Buying New Pointes

Mom figuring out the Gaynor Minden tracing sheets at The POD.
Taken with Instagram.

  After pointe class one Wednesday, Ate Nikki asked me if my shoes were soft and said that I should change them as soon as possible. A few before, Teacher Agnes also told me that my Dear Grishkos are deformed. About time I got a new pair, and guess what I've decided on... Gaynor Mindens!

  I just got the email from the GM fitters about my fitting details earlier last week. I wanted to make sure that I got the right size because when buying Gaynor Mindens, you must get a shoe one size larger than your U.S. street shoe size. I'm an 8.5 and 9.5 sounds like a LARGE pointe shoe so I downloaded the tracing sheets as recommended by my Ballet Buddy Christine. But apparently, 9-9.5's the right size o.O

  I decided on GMs because, of course, of all the good reviews surrounding it. I also have never dance with toe pads and since Gaynors are already so cushioned by themselves, they might give me more comfort and I can forget pain... and ever buying pads if they make me happy. FACT: More people in Locsin's wear Gaynors than any brand of pointes.

  So I guess I'm gong to come up  with another In The Shoes post soon. My Grishkos have been really great, but we'll talk about that next time :D

Should anyone?

  Was not able to  go to the R.A.D. recital. I helped Mom with her Baby Wearing Meet Up at The POD. It was fun and I met this little baby who was wearing a ballet costume ^_^ Look! She's even wearing tights!

  My braces weren't taken out on my appointment the other day -_-  Another month or two...

  Am watching Jane Eyre, one of my favorite movies, with one of my favorite actors; Mia Wasikowska. Mia used to dance too :) She actually trained professionally, specifically for ballet. I had wanted to blog about her long ago when I had first learned about this but, somehow, I wasn't able to seg-way it... She stopped dancing because of issues about anorexia and weight. That's really brave of her, in some way, I mean, to stop dancing altogether, knowing that it would be hard to start over if ever... But why would she stick to something she's not happy about? Why should anyone?

  Article: Mia Wasikowska Talks Weight Obsession, Natalie Portman's Ballet Dancing

She does look like such a nice person ^_^

   I finished reading A Midsummer Night's Dream. I hope Jane Eyre will be next!

  Watched this Karate tournament in SM this afternoon. It reminded me of when I was not yet into dancing; when my main activity was Teakwando. I stopped when I just got promoted to red belt...

  When people asked me why, I said it was because I got bored. There were not much tournaments at the time I stopped and I was taking more classes than most of my peers was. I never felt tired after class, I realize now it's because of my personality. All that kicking and sparring was a way of mine to release my anger, what ever I was, or am, angry about. I can't do that for dancing, not so much at least...

  For a while I wanted to go back to that life. I wondered how I, how life, would be if I was still a fighting girl. I though of quitting ballet... Should I?.. Then I thought about this blog.. and music! Where else is there music, or art, than in dance? 

  Do I still love ballet? Should I be asking that? Should anyone?

Traction Day 3 (last)

  Last day of traction last Thursday. If I don't get better after this weekend, we're going to the chiropractor :| Not so scared about going as a few days a go. A lot of people say it's safe and all... I'm going to do this hot compress thing regularly. Hot compress first, then stretches, followed by Teacher Agnes' exercise :)


  Missed class yesterday. Was almost admitted to the hospital :( Felt sick... Thank goodness I feel better now :D I felt ok in the morning so I still went to Locsin's to assist ballet 1b. Mom had to drop me off really early because Ashley still had Violin Lessons at The POD. I was there since 9 a.m. or later. There was this one kid from the Ballet 1a class who grazed her elbow. I helped her wash it and Manong Jessi (Locsin's all around set designer, gardener, and handy-man) brought some Betadine and band aid. I was really impressed with the kid because, although her face was stained with tears, she did not scream or throw any tantrums while we were dressing her wound. Really brave kid :D


  Watched The Avengers (Yeah, I know this has nothing to do with ballet anymore :P) so loved it!!! I wanna do a movie marathon! So love Tom Hiddleston ♥

Dream Shop

  Last night I couldn't sleep. I was fantasizing about my dream shop. One day I'll open a dance shop.  I'll name it from Pointe to Pointe, after this blog :) The first in Davao, unless someone has the same idea as me. In this shop I will sell Yumiko leotards, Bunheads, even books on dance!

  Speaking of which, I started reading The Ballet Companion by Eliza Gaynor-Minden. It's really good, I like it :)  I'm still in the part where she talks about manners and what to expect from class. I even came across a list of things to put in a dance bag!

  Back to my dream shop... I so wish it would be in Plaza del Carmen. That's the place where my mom's Yoga Studio, The POD, is. The main feature of the shop would be a nice dressing room with a short barre and mirror (full-body). It would be a lot like Grishko's NYC store ♥ Only smaller of course :D

  Also, I thought last night, if I'm going to get someone to help me man the store, she has to know a thing or two about dance, ballet especially, and pointe shoes.

  BTW There's this interesting Pointe shoe. Supposedly designed for Nike :P 

Practice

  With the recital and the dance competition coming up this week, I have barely had time to go online.
  The dance crew practiced in my mom's yoga studio yesterday. Three members did not come but at least we were able to add some steps :| I'm worried we have less than a week but we still don't have steps for two minutes of the music :(
  Here are two videos of the crew members:

Alvaro, Pat, and Justin - tutting.

Pat tutting

NOTE: They just copied the tutting from YouTube so in-case the guy who made it watches these videos, we still give him the credit Ok?

  I finally found skin tone tights and leos. That's D' Pointe was out of stock so I [disappointedly] went to Victoria Plaza and bought Body Music. This brand has very thin material. The tights were ok but the leos were just s e e - t h r u . I solved the problem by sewing a layer of padding inside :)