Daisy's Blog
Here you can see our latest news, articles and offers.
posted 27/4/13.
New Stirrup Shimmer Dance Tights
This week we have added STIRRUP Shimmer dance tights to our range. Shimmer tights with versatile stirrup foot available in colours light toast and toast and ages 5-6yrs to 11-13 yrs.
Full foot Shimmer dance tights are also available in same colours & sizes.
Shimmer tights are mostly worn for dance shows and performances and are a high quality 60 denier tight Made from 90% Polyamide 10% Spandex with a beautiful shimmer to them as the name suggests.
They are worn by all dance styles from Ballet, Tap dance, modern dance, acrobatics to gymnastics, majorettes, ice skaters and ballroom.
Go to dance tights pge here.
Posted 25/4/13.
Summer Term 2013
The Summer term is now underway and students and teachers alike will be looking forward to dance classes, dance examinations and end of year school shows and performances to prepare for.
Checklist for the start of a new term
1) Check that dancewear and ballet class uniform still fits properly.
Make sure that ballet or tap leotards are not too tight and uncomfortable and check dance skirts, warm up cardigans, ballet tutu's etc fit well and have no damage.
2)Take a good look at dance shoes. Do your ballet shoes and Tap shoes still fit correctly? Do they have any wear, damage or missing parts that could cause injury? If so replace them, your feet need looking after the same as the rest of a dancer does.
3) Check you have everything you need for the first class or lesson and replace any missing or damaged items in plenty of time – being the only budding ballerina in class with no ballet shoes is no fun.
4) Buy new ballet or dance tights and socks – these items are inexpensive and nice new ones give the student confidence and pride in appearance.
5) When it comes to Dance examinations – Buy new regulation ballet or Tap exam wear if you can. At the very least buy new tights or socks. It helps a great deal with confidence during exams if a student knows they look smart in their nice new ballet exam wear, tap dance exam wear, Character dance wear, modern dance or Jazz wear.
6) More than anything else – Enjoy the dance, whatever your dance style, age or ability.
Daisy x
News Posted 17/8/12
Back to School
Here at Dancing Daisy our staff are preparing for the Back to School season. Our new stocks of dancewear and dance shoes are arriving as we speak to ensure that we have everything you could possibly need for your Little Ballerina's and Dancers return to dance classes in September.
We have upgraded our dispatch system to ensure your orders are sent quickly and efficiently and our excellent Customer Services team are here to help or advise if you need it.
Buy with confidence – Easy to use secure ordering and payment system.
And if your item does not fit or is not suitable, simply return it to us following the return instructions on paperwork and we will deal with it quickly and with no fuss.
Our staff are looking forward to making your dancer's return to dance school as easy and stress free as possible.
Good Luck with the New Dance School Term everyone!
Daisy x
Article posted 15/7/12
A brief history of Ballet shoes
The graceful, majestic ballet dance of today is a long way from its origins in Italy in the 15th century.
The music and dance movements were very courtly and closely related to fencing motions. The clothing worn was not designed for the purpose of dancing the ballet, the dancers wore whatever was the high fashion at the time. These baletto dances of the Renaissance would have been displays of high talent and elegance and were to become very popular performances.
The modern ballet shoe or ballet slipper was still a long way off, instead the dancers
wore heeled court shoes. During the 17th century as ballet became more popular with the upper classes, it reached the French courts of King Louis XIV. In 1661 he founded the Académie Royale de Danse, the first dance institute in the western world. Many modern ballet terms have their origins in this period of ballet dance history. It is thought that the French king’s expensive, delicate, heeled shoes were what inspired todays version of the modern ballet shoes. Made from high quality silks and linens with soft leather soles, they were suited to dancing and pointing the toes and certainly not robust enough for the general population to wear as everyday footwear.
During the mid 18th century ballet began to undergo many changes. Notably ballet dancer Marie Camargo of the Paris Opera Ballet began to shorten her skirts to allow her footwork to be more easily seen and was the first ballerina to wear ballet slippers with no heel.
After the French revolution, heeled ballet shoes became a thing of the past and non heeled ballet slippers became standard for all ballet dancers. In 1795 the first ballet dancers to rise onto their toes did so by mechanical means and during the 19th century this pointework was incorporated into many more performances. We will cover the history of pointe shoes later.
Ballet shoes were made primarily with satin and leather and it is a great testimony to the suitability of the materials used, that those same materials are still used for making ballet shoes today.
Leather ballet shoes are extremely popular. They are durable, long lasting and mould themselves to the foot after wear. Satin ballet shoes are not so hardwearing but can be dyed any colour and are more often worn for performances. Canvas ballet shoes are less costly and harder wearing than satin ballet slippers. They allow the foot to breath and are often worn by men as well as women.
The simplicity of the design and materials used to make the ballet shoe has not changed much in many years. The grace of movement and technical skill of the ballet dancer is greatly enhanced by their dance slippers and you would be forgiven for believing that they have been in existence in their present form since the beginning of Ballet itself.
Go to Ballet shoes here.
Article posted 26/6/12
Character shoes
Character shoes are historically worn as part of a costume in musical theatre or by dancers performing a character piece. Character dance is closely related to folk and national dance and incorporates many ballet moves and positions.
The character shoe is often made of soft leather for performances and canvas or imitation leather look for practice, classes and exams. They have a a thin flexible suede sole to allow the dancer to move and point their feet easily. The thin sole allows the dancer to feel the floor and the shape of the shoe is designed to support and protect the foot. The character shoe has a very distinctive shape, with low sturdy heels and ankle strap fastened over the foot with a buckle or popper for quick costume changes.
Dancers of all ages wear character shoes for performances, classes and exams. They should be worn with tights or socks to help protect feet from blisters and to keep the shoes fresh. Character shoes are to be worn indoors for dance and should NOT be worn outside, this will very quickly ruin them.
When buying character shoes ensure you get a good fit, they should be a snug comfortable fit – neither too loose or too tight. Always wear them about the house to break them in a bit before wearing them for dancing. Never wear them for the first time for a class, performance or exam, you may risk blisters and discomfort and you will not dance at your best.
Character dance is offered by many ballet and dance schools, academies and studios.
Our Character Shoes are professional quality black canvas shoes with pink elastic ankle strap fastened with popper. They have a flexible suede sole, low heel and comfortable insole. The shoes are regulation character/syllabus shoes suitable for grades 1 & 2 and above exams. The sizing is standard fit and should fit your normal UK shoe size. Go to character shoes.
