at the slightest request lately.  So I thought the sensible option was to train from the basics again.

I have to say it is the best thing for so many aspects of your dancing!  We've been using therabands, wobble boards, fitness balls and tennis balls and they all play a part in the fab exercises we use.  Again - didn't exist when I was young.

Therabands/dynabands, whatever your term of preference

Your feet work against the resistance these bands give.  As you push through your demi pointe you are strengthening the arch of your foot and the metatarsals.  There are many positions you can get into with these bands but I don't see myself imitating any of the pictures at the top of this post.  Let's start small!

Fitness Balls

We have spoken about these before in a previous post - if you missed it click HERE to read it.  In brief - great for your core. Strengthening and stabilising.  Not only will these exercises improve your core muscles for pointe work, they will also emanate into the rest of your dancing, showing strong calves, thighs and feet.

Wobble boards

These were a completely new experience for me!  Fantastic piece of equipment.  I wasn't saying that at the time though.  Even just to stand on these, you are constantly working your core to counteract each last wobble in an attempt to stay still.  Then comes the challenge of trying to move on them.  Just a slight lean forward or backward can throw you're whole body out of whack!  This one takes practice.

Tennis Balls 

Roll these on the arches of your feet and really push down as you do this!  Then use each toes separately to push down too.  Great strengthening exercise.  

Your feet and ankles will love you for doing this class before you ram them in a satin-disguised foot-crusher :-)

I've already felt the benefits roll right through into my other classes and my dancing is already getting stronger.  Little by little I'm building up those corse muscles.  My aim is to be able to hold my leg at 90degrees in a la séconde........ for more than a second!


We're aiming for this kind of control :-) !!:

Doesn't she get tired?!
Posted by Ballet: love, photos & videos on Thursday, September 3, 2015

Darn Pointe shoes!

As promised, I am writing a quick guide on what to do about the ends of your pointe shoes.  I have leant many things from my first few pairs of pointe and I just thought I would share with you a few points.  

Disclaimer:  These are only my opinions from my experiences using each method - It is by no means stating the 'best' or 'worst' methods or materials.

Back when I was a teen,  I didn't have the luxury to say 'Oopsie, that didn't work'.  My pointés had to last me a good while so whatever I'd done to my shoes - I had to live with it for a long while.  Whether it be white-washing them or sewing on ribbons in a peculiar way. Because of this, every time I prepared my shoes in a different way, I got a full experience of how it felt to dance in them.

Fully darning with crochet thread

This looks so pretty when it is done correctly.  I used to love spending time doing this properly.  You have to use a chain stitch to spiral right from the centre of the tip, all the way to the outside.  Be sure to go slightly over the edge for stability.  Then stitch from the sole of the shoe on he pleats and the side wings.

Pros: 

• Looks wonderful and very neat.
• Gives a great platform and 'softens' the sound of the shoe AND the impact on your joints.
• Gives an extra bit of grip as opposed to the open satin.

Cons:

• Takes a VERY long time if you've never done it before. (If you are likely to keep going through your shoes quickly - this probably isn't ideal.
• It IS a little complicated if sewing isn't your thing
• I found it isn't actually not the most slip-resistant material- it is very good - but not great to have all over the platform.

Suede Toe Tips

This is so easy and a lot of dancers like to do this , especially for people who don't like sewing or can't sew- or for people who go through shoes very quickly.  Speedy and convenient.  I used these for a few of my pairs.  Just simply cut the tip to size and length you need from the sole to the platform.  It should just fit snugly to keep the sole and toe tip in line with each other.

Pros:

• Quick and easy to apply
• Give good friction to begin with - better than the open satin.
• Looks nice and neat, a simple clean look to your shoe.

Cons:

• Depending on what glue you get to apply these, they can catch on the floor and become loose with frequent dancing.  Very irritating to keep adjusting/fixing/applying more glue.
• They don't ever fix exactly to your shoe just the way you want
• After the first month or so of dancing, the suede wears down and actually becomes more slippery than the open satin! It starts to look black.  This is the suede wearing off and I personally wouldn't use these any more.  I was attracted to them for ease of use but they aren't the best long term for people who don't change their shoes every week or so. You are better off just spending a little more time with a different method.

Ripping and darning

Saving the best 'til last.  This method was and is my favourite.  I did it for my last pair and I've now used the method for my new pair after all these years.  You don't need as much sewing ability as option number 1, but you do need a little patience and skill.  

Get your scissors and make a cut into part of the satin on the platform.  Cut all the way around in a circular pattern right to the edge.  Then rip the rest of the satin down over the pleats to reveal the canvas material.  Then stitch just one row of chain stitching all the way around the platform (slightly over the edge), making sure to catch the canvas too so you are stitching the two materials together.  Otherwise you will just end up with the satin stitched and flapping away from the canvas!!  You can stitch right down to the sole if you like - I just prefer the stability of leaving that part free.  

I LOVE this one for overall durability and it is my fave method hands down.

Pros

• Relatively quick to do if you have a few basic sewing skills.  Much quicker than method 1.
• The canvas has optimum grip I found compared to suede, fully darned and bare platforms.  It will also last.  Even if it wears down - it doesn't lose friction.
• The 'platform' created by the darning creates stability when going en pointe - gives you an extra sturdy base to work with.
• Ripping the satin off to the canvas across the pleats underneath also prevents slipping when you do a posé into arabesque etc. (Obviously nothing can completely protect you from this and you really need to get over your box and 'push forward' when you are going up en pointe- but I think this method helps counteract this the most)

Cons

• If you have absolutely NO sewing skills whatsoever - this could prove a little tricky.  Have a go!  Plenty of tutorials floating around on youtube.

So there you have it.  My opinions on what the heck to do with the bottom of your pointe shoes!  I hope you've found it helpful.  Feel free to ask any questions - or if you have any tips, that would be great too!

A New Pointe

I decided if I was going to start trying to get back en pointe in the near future, I needed new shoes!  My last pair were from 2005 and looking very shabby.  A pair of threadbare socks would have given me as much support as the battered boxes on those babies.

So back into the confusing realms of pointé shoe hunting I go.  Always so many questions - especially if it is your first pair.

1. What size?
2. What width?
3. What brand?
4. Full shank, half shank, 3/4 shank?
5. Vamp shape?
6. Padding - what type lambswool? toe caps? gel support

I always used to just go with what I knew and try not to deviate from this too much.  Freed shoes, 4.5, medium vamp with beige gel toecaps and a bit of thin elastic around the ankle to stop the back slipping off.  This time I decided to see if anything else took my fancy. 

In terms of fitting, I think that was pretty straight forward.  Always go to a shop with a variety of makes.  This way, you can try on several designs and know what suits your foot the best.  I tried Freed, Capezio, Bloch and Grishko.

Freed - I always knew were ok for my feet and it is just what I knew.

Capezio were generally too bulky and 'wide' a feeling for my feet.

Bloch weren't too bad but I felt way too 'in' the shoe and it seemed to hurt in awkward places once en pointe.

I tried various widths, boxes and vamps in all shoes too.  If it is your first pointe shoe fitting - be prepared to set aside an hour.  A good pointe shoe fitter will take you through certain positions to help you feel what shoe is right for you.  There will always be a little pain -especially if your feet have never seen a pointe shoe -  but it is good to start to feel 'right' pain and 'dear-lord-wrong!' pain.  

The 'right' pain is just the rubbing on certain joints in a pesky toe maybe - you may get a few blisters etc.  However the 'dear-lord-wrong!' pain is the type that radiates to your ankles or metatarsals.  You might feel a 'twisting' feeling if your shoe is slightly too big, for instance.  

A good fitter should also be able to see the shank isn't centralised up to the back of your heel, if that is the case.  If it is moving off -centre - then the shoe is too big.  They may also grab at the excess fabric to see if there is too much at the heel.  Or - if the shoe has a short vamp and you have longer toes - this may cause pain and definitely wouldn't be the right shoe as it may push the front of your foot too far forward, not giving you enough support around your lower foot. Sounds a bit complex but, again - a good fitter will guide you through this.

My experience was somewhat different.  I'd been through a good few pairs and fittings in my late teens and remembered it well to know what I was looking for.  After trying on several pairs to compare, the Grishko Nova jumped out at me.  The shoe felt like it was actually made for my foot!  I could wear it with just a toe cap and an iddy biddy one for my pinky.  I probably wouldn't do this when dancing a lot so tried it with a thin gel pad too and it felt just as nice.  If anything a little more comfy.  I know that many people say these days that you should wear as little padding as possible so your toes can actually have a bit more space - but I think I found a happy medium.  I can always remove the gel pad if they feel too cramped anyway.

Even though I hadn't been en pointé properly for a verrrry long time - who can resist holding a chair back and doing a few relevés to see how beautiful they look.  So shiny and new!!  I gazed at them for hours, appreciating them whilst I could.  I knew that after a month or so they would be starting to look very scuffed and marked.  

The next task would be the darning - could I remember how?  Should I used a suede cap instead?  Should I try a different method altogether?  I'll address all in my next blog post ;-)  So watch this space.

Oh and if this helps anyone - here is a great little article on finding the right pointé shoes for your feet and how to discover what foot type you actually have - you might be surprised! 

Read the full article  HERE :-)

(example image from the article below concerning foot shape and your box shape)

P.S - DON'T just start hopping up onto pointe if it is your first pair  - I only did because I was taking a lot of weight off my feet and my joints had been used to the movements in the past.  You should really be supervised by your teacher when you first start out.

xxx

Core-blimey!

Sorry it has been a while!  Summer has been full of endless activity and not too much time to sit and document it!

The dance school I go to shuts up shop at the end of term so I hoped they would still have some classes to go to throughout the 6-week long summers holidays.  I was in  luck!  There were classes all throughout July and a couple in August so I wouldn't lose the impact of all the hard work I'd put in so far.

The first two classes were lead by my usual teacher.  She did a combination of normal work and core technique classes with huge gym balls.  I really enjoyed the technique classes as my core is the HUGE thing I need to correct and engage.  After so many years of very little activity and a major abdominal surgery scar to contend with, I knew I had my work cut out.  

My abdominal scar goes right the way from my right side all the way over to the left.  It it a regular battle since my recovery from a very odd teratoma tumour a few years back (long story - very boring).  Consequently, any strenuous activity requiring me to engage my middle section is very difficult.  Back bends are almost out of the question and any tough core exercises tend to pull at every fibre of the muscle that didn't ever really knit back together properly.

Having said all that - I have definitely improved a significant amount over the last few years.  At one point I couldn't even sit up in a chair without collapsing back into it, so to be able to even get back to ballet class at all is a God-given miracle for me!

In the first core-class we were given so many exercises involving placing your feet on the ball, back and shoulders plastered to the floor whilst you lift your bum and hips as high as you can.  All this without, of course, rolling off the ball onto the floor in a big sweaty puddle. :-)

I honestly couldn't understand how all these 15/16 year old's managed this with ease and didn't so much as even blink as they steadily drove through each move with their fab abs! I on the other hand, became the sweaty puddle I referred to just now.  Just trying to lift my bum off the floor even two centimetres seemed to be sending my feet into a wobbly mess.  Each shake trying to counteract the last.  I couldn't believe how much effort it actually took to just hold positions I once would have found easy.

However,  practice makes perfect, and this is very true!  I bought a gym ball (Davina's bright green fitness ball)  and carried on the moves at home in-between classes.  By the third class I could hold the positions and even attempt some of the arm movements to increase the difficulty.  I have to say, I wasn't particularly a fan of the ' just for fun' exercises we were given at the end of the last class.  The equivalent to wheelbarrow races in pairs whilst rotating your arms between each move.  I couldn't rotate my arms at all!  It put so much strain on my abdominal muscles it actually felt like they were tearing!  It was all good fun but a bit too much for me by the end! Haha!  Especially as the young fit 16 year olds put me to shame.  Anyway - I definitely feel like I am making huge improvements!

When practising at home- my partner Mark joins me sometimes as he bought he own ball too!  Although - he has commented once or twice that he doesn't want to bother doing the typical ballet move sections because he is only bothered about his core- not his arms or back etc.  I tried to explain that it ALL activates your core - you just don't realise but I don't think he would believe it unless he was told by a professional.  I know how much core strength it takes just to be able to hold yourself in a sitting position, so believe me, all the movements and adjustments work your core!!

The last couple of classes were taken by Anoushka, who dances in musicals in the west end!  She has been in Shrek and 42nd street, which is just fab!  Her classes were trying to cater for a variety of abilities that came along and I think she managed it really well, extending some movements for some and simplifying for others.  It was a wonderful, lyrical class with lots of 'dancy' sequences which I love.  Pas de basque turns, waltz turns and posé coupé turns which left me dancing out of the studios.

Do comment and let me know your experiences with technique class, core workouts or anything you want to really!  I would love to hear from some of you out there in the big, wide scary adult ballet world