Bloch Aspiration Pointe Shoe

These are the shoes I have worn pretty much since I started on pointe, although I think that my very firt pair of pointe shoes were a pair designed for beginners.

These shoes are specially designed for students, and are my ballet schools recommended shoes. I personally love them, they're comfortable, provide good support and stability and they look good too. They're a dream to dance in!

The shoe has a wide toe box and platform, which provides a lot of stabilty - it allows the "toes to spread" according to the description. The shank is flexible, making allowing the foot to move much more easily, yet still provides adequate support - the description says that "the shank construction encourages the shank to bend at "three quarters"" They take a while to break in, but once they are broken in, they are wonderful. They provide plenty of support even when broken in, and they take longer to wear out than other shoes I have danced in - I have a friend who has been on pointe for two years I think, and she has about 20 pairs of dead shoes. I do five ballet classes a week, and two of those are pointe (one of them is helping out the little kids, but shush, I count it as a class!) and one pair of these shoes will last me about a term.

They aren't the prettiest shoes available, I only wear them for classes not for performance, but they provide so much support that I love them just the same!

 

Callie xx

Freed Classic Pro

For her 18th birthday my sister recieved a pair of Freed of London's Classic Pro shoes. These shoes are pretty expensive, and as a student I wouldn't wear them, because a) they are designed for professional dancers and b) I wouldn't want to wear them out! But my sister let me try them today, and oh, how I love them! (But only for about a minute, so excuse the slightly undetailed review!)

They have a deep vamp, which I really like, 3/4" shank, and a forward pitched platform. All of these things add up to make a shoe that I really really love. As I said, I can't review the show in detail, merely list what it has and why I like it, because my sister is guarding these shoes with her life!

If you want a really expensive, special pair of shoes, then these are the perfect shoes. If you want a pair of shoes you can practice in and not worry about wearing out, get a cheaper pair!



Callie xx

Grishko 2007 Pointe Shoe

I don't tend to wear Grishko shoes, I'm strictly a Bloch girl, but my friend recieved these for Christmas, and very kindly said I could see what I thought of them :)

This shoe has a U shaped vamp, liked by some people, but I personally prefer a V shape. However, it is a very supportive vamp, I would say verging on the constrictive side of supportive, but both my sister and my friend like the vamp, so it could just be me being picky. The shank is 3/4 length, which I like a lot. It is quite a standard shoe, ie, it's for people that don't have weird feet like me! It's quite a light shoe, which I do like, although for it's weight it is surprisingly loud. It claims that the lightness of the shoe makes for an easy transition from demi-pointe to pointe and vice versa, this is certainly true. The platform is a nice size, not too big, certainly smaller than the Bloch Amelie, but that's because this isn't a beginners pointe shoe. It still has the feeling of being a steady shoe, I have come across some that had small platforms that I felt slightly unsteady in. It is also a very comfortable shoe - definate bonus there!

I like it's appearance, but then again, I like the appearance of pretty much all ballet shoes! I could be picky and say that I like the look of the V shaped vamps better, but I do like the overall look of the shoe.

 

Callie xx

How to make a "Pancake" Tutu

Again, courtesy of my Mama!

 

These are the tutus seen in ballets such as Swan Lake, or the Nutcracker (specifically in the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy) which stick out.

 

You will need:

Measuring tape

Ribbon, Leotard, ballet basque or dance briefs

Snaps (only if using Ribbon) 

Thread

Sewing machine  

Scissors

Stiff petticoat tulle

Needle

The tutu should be attached to dance briefs. The tutu could also be attached to a leotard for a beginner, but they are typically worn on dance briefs (or a basque) either with a bodice, or attatched to a bodice.

 

Typically, a pancake tutu falls from the dancer's hip, just below the waist.

 

Cut three to four lengths each of tulle in successive layers ranging in length from 12 1/2 inches to 1 1/2 inches. There should be a 1 to 2 inch gradation in the layers from the top to the bottom. (So there should be between 36 and 48 layers)

 

Stitch each layer horizontally onto the brief or lower basque, starting with the longest and working downwards to the crotch. You will need to use the gathering foot attachment on your sewing machine.

 

To gain stiffness in the tutu, add a wired layer. To create a wired layer use soft, plaiable wire sewn into two pieces of tulle in a circle around the base and the top. This should be placed either in the middle or at the base, depending on how you wish your tutu to look.

Alternatively, if you wished to be able to wear your tutu for more general purposes, you could build it around a thick piece of ribbon, adding snaps to enable you to open and close it - follow the instructions on building a Romantic tutu when measuring ribbon sizes etc.

Again, buy more tulle than you think you need!

Callie xx

How to make a "Romantic" Tutu

Courtesy of my Mama!

These are the tutus that are worn in ballets such as Giselle - the long, floaty bell-shaped ones that come down past the knee.

You will need:
Ribbon

Measuring tape

Fine silk or nylon tulle

Snaps  

Thread

Sewing machine

Scissors

Needle

Fabric

Measure the waist and side length from waist to just below the knee.

Cut a piece of wide ribbon to the length of the waist measurement, plus 1 1/2 inches. Attach two snaps on each end, the ribbon should fit snugly but not too tightly around the waist.

Multiply the waist dimension by 3. This is the width of tulle you  need to gather to create sufficient fullness for this tutu

Cut enough tulle for the length of the waist to below-the-knee measurement to create three full layers.
Stitch each layer up the center back to within 6 inches of the top edge.

Run a gathering or basting stitch through all three layers and gather them to fit the ribbon waist band. You can run another basting stitch through the gathered layers to stabilize them before you stitch them to the waistband.

Top stitch the layers of tulle to the wrong side of the waist band, allowing for a small overlap at the center back closure.

Et voila, a Romantic Tutu! I will post the "Pancake" Tutu instructions in another post.

My Mama says a tip is to buy much more tulle that you think you will need - it will take a lot more than you think! This is, however, the cheapest way to have your own Tutu, and it also ensures the best fit - tailored just for you!



Callie xx

Bloch Amelie Pointe Shoe

I believe that this shoe was formally known as the protegee.

This is an intoductory pointe shoe, or so it says on the box. I personally would be happy to dance in it now, although I recognise that it is probably meant for somebody just starting en pointe.

It has a large platform, larger than your average pointe shoe, and wider too, which makes balancing much easier, a definate bonus for somebody just starting pointe work. It is claimed that it has "noise reducing foam" but it makes the same amount of noise as my normal pointe shoes (I had my sister dance at the same time, and my brother listen. He says that there is no definate audible difference.) It has a much softer insole than more advanced shoes, which I personally don't like, but would be good for a beginner as it allows the foot to move and work in the shoe easier. It also has a graded shank to allow beginners to rise onto pointe more easily.

The look of the pointe shoe is nice - perhaps not as nice looking as the most expensive of pointe shoes, but as this shoe is for beginners and is retailed at below £30 the look is good for it. The satin is shiny, and the slight v shape of the Vamp (slightly more pronouced than other shoes I have seen) makes the foot look longer and is more flattering to the foot than more rounded vamps I have seen.


Peace Out,

Callie xx

Bienvenue a mon blog!

Hihi, I'm Callie, an overexcitable American from Brooklyn currently living in the UK. Where, I shall not disclose. Well, I wouldn't want a creepy stalker, would I?

I'm a dance student, classical ballet predominantly, but also some ballroom if my dance teacher is feeling particularly mean (me+heels+dancing=epic fail).

I've recently done my toes in, and have been told no pointe work for a month, how boring! Demi pointe just doesn't cut it once you've been on actual pointe for five or six years! So, to get my pointe "fix," I've started this blog, and joined a bunch of forums! This blog will be me, my computer, and me trialling a whole ton of pointe shoes that I've recently bought and won't be able to dance in for a while. Therefore, I shall be trying them, (very, very briefly!) posting what I think of them, and hoping that somebody else out there will have danced in them properly and be able to tell me what they think of them for actually dancing in them!

So basically, this is a site for pointe shoe reviews - for students! Most of the reviews out there are aimed at professional dancers or amateur dancers, no in between, or so I think anyway!

I'm also going to try and post tips and tricks that my teacher has taught me that may not be so mainstream, and also do reviews of some other ballet items - and put instructions up about how to make a tutu (courtesy of my mama!)

Peace Out,

Callie xx