New Teachers

I am a pretty shy person, so nothing scares me more than being in unfamiliar situations. That may have been why I was having an internal meltdown when I realized my dance teacher on Monday was going to be a teacher I'd never had before, a former principal with the Cuban National Ballet, and a dancer in New York Companies like The Harlem ballet and Alvin Ailey. She. Was. Awesome.

First off, I have never had a teacher teach in sweatpants and funny colored socks. She speaks english as her second language, so sometimes when going over combinations, it was a little hard to figure out what she was saying. But oh my gosh, I learned so much. She could tell I was lacking in flexibility and didn't push like other teachers tend to do, but she helped me work with what I have. Certain teachers just click with you, they explain things in a way that makes you see something totally differently and clearly, and that's what she did for me. If you ever get the opportunity to dance at a different studio, take open classes, or take a master class, I urge you to try it. A new set of eyes on your technique can pick out certain things (like my less than impressive arabesque), and rearrange or re-explain to make things look and feel better, so now my arabesque doesn't  look so...blah.

Turning Tips!

One thing that every dancer always wants to improve is turns. Why? Well, there is no limit on turning. You can do a great single pirouette? Now do a double. You can do a double en pointe? Next master a triple. You can always build on turns to make them better, which is why they're so tricky. Here are a few little tips to help push your turns to the next level.

1. Spot! Spotspotspotspot. Did I mention, spot. Seriously, spotting is necessary to do more than one turn in a row. The faster you can spot, the better. The way I practiced spotting was by sticking a bright sticky note on the wall, and always keeping my eyes on it when practicing. In the studio, pick something specific to spot until you can do it well. I like to look at the door hinge (oddly specific) when spotting in studio.

2. Don't use too much power! When a lot of people start turning, they use too much power. I did this too. Think of a turn as a balance, and just use enough power to get yourself around. Don't torque yourself up like you're about to do 50 pirouettes.

3. Practice balances. Practice balancing in passe, or in second, or whatever position you want to turn in. The longer you can balance, the longer you can turn.

4. Get on your leg. So, I'm not sure if this will make sense to everyone, but you want to "get on your leg" when turning. Hm, let me try to explain this. When in a pirouette prep position, say, in 4th, you want all your weight on your front let. This is so you can immediately spring up into a balancing position. If you have weight on both legs, it won't be as clean and efficient. If you're turning from 5th, stay on your toes! No weight in your heels at all.

5. Don't move. Okay, well obviously you have to move. What I mean by this is, while you are turning, don't shift your arms or legs. Once the turn starts, pretend like everything is glued into place. Keep your arms still, and don't move your working leg.

6. Posture! Stand up tall, engage your stomach muscles, open your chest, shoulders back and over your hips, hips even, pelvis tucked. Not too hard to remember, eh?

Hope this is helpful, good luck turning!

Pointe Shoe Padding

Hey guys! I wrote a post on this months ago, it was super long and I spent like an hour on it, and then my computer shut down and it was deleted. I didn't have the heart or patience to rewrite it then, but here it is! Better late than never!

So, there are many different types of pointe shoe padding. Some people use very little padding, others use a lot. It all depends on your feet, your shoes, and your pain tolerence. Here's a breakdown.

Fabric Padding:

Fabric padding are generally not too thick, but also not thin. They can occasionally shift around in the shoe, but is a great option. They can be hand washed and air dried. They don't rip and tear easily, and can sometimes be trimmed down, depending on the brand. Fabric tends to be pretty pricey, $15-$25, but is the most durable.













Some examples are Ouch Pouches (which come in nice colors too!), and Skinny Dips.

Gel Padding:

Gel padding is usually pretty thick. It is very protective, but can prevent you from feeling the floor, which is important, especially for beginners. They can tear or rip. They should be hand washed, air dried, and then sprinkled with baby powder or talc powder.


Examples are Eurotards Feather lights and Sansha Toe pads.

Combination Padding

Gel and Fabric can be combined. These types of pads are usually gel with a layer of fabric. The fabric can be worn on the toes, or the gel can, depending on preference. Like gel pads, these can rip and tear, however it is less likely due to the fabric. Like gel, these should be hand washed and sprinkled with powder. I use these (mine are Gellows) and have had them since I started pointe 10 months ago. I really like them, not too thin or thick, and mine have not torn. They aren't too expensive either.












Examples are Gellows and Gel Tip Toe Pillows, both by Pillows for Pointe.

Lambs Wool:

Lambs wool padding can be used as a primary padding or just as a filler for problem spots. It is probably the oldest type of padding. It can be formed into a pad that fits to your foot, or it can be bought in a pre-made pad. It gets thinner as you use it, but can be carefully washed and fluffed dry so it returns to it's original shape. It's generally very thin and versatile.



Examples are Discount Dance Supply Lambs Wool and Lambs Wool Pillows from Pillows for Pointe.

Extras:

There are types of padding other than the main toe pads like those shown above. For example, if you have a large space between your toes, you may want toe spacers. Toe spacers are like a little chunk of gel that you stick between your toes to keep your toes aligned properly. If you have problems with specific areas, you may want to get gel spots, which can be placed anywhere that needs more protection. If you have problems with a specific toe, or if your big toe is smaller than your second toe, you can get toe caps to even the length or further protect a specific toe. I use both Space Makers and Gel Tips because of the gaps between my toes and the length difference in my first and second toe.

Examples are Space Makers, Gel Spots, and Clear Stretch Gel Tips by Bunheads.

There you have it, a basic guide to pointe shoe padding. Tell me what you like, and don't like, to use in the comments!

100th Post!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the break, I wanted my 100th post to be a little special and decided to try my first video! Here it is, a look at my dance bag! Sorry it's so quiet, and my head got cut off at some parts, but hopefully you enjoy it!

Here's a list of things in the video

Bag: Sorry I couldn't find the actual link! I think it's discontinued or something, the brand is Recollections.
Leotard: Capezio Bratek in Burgandy
Pointe shoes: Capezio Arias
Toe Caps: Bunheads ClearStretch Tips
Toe Spacers: Bunheads Spacemakers
Toe Pads: Gellows by Pillows for Pointe
Old Pointes: Bloch Serenades (I almost forgot!)
Shoes: Capezio Dasiy

Tell me if you'd like to see more (hopefully better!) videos, or if I should stick with blog posts for now!

New Pointes and Fitting Tips!

Hello Everyone! Yesterday after school I had a pointe shoe fitting. My dance studio owner scheduled two pointe shoe fitters to come to the studio and get pointe shoes for the girls in my level who had pre-pointe shoes and some of the older girls who needed new shoes as well. I was a bit late from the snow we got, but when I got there I was instructed to put on my toe pads and get in line. I waited about 20 minutes, and then one of the ladies came to help me. She asked my street shoe size, and then looked at my feet for a few seconds and grabbed a pair of Capezios. Way too big. Next, another pair of Capezios. Again, too big. Then a pair of Blochs, too loose. Then another pair of Capezios. I went over to the barre for these ones, and when I stepped onto pointe (when getting fitted they always say, "Step don't roll!") and they winged out and were super loose and baggy. One more pair and I was done. The winners were a beautiful pair of Capezio Arias. When I went over to the barre and stepped onto pointe, they accentuated my pretty high arch quite nicely, and my dance studio owner said they looked amazing (it's hard to get a complement from him!). They are quite a bit softer than my old Bloch Serenades, but I think that will make them a bit easier to dance in. Not to mention, they also have a bigger box. I do get a lot more pressure on my big toe, so I'll need to get some gel spots or something to ease that.

So, when you're getting ready for your first pointe shoe fitting, here are some tips. Make sure you are wearing convertible tights, and if you have toe pads, bring them. If not, get them before you try on shoes, because the shoes will fit differently depending on the padding you have. It's ok to wear jeans, but make sure you can roll them up to your knees. So no skinny jeans! You could be trying on pointes anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour to find the best for you. You'll probably want to try on at least 3 pairs to make sure you get a good variety. Buying your first pointes is more difficult than your second or more pair, because you don't really know how they're supposed to fit. I found out after a few months en pointe that my box was too tapered for me, and the shank was pretty hard for a beginner. Of course, I never would have known this in June, because I didn't really even know what all that meant. You may try on a hundred shoes in 10 different brands, but don't try to rush the process. Pointe shoes need to be the best fit possible to make it as easy and painless as possible for you. When you get the pointe shoes, make sure to get ribbons and elastic as well. You don't want to get ribbon from a craft store, you should get dance ribbon that matches your shoes. Some dance stores even throw it in for free.

When you're getting your pointe shoes, make sure you go to an experienced fitter if your teacher doesn't set up an appointment. If you have to drive 45 minutes to get there, do it. At my last "pointe shoe fitting", I tried on one pair and she said they were good. Ugh. Don't let that happen to you!

So there you have it! My pointe shoe fitting and tips, hope I helped!

Pointe FAQ

Frequently asked questions about pointe. If you have any questions, ask in the comments!

1. When can I start pointe?
I don't know. I don't know you, and even if I did I couldn't tell you. What I can tell you is that you generally need about 3 years of 3 classes a week to start pointe, and you should be 12 or older. There is no set rule though, I began pointe after 2 years of classes at the descretion of my ballet teacher and artistic director. I know girls who have been dancing for years but are still not ready, whether they are still growing or too weak.

2. What shoes should I get?
You need to be fitted for pointe shoes by a professional fitter. There are tons of styles for high arches vs. low arches, long toes vs. short toes, tapered toes vs. squared toes, ect. No brand is really better than the other. I have Bloch Serenades and love them, they're nice and hard, durable, and pretty. They support my feet well, but they may not work for you. It might take a few different models and brands before you find your "perfect shoe".

3. What kind of padding?
It depends. I'm writing a padding post tomorrow so you can compare and contrast. I use gellows by pillows for pointe, and like them a lot.

4. Does it hurt?
Well, sort of. It's uncomfortable, but only if you have injuries. For example, I get really bad ingrown toenails (gross I know, sorry!) and it causes a lot of pain en pointe for me when they are bad. However, when they aren't ingrown, it is not painful. At first it will feel foreign, because lets face it, people weren't built for dancing on their toes. With the proper toe pad and pointe shoe combination, it shouldn't hurt.

5. Will my feet get blisters/bruised toenails/ect?
Probably, they will. Embrace it! Gross feet are the mark of a dancer. Ingrown toenails, bruised toenails, cracked toenails, blisters, and bruises may occur. If your feet aren't too bad, you may just get some callouses.

6. What can I do when I first start pointe?
Well, unless you're getting pre-professional training, you'll start with a lot of eleves, releves, and eschappes. Then you'll move on to passe and coupe balances, and things like bourrees and pas de bourrees. Then maybe chaine and pique turns. Rome wasn't built in a day!

7. Is it worth it?
To me it is, or I wouldn't be doing it! If you love ballet and a little discomfort doesn't bother you, go for it!

Bloch Serenades!

So, hope that helps! To the other pointe dancers out there, is it just me or do new pointes smell amazing?

Things People Don't Tell You About Ballet

Hey everyone, sorry for the long break! With finals coming up I was super stressed, but I read all your comments and was so thankful you guys want to read more! Thank you all so much, seriously.

So, when you're about to start ballet, and you're talking to late starters or people who used to dance, they leave out some things. Here they are:

1. You don't wear underwear with a leotard, generally. It looks absolutely ridiculous when the sides of your tighty whities are sticking out of the sides of your leotard. If you want to wear underwear, go with a thong, or something seamless. Victoria's Secret has seamless yoga panties, they work like a charm. With bras, if you don't need one don't wear one, but they do make dance bras or if you don't care about it showing, sports bras.

2. You'll be sore. Oh my, will you be sore. When I came back from a 2 week winter break, I was literally shaking by the end of class due to overstretching my muscles  Fast forward to next morning, everything hurts. Even things I didn't know could be sore were sore.

3. Some days will just be off. Sometimes, you won't be able to turn, or you'll mess up that combination every single time. And then, if you're like me, you'll start tearing up about messing up. Don't worry about it though! It happens to all of us!

4. Pointe = ouch. I love pointe, it's so fun, graceful and difficult. But boy, do my feet hurt after pointe class. In the toes, the arches, and the ankles.

5. You will not be good right away. It took me months to nail a single pirouette when I first started. And en pointe, things don't just carry over from flat. I've been en pointe since June and still am doing basic barre work in class.

6. 80% of the time, you'll start writing pointe instead of point.

7. Your feet will be gross. Bunions, blisters, ingrown toenails, bruised toenails, no toenails, callouses, ect. Right now, I have ingrown toenails on both of my big toes, making pointe really painful, but also, my feet are horrendous. 

I promise, they won't be this bad!

8. Some dance moms are crazy. I don't know why, but a lot (not all!) of dance moms are super protective of their dancing daughters, and they'll do anything. They'll yell at little girls (see my next post), they'll yell at artistic directors and teachers, they'll make back handed comments, and they'll tell their little girl they are the absolute best. Just a warning to everyone.

So, there's just a few things to the other dancers, did I miss any? Don't let these discourage you from dancing though! Dance is my favorite thing to do, and no matter how gross my feet are or how sore I am, I still can't wait to get back. Happy Dancing!

Off Days and On Days

So, Monday was a bad day. I took a three huge tests, didn't get much sleep, and was a jittery mess. In dance, I couldn't focus, and even though I knew combinations, I couldn't get my feet to follow what my brain was saying. By the end of class I had gotten countless corrections, each directed towards the class but I knew they were meant for me. It was horrible. By the end of class I was biting back tears at how awful I was. 

Today was completely different. I got to class 15 minutes late (thanks traffic jams!) but was on the ball from the moment I got in. I nailed most of barre, held pretty good balances (especially in front attitude, yay!), and focused on arms, head position, and feet so I really got into each combo. Center was pretty good, I didn't mess up anything too badly either. I also learned Russian Pas de Chats (finally!!) today, and even though the other girls learned them on Wednesday and Saturday (the company classes are then), I was the one complimented on them. We also did pointe today, at barre and in center. I got a little frustrated when we did chaines and pique turns from the left side. For some reason, I can do it pretty well left to right, but right to left is a mess. 

Anyways, don't let one or two bad classes get you down. I think one of the best ways to have a good class is to visualize! Run through combinations in your head before class. During class, pay attention and mark it like you mean it!

Another Nutcracker Rehearsal on Friday, I'll update again then.

Inspirational Pictures

Svetlana Zakharova as Aurora in the Kirov's Sleeping Beauty

Alina Cojocaru in Giselle

Sylvie Guillem in Don Quixote

Class Etiquette

Hey guys! Here's a list of some ballet class etiquette rules I've learned over the past few years!

Misty Copeland

• Plan to arrive at least 5-10 minutes early for class. That gives you time to change, warm up, and allows for traffic jams.
• If you are late to class, walk in as quietly and quickly as possible so you don't disturb the class. Pick up with the next combination. After class apologize for being late.
• When going to the barre, leave enough space for the people around you. Leave enough space so the people around you can grand battement to every side without kicking you. 
• Don't chat during class. It's ok to ask someone to move over, but don't chit chat. If you're confused about the combination, it's best to ask the teacher so you don't look disrespectful.
• If you won't be able to go to class or a rehearsal, call or e-mail the studio as soon as possible. Schedule a make-up class if necessary. My old studio especially appreciated this because many of the girls were driving and the teachers worried that they ran into trouble on the roads.
• Turn your cell phones on silent during class. Don't text during breaks unless it's necessary.
• Always be ready for class. There's no point showing up to ballet class without ballet shoes, so try to remember everything!
• Keep your hair up in a tight bun. Use a hairnet if you tend to get loose chunks of hair. It looks cleaner and more respectful when your appearance is neat.
• Don't complain about combinations! I can't stand when girls say something like, "Can we skip frappes? I hate frappes." No, we can not skip frappes! (I actually love frappes anyway. And Starbucks frappes. Yum.)
• Try not to look bored. Crossing your arms, hunching over, yawning, ect. all make you look like you don't want to be there. Stand up straight and cover any yawns.
• Use the bathroom before class. If you absolutely must go during class, go during a water break, and be quick!
• After class thank the teacher. If you have an accompanist, thank them also.
• 
  

My Light Stage Make-Up

Hello again! I'm by no means a make-up expert. I really don't use much make-up at all. For those of you like me, here's a post on my basic stage make-up.


1. Wash and moisturize your face. I use a Clean and Clear face wash, but if you have sensitive skin or really nice skin water is fine. If you have dry skin, use a face moisturizer so your skin doesn't flake when you have makeup on.


2. Apply foundation. I use a creamy foundation by Maybelline for oil-control. If you're in between shades, go for the darker one because stage lights can wash out your face, but don't go four shades darker or anything too dramatic. 














3. Put on eye-liner. Many girls I know prefer liquid eye-liner for stage makeup because it's very dramatic, but I just use plain old pencil eyeliner. I would go with a black. For Nutcracker, I wing my eyeliner, but for the recital I just apply it to the top lash line. Some girls apply white eyeliner on the waterlines for the lower lashes, and at the corner of your eye to make your eyes look bigger.

Winged Eyeliner

4. Put on mascara. Next, I use mascara. To apply it, close your eyes half way, and first apply it on the top side of your upper lashes. Then open your eyes, and put it on the bottom side. When applying it to the bottom, wiggle the brush a little to separate the lashes. Then apply it to your lower lashes. I usually end up smearing my mascara or getting it on my eyelids, so at this point I use a q-tip dipped in eye makeup remover to clean up any little mistakes.


5. Eye shadow. I use a neutral brown eye shadow for performances where there's no specific color requested.


6.  Blush. I use a pink blush for performances because it adds dimension to your face so it doesn't look flat. When I put on blush, I smile and put it mostly on the apples of my cheeks. Then I use a little and brush it outward and slightly upwards towards my ear.

7. Next, I use a translucent powder to set the makeup and make my face matte, so it doesn't shine under the stage lights. I use Neutrogena oil-control translucent powder.

8. Finally, I put on a little lipstick. I like natural but slightly darker shades, sort of like a reddish-brown.




I get most of my makeup from Target, and I get my lipstick from Boscov's makeup section. If you need high quality makeup for a performance or show, ask someone at a makeup store to help you find the right shades for your skin tone.

Picture Day

Hey everyone! June is just around the corner, and we all know what that means (or maybe we don't)! Recitals and spring shows are just a month or so away. With recitals comes pictures, dress rehearsals, and, of course, last minute problems that seem like a catastrophe.


Today I have dance pictures for my teen ballet studio. For anyone who hasn't ever had dance pictures, it's just like getting a school picture taken, but you're in a dance costume inside of a dance studio. We are allowed to wear our hair anyway, because as my dance teacher says, "Hey, it's your picture." I think I'll go for the standard bun though, because it's how I always wear my hair for dance.


Here are just some tips I learned at my pictures last year. 


1. Show up early! Most likely, something will go wrong. That's just the way things work, you know? Last year I forgot the hair piece we were using, which was like a ribbon, and had to get my mom to speed to the studio to bring it to me.

2. Blend makeup well! If you don't have naturally perfect skin and decide to wear makeup, make sure you blend it into your neck, and even around your chesy as well. My picture last year looked really weird because my face was tanner then my neck and chest. I like to wear foundation, translucent oil control powder, mascara, very subtle lipstick or tinted chapstick, and a tiny bit of natural looking eyeshadow. If your dance routine includes crazy makeup, wear it like you would for the recital.

3. Take off your nail polish! I painted my nails last night, two coats of pink and a clear coat on top, and as they were drying I thought, "Oh, I have pictures tomorrow. Shoot." In about 5 minutes I'll be removing every last bit of polish. Clear coats and french manicures are fine for pictures.

4. Remember that a picture only takes a second to take. You can adjust anything so it will sit right, even if only for a second or two. A girl in my class has dark skin, and our costumes have tan straps that are supposed to blend in.  Since they stand out a bit on her, she's just tucking them into the costume and taking the picture. It won't work for the recital, the costume would just fall right off, but in a picture it's fine.

I have to go get my picture taken now, Happy Dancing!


Edit: Hey guys, I just got home from pictures. For my individual picture they had me in fourth on releve with one high arm and one in like a curved second. For the group picture they had me kick my leg up in arabesque, since I'm the only one in my class that's really strong enough to do that, and my line is usually ok. The photographer counted off (3, 2, 1, go!) and I would lift my leg into the highest arabesque possible, which is only about 90 degrees. One other girl was in the back with me, but she was doing 4th releve, and there were two girls in front, one girl kind of sat with one leg out and one leg under her, and the other did a kneeling position with one leg out.

How to find a dance studio

So, if you haven't started dance yet, one of the first steps to starting dance is actually finding a studio. You want to make sure you find the best studio possible, so here are some tips.

1. Decide how intense you want the class to be, and consider whether you would like to compete or do performances. I dance at two studios, one is a recreational, med-intensity competition studio, and the other is an intense performance studio. My recreational studio doesn't do full shows, but they do competitions, and the intense studio does The Nutcracker and performs in many different places, but does not compete.

2. Decide how many classes you want to take a week. You can take just one class if you want to do ballet purely for recreation, but if you want to do pointe, you should take at least two 90 minute classes a week, with more being better.

3. Start looking! Use yellowpages.com, recommendations from friends, and even look in the phone book for dance studios near you. Pick a few with the right amount and intensity of dance classes for you. 

4. Look for qualified teachers. If training at a more intense ballet academy, the teacher should have professional training, and should have been a professional dancer. A competition school should have a successful record with competitions.

5. Consider price. A  class shouldn't be more then $12 or $13 for a group class. Private classes can often be several times that number.

5. Check out the area. You can ask to take a class to get a feel for the studio, and while you are there, check out the studios. Are they large, air conditioned/heated, and clean? Are there enough barres and floor to ceiling mirrors on at least one wall? Is there sprung Marley flooring? Also, how do you like the teacher? Is s/he nice, does s/he use time wisely, does s/he explain properly and give corrections? How is the atmosphere, is it as strict or as relaxed as you want it to be?

Quick Update

Hey everyone! I had my teen class tonight, and we had a lot of fun. We turned out the lights, blasted music, and spent most of the class doing flexibility and strengthening exercises. It was so stress releiving and relaxing. 


I've gotten a few requests for a stage makeup post and a stretching post. One of my friends agreed to help me with the stage makeup, and we even discussed making a video instead of a post and, same for the stretching. What do you guys think about maybe doing a video? I don't really like to be on camera (I think my voice is weird), but I think I can suck it up if you guys are interested.


So tell me what you think!


Edit: Hey guys, my friend and I tried to make a make-up video, but unfortunately my camera lagged a lot and the video and audio didn't match up! We were really dissappointed that it didn't work out, and I'm sorry I couldn't get it up. I may try again when I get a better camera. Also, sorry for the lack of posts, I'll work on one sometime this week.

Quick Tips for Ballet Class

Hey everyone, I decided to come up with a list of tips for dance class.


1. Warm up before class. Try to get warmed up 10 minutes or so before class so you are in the mood to dance and don't get any cramped muscles. The warmer you are the more flexible you are, so that's good too. A simple warm up could be jogging in place, jumping rope, doing a jumping combination, or playing Just Dance (I love JD). When I'm running short on time, I do some gentle stretching in the car on the way to dance, usually just sticking my feet on the dashboard and touching my toes.


2. Focus in class. As hard as it is, try not to let your mind wander. In my classes at the academy, we go over combinations once or twice before doing them. If you aren't paying attention, you become so lost. My teacher might say something like, "We'll start in first, do two tondues, a tondu in plie, and another tondu, close in fifth. Repeat to the side, closing front first, and back. Reverse the combination. Then go to passe, close front, passe, close back, passe close front. Then do a circular port de bras. Plie releve, and hold." If your mind wanders, you might catch one sentence, resulting in a really bad looking barre combination. I have definitely done that before, and it is pretty embarrassing.


3. Don't eat an hour before class. It's ok to eat something light, like a granola bar, half an hour or so before class, but always try to time meals so you have an hour after finishing before ballet. Big meals plus ballet is not fun.


4. Put your hair up in a bun. It is so much easier to turn if your hair is up in a bun. Plus, it looks cleaner and neater.


5. Don't talk in class. This comes off as disrespectful to the teacher, and it's distracting to students. It's ok to ask for help, of course, and to talk during water breaks, but keep chatter in class to a minimum.

Brag Post

I'm not sure if any of you have ever visited the website Ballet Talk for Dancers, but it's a great place to visit if you have any questions about ballet. Most likely, it's already been asked, and if it hasn't, then you can ask it. On the website, they have a Brag Board, where the members can comment about any progression, roles, compliments their teachers gave them, when they start ballet/pointe, ect. So I want this to be the "brag board". Comment below with anything you want to say, don't worry about being modest!


I'll start: Yesterday, I did my first ever triple pirouette on flat :)


Please comment! I love reading comments, it's my favorite thing about the blog.

PNF Stretching

A few days ago I came across something called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or PNF stretching for short. In this method of stretching, you hold a stretch for 10-20 seconds, and then tense up and contract all of your muscles for 10-20 seconds, and then relax them so you can go into a deeper stretch. I decided to try this out with my splits and have seen some progress. I've gone from about 5" off the floor to around 3". I thought I'd share this video with you. 

**Always warm up for at least 10 minutes before stretching and always cool down after stretching. Do not try this without permission of a dance teacher or doctor. Do not do PNF stretching more then 3 times a week. If it hurts, STOP. Your body knows what it can handle, and pain is it's way of saying it's too much.

New Post Ideas

Hey everyone, hope you are all having a nice winter break! I just want to thank everyone who has been following the blog! I can't believe the blog has over 1,000 views, that's awesome. To my followers, thank you! I always love to see when I get a new follower. I know I haven't made a real post in a while, so sorry about that! I do still check the blog every day in my free time for comments and opinions, I always love to read them.


I have been having a hard time trying to come up with new post ideas. I have a few ideas, but they will take me a few months to get to (ex. I'll be making plenty of Pointe articles once I start in the Spring). If you have anything you want to know or any questions about ballet, please leave a comment and I'll make a post about it asap!

*I have gotten a few requests for exercises to improve turns, flexibility, ect, and after thinking it over, I decided not to make any posts regarding this type of stuff. I would hate for someone to get hurt after trying something I advised, that would kill me. You can ask a qualified dance teacher for these kinds of things, they will be able to help much more then I can.


Also, tell me how you like the new layout! I think it's a bit nicer, but I would love to hear opinions!

What to Know Before Your First Ballet Class

Hey everyone, here are some things you should know before your first ballet class!


1. Dress code! Call or E-mail your dance studio and find out what you need to wear to class. You can also ask them if they can recommend a good dance supply store.

2. Location and parking. Before going to your ballet class, make sure you know where it is, and make sure you know the parking situation. My dance academy in a city, and the parking lot is very tough to get too. It's in a very large building dedicated to the arts, so it's actually on the 4th floor of the building. It is not fun trying to find parking, then the elevator, then the right floor, then the right studio (out of three) the day of your first dance class, so visit it ahead!

3. Some basics. Do NOT practice ballet AT ALL before you're first class! However, it's good to watch some videos so you'll have a rough idea of what you need to do. Here is a good video. Again, DO NOT practice this at home!

And really, that's all! Don't be nervous for your first ballet class, just relax and have fun!


Edit: The blog was uploading much slower the past few days, so I deleted a few photos from this and it seems to be going faster again. Sorry 'bout that!

What to Keep in Your Dance Bag

Hey everyone, I got a request for a dance bag post, so here it is! My dance bag is just a plain purple tote bag, so here's what's in it.


1. My skirts. I keep both of my ballet skirts in my dance bag so I don't forget them. I like to have a choice, so that's why I have two. Sometimes I'm in a purple and gray mood, other times pink and black, haha. Mine sort of look like this, they are a little shorter though.

2. Legwarmers. I have a pair of black legwarmers I wear before dance and while I warm up.

3. Therabands. Therabands or any type of rubber resistance band is good for strengthening your feet and ankles for ballet and pointe. 

4. Hair pins, hair ties, and a small brush. The hair pins I use aren't like skinny bobby pins, they are wide and are useful for buns. I can use anywhere from 4 to 12 bobby pins in a bun. I keep extra hair ties in case one snaps when I'm dancing (I have thick hair), or if I forget to put my hair up.  If you have short hair or bangs you may want to get a hair band or pre-wrap.

5. My ballet slippers. I have just plain old Bloch slippers. Take your slippers out of your bag so they can air dry after class.

6. A water bottle. I have a big glass water bottle I take to class, those jumping combinations can get tiring. Empty your bottle or take it out of your bag after class so it doesn't spill.

7. Deodorent. This is kind of weird, but you never know! I have the kind that doesn't show as obviously on clothing so you can't see it on my black leotard.

8. My cell phone and Ipod. I always have my cell on me to text my mom if class is cancelled/shortened/lengthened, and I make a calender event on it when Nutcracker rehearsals are posted. I listen to my Ipod, my ballet playlist of course, before class to get into the dancing mood. I have a purple nano, like the one in the picture, plus a few scratches.

Hope this was helpful!