Monthly Archives: June 2012

pointe shoe abuse

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If you’ve ever seen Center Stage, Black Swan, or any ballet movie really, you know that pointe shoes take a great deal of abuse.  My question is- Is it possible that most of their suffering is undergone before they even so much as smell a callused foot?

The video above, featuring dancers from The Australian Ballet, suggests this is true.  After watching this video, I thought that perhaps some of you readers might be interested to know what kind of torture I put my pointe shoes through before it’s their turn to torture me…

the supplies:

  1. my shoes– 4 1/2 xxxx Grishko 2007 Medium-Hard shank, depending on the type of work I’m doing
  2. Grishko ribbons– sewn on by hand
  3. elastic– sewn on by hand
  4. Stitch Kit– contains industrial strength needle and thick pink waxed thread
  5. upholstery thread– it’s super strong, but much softer than the waxed thread- prevents the tiny knots inside my shoe from causing blisters
  6. lighter– to burn the ends of the ribbons and elastics so they won’t fray
  7. sharp, pointy scissors– to scruff the bottom sole, aka the “shank”, and the satin at the very tip off the toe, aka the top of the “box”, so it’s not too slippery
  8. a hammer (I pound out the underneath-ball-of-the-foot area)- to flatten and soften the bottom of the shoe so that is is silent onstage
  9. Jet Glue– (sometimes this step happens before I’ve ever worn the shoes, sometimes it’s a last-resort attempt to save a pair of prematurely softened shoes)- I pour the glue into the toe part of the shoe and onto the shank where it usually breaks, to reenforce the strength
  10. tape– I always tape up several of my toes and use silicon toe spacers and lambswool toepads inside my shoes for a little protection and cushion (but I prefer when the lambswool has matted down a bit)
  11. water– after putting on new pointe shoes for the first time, I carefully run the bunion area of both shoes under a slow trickle of water, to allow them to mold to the shape of my feet

And that’s all it is!  I also step on the boxes and gently bend the shanks to soften them up a bit.  Sometimes my shoes undergo a far more grueling process in which I take the heels apart in order to tighten them, but altering them like this is extremely time consuming.  And when you’re preparing AT LEAST one new pair per week, time is of the essence.

Hope you enjoyed this little peek inside my dance bag…happy hump day, dears!

feeling knotty

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Tooling around at 11:30 pm alone at the apartment on a Tuesday night after watching a thrilling hour of all new Dance Moms can lead to some interesting things.  Tonight’s epic discovery?  My hair has reached a length at which I am able to tie it into a fancy little knot, which is being cleverly referring to as, drum rollllllll: the “hair” bow.  Snappy, dontcha think?

mirrors on the ceiling

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Sometimes while practicing the art of antiquing, you find a piece that needs a bit of TLC.  In the case of this gorgeous mirror I was lucky enough to snatch up at the York Antiques Center, (my mom and I simultaneously spotted it just as the dealer was bringing it in the front door- timing is everything!), a bit of TLC meant a simple rewiring to bring it back to its wall-hanging glory.  If you’ve never rewired something before, don’t be alarmed by the electrical-sounding-mumbo-jumbo; Re-outfiting a picture or mirror to enable wall hanging is extremely easy.  If the piece already has round hooks, here’s the trick:

Grab a pair of wire cutters and some strong, flexible multi-threaded picture frame wire…Cut the wire to the width of the frame, leaving several inches extra on either side and thread each end through the loops…Twist the wire back over itself…

Et voilà!

Can’t wait to hang this beauty up in my apartment!

a backyard picnic

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Hors d’euorvers, pretty table clothes, wine, cheese, candles, and friends.  This is summer.

On Friday night, the roommie and I invited our best girlfriends over to celebrate the fact that we are all in one place for the first time all summer.  It was such a fun night spent being fancy with our wine glasses and delicious dips (I made an awesome Mediterranean dip- recipe post coming soon)  and repeatedly commenting on how awesome it was to all be together again.  I love my friends.  They are pretty awesome. :)

Have a productive and stress-free Monday, chickens!

ps- I have a doctor’s appointment this morning for the little toe, everyone send your good vibes this way!

insight

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Ever since finishing the Hunger Games trilogy, I’ve been hunting for a new book to stick my nose in.  After skimming my shelves, I realize my options were pretty limited; Grimm’s Fairytales, British Social Realism, and The Color Purple were among the list of “unread”.  Also in that list was Bunheads, a novel written by ex-New York City Ballet dancer, Sophie Flack.

This book was an impulse buy- yes, sometimes I troll around the book section of Target hoping to be inspired by some great literary work calling out to me from the shelf- mostly justified by its pretty, tutu-laden cover.  So, in my book-deprived  frenzy, I snatched up the pretty cover (and all the pages inside), still holding on to my skepticism concerning any type of fictional novel about ballet.  Then I started reading…and reading…aaaand reading…and then I finished it.  In 2 days.  I even used my phone to take down some quotes I found inspiring…

What I realized while reading this book (a sort of half-memoir, half-fictional drama chronicling a young dancer’s assent into the ranks of one of the world’s top ballet companies), was how incredibly gratifying it is to read a work about ballet in the words of someone who truly understands it.  And not only does Ms. Flack understand the world of ballet, she lived and breathed it.  So much so, that its all-consuming ways forced her main character to second-guess  everything she’s ever worked for.  Her dream.  A promotion to soloist.

Yes, this book has a very cheesy title, and yes, I can admit to being a big bunhead dork for giving it a chance, but I can also say I’m very glad I did.  Because I think it’s safe to say a fire has been lit.  So WHAT are you waiting for?  Go read it.

my baby

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Yep, you read that right, folks!  I have adopted a chid purchased a Givenchy bag, and since the stork Fedex dropped it off, it’s been non-stop mother/bag bonding.  Needless to say, I’m a little obsessed.  But how could I not be?  It’s roomy, soft, smells like France and fresh leather- oh, and it’s the perfect shade of caramel brown.  Well, I’m off to snuggle with my bag, do something totally normal.  Happy weekend!

ghosts

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Today is rainy and cold in York Beach, and it’s left me sitting in bed delving far too deep into the mysteriously expansive depths of the interwebs.  And what have I found, you ask?  Why, a trove of old ballet photos of myself I never knew existed! Needless to say, it’s making me miss my pointe shoes, my friends, the studio and that ballet body that is quickly disappearing (seriously abs, where did you go?!).  Unearthing these oldie pictures (most of which were taken in the summer of 2010) is making the sting of my temporary ballet ban even more poignant.  :(  I just have to remember, it’s for the best!  Please everyone send your good vibes over to my stitched up baby toe!  On that note, I leave you with these ghosts of summer ballet intensives past…

armswag: arm candy edition

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(hair tie from Wink, sparkle wrap bracelet aso from Wink, David Yurman cuff, evil eye seed bead bracelet from April Daze, Leif beaded bracelet, friendship bracelet made by moi, Alex & Ani anchor bracelet, birthday present from my besties)

I feel that this round of armswag requires a little explanation.  You see, it’s not every day I coat my wrist in obnoxiously bright and sparkly bracelets…my outfit was as follows: white button down, white shorts, denim shirt.  Blah, blah, neutral, blah.  So I jazzed it up with an arm party that couldNOT be ignored.

good morning

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This is not a bad view to wake up to in the morning.  There’s something about hearing the waves, smelling the blueberry pancakes, and feeling the salty air on your face before opening your eyes that sets the tone for a relaxing summer day.  And then you open your eyes.  And it’s calm blue water as far as you can see.  Say it with me now, ahhh.  Happy Tuesday, lovelies!