Dance Products That Are Worth The Hype!

Its back to class time, new term and lots of new dancewear products onto the market, promising to help you stretch, bend and get better feet! 

Heres a few products, some old some new, that we feel are definitely worth the investment, and do deliver what they promise:

1. OUCH POUCHES from Bunheads

Yes! Definitely! Use them! Anything that helps make pointe work less painful is a good thing! They contain a thin layer of gel material within two pieces of fabric, and cushion the ball of the foot and the toes. They really do help make pointe work more comfortable, and definitely worth the purchase. Go for the the coloured ones - our favs are the hot pink/purples - and add some fun to class!

http://www.innovationdanceboutique.com/ouch-pouch.html

2. Capezio CHILD LOVE BALLET SHOES

The latest children's ballet flats from Capezio are designed to grow with their owners, so that the same pair of shoes can last over a size and a half. They can work as both a full sole and a split sole, and have a mesh growth pocket in between the two sections of the suede sole. Pretty cotton lining, and a lovely soft leather upper make this a great quality ballet shoe. May not be popular with every teacher for the split sole element, but definitely a clever idea, and worth a look.

3. GEL DANCE ARCH ENHANCER

OK this is the one!! A bit of a cheat, (well a lot of a cheat!) but if you are looking for a great arch, this is amazing! You really can't see

them under ballet tights, and they're fine to be worn with ballet flats

and pointe shoes. Pricey, as they retail at around £75, but if you want to give your arch a boost, this is what you need! 

How To Fit Your Pointe Shoes

Getting your first pair of pointe shoes is incredibly exciting (until your first class, and you realise the pain involved in actually dancing in them, haha!) No, getting a good fit makes the world of difference between dancing in (reasonable) comfort, and having blisters, dropping off toenails, and other bad things!

Each foot is different, and successful fitting requires a well trained fitter who will take the time to look at your foot and help you find your perfect pair, but go well-armed with these few tips, and you'll know what to look out for as well!

* Make sure you fit your shoes with whatever you plan to wear for padding - take your ouch pouches with you or make sure you can use some to fit with at the shop.

* Shoes should fit snugly but toes should not be squashed. Check your toes lie flat, and make sure you can comfortably plie in second - your toes should just touch the ends in your plie.

* Check the width fitting of the shoe - place one foot en pointe with the other flat on the floor, the pointe shoe should stay in alignment with the foot, whilst an incorrect width fitting will lean to the side. You can also peel the heel back from the foot en pointe to check this - make sure the centre seam lies at the centre of the foot.

* Check the length of the wings of the shoe - they should come up to the side of the big toe joint. If they're shorter this can be the way to bunions, and if they're longer then its difficult to work through demi-pointe

* If you're happy with the fit, make sure you try putting weight on both feet en pointe - step up whilst supporting yourself on a chair (or if you're in our shop, on our barre!), especially if its your first pair of shoes. Make sure you dont slide down into the shoe, and make sure theres no specific  one area of pressure.

We like Bloch Serenade shoes for beginners, and the Freed student shoe is a good one as well, especially for a more square foot shape, but you really do need to take time and see what suits your foot - everyone is different and remember - dont let yourself be rushed!! Good Luck!!

@innovationdance
www.idanceboutique.com 

Dancewear - Hot Or Not?!!

And heres a couple of new pieces out that we can't quite decide about - not sure whether they're a hit or a miss, let us know what you think!

I kind of love these new warm up booties from Bloch in a snuggly Ugg sort of way - they're designed for you to wear over your ballet shoes so you dont have to worry about taking ballet shoes off to go outside, just pop the booties on over your ballet shoes and you're good to go. Not sure if they're the prettiest things ever, but we can see dance students everywhere in their red snow boots going between classes!

And then the return of the PLASTIC SWEATPANTS! Capezio are bringing them back from the 80s back in the studio! Is that genius or not going to happen?!! They've made an updated shorts version of the plastic 'bin liners' that we all used to have in the 80s, and they are part of their new range - will we all be warming-up in our sweatpants again or never ever?!! Let us know what you think!

Bloch Warm-Up Booties

Dancewear Fix!!

Kids always want to look good when they go to class - we love tracking down great new products and dancewear lines that look the part and are practical for class, so heres the low down on a couple of great pieces for the new term:

Pineapple Pocket Trackpants

First of all you cant beat a great pair of trackies! These Pineapple Pocket Trackpants are our favourites of the moment - a lovely loose, slouchy fit, wide waistband, and nice deep pockets for essentials! 

For the younger dancer, we adore this Capezio Camisole Dress Tutu - the tutu skirt is covered in sparkles, and its has a really pretty satin waistband with bow at the back - what's not to love?!! And OK, the last one isn't strictly dancewear, but how cute is this ballet mouse from Lucy Locket? Such a gorgeous toy for little ballerinas!

Capezio Camisole Tutu Dress

Ballet Mouse