Siberian Swan Pointe Shoe Review

A few months ago, Alex from Siberian Swan got in touch.  After a bit of back-and-forth, he sent me a couple of pairs of the new brand's shoes to test out.

Siberian Swan (siberianswan.com) is a relatively new pointe shoe brand that is adding another aspect to the  mix of technology-meets-classic.  The shoes, like Gaynor Minden, have a plastic shank that doesn't wear out from use.  However, unlike Gaynors, the Siberian Swan shoes have a traditional paste box that does break down, so the fit is more familiar to dancers used to traditional shoes.  Siberian Swan shoes also offer arch support and light padding in the footbed to make the shoes more comfortable and kinder to dancers' feet.  Siberian swan also offers customizations/special orders for all dancers (not just company pros), and matte or shiny satin options.  The shoes come in four widths and three shank strengths.

Karsavina

After measuring my feet (check out the Siberian Swan website for the details of how to measure--it's interesting), Alex sent me the Pavlova style (tapered like RP Almaz or GR 2007, suited to my foot) in a size 4 width 2 and the Karsavina style (broader like SOD Claudia or BL Seranade, not suited to my foot) in a size 4.5 width 3, both in matte satin and medium shank, for comparison.  Although I measured as a Pavlova size 4 width 2 even with my relatively thick toe pads, the shoes were actually a tad small when they arrived and I tried them on.  Because of this, they never made it to the studio for a proper road test, but they did make it through a few "barre classes" at my kitchen table.

Pavlova

Sizing wise, both shoes fit like Grishko 2007.  Take street size and subtract 2 sizes (1.5 for especially thick toe pads), and choose width accordingly.  As for how they feel on the feet, I think the boxes on these feel very similar to Russian Pointe (which makes sense, as they are all handmade in Russia).  The shanks are pretty soft and bouncy, very like Gaynors.  True to their word, Siberian Swan shoes require very little in terms of breaking in--the shoes are ready for wear right out of the box.

Personally, I felt these shoes took the best of Gaynors and the best of other traditional shoes and combined them into a very well-made and comfortable product.  If you are a fan of the longevity of Gaynors, but dislike the fit, I recommend checking these Siberian Swans out.  They are a nice medium choice in the classic vs. modern debate.



I'm not giving up my Grishkos for Siberian Swans yet, but I do very much like the product.  I'm looking forward to watching this baby brand grow into one of the big players on the market.  I think the shoes are definitely of the quality to stand among Grishko and Russian Pointe on the main stage in the future.

July 2017 Favorites

Greetings from MODAS Dance Summer Intensive!  July’s been another odd month for scheduling.  I had a week off, then two weeks of summer classes at the studio, and now I’m mid-way through my first week at MODAS.  Here’s what I’ve been liking this month.

Dancewear

Yumiko Kiki Leotard

It’s sooooo hot this time of year.  While the studios do have air conditioning, it only takes a few minutes of activity for the rooms to heat up again.  This leotard is perfect for this time of year since it has camisole straps and not much of a back.  It’s nice to be able to feel the breeze on more of my body than just my face.  This leo is great for ballet, but definitely needs a shirt over top for modern and floorwork.  Available from yumikoworld.com

                                                      Nike Dri Fit Shirt

And the shirt I prefer to wear over top for modern and floorwork?  It's this one by Nike.  The synthetic fabric is super soft, and the scoop neck ensures the shoulders never ride up on broader upper-bodied dancers (hello, me).  The fit is very flattering, and the shirt is long enough to provide modesty over just a leotard, but it's not so long or loose to get in the way when performing combinations.  I got mine at Kohls, but check kohls.com or anywhere that sells nike for numerous colors.

Streetwear

Hollister Men’s Fleece Joggers

                            

While writing this, I was thinking streetwear? What streetwear?  All I’ve been wearing is dancewear…  But when I’m home for the evening, these are what I throw on.  Paired with a camisole or t-shirt, these joggers are my favorite pajamas.  I like that they’re tapered, but not tight-fitting (hooray for men’s styles).  They’re super soft and feel high-quality.  Find them on hollisterco.com.

Skincare

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay  

                        

This is a powdered bentonite clay mask that works wonders to clear pores.  Mix a tablespoon or two with an equal amount of apple cider vinegar and apply to a cleansed face.  Wait until the mask dries, wash off, and enjoy clearer pores and less skin texture.  This does the same job as formulas like Fresh Umbrian Clay and Glamglow Supermud, but it’s a lot cheaper.  My skin is a little more problematic in the summer (thanks to heat, sweat, and floorwork), and this mask does a lot to keep small clogs from getting a lot worse.  Find it from iherb.com and at some Walmart stores.

Food

MRM Veggie Meal Replacement Powdered Shake in Chocolate Mocha

                             

Ok, this has the worst name ever.  And it comes in a big white tub that looks like it should be lawn fertilizer or something…But it’s a protein shake.  And it tastes like Starbucks Frappuccino.  For realz.  I like to have a shake for breakfast alongside another item like peanut butter toast or a handful of nuts.  I also sometimes have it as a snack.  I don’t like to think of it as a meal replacement, but it’s nutritious enough to be one.  I mix one scoop of powder with various other ingredients (unsweetened baking cocoa, flax meal, almond milk, cinnamon, etc.) in a blender bottle.  The mix contains over 20g protein per serving, and it’s low carb with no added sugar (great for a keto lifestyle).  Find it from iherb.com and at most natural grocery stores.

Entertainment

Riverdale TV Series

Welcome to the latest category of monthly faves!  I really just wanted to rave to somebody about this show (and no, I’m not copying other YouTubers/bloggers who have already talked about it; I’ve been watching basically since it showed up on Netflix).  I’m pretty cynical about most TV shows; I have a hard time taking anything seriously if it becomes campy or seems to have ulterior motives.  But I absolutely loved Riverdale. 

The show is based on the Archie comics, but it’s definitely remade for today.  It takes place in the present, and the characters are all much more deeply developed than they are in the comics.  The issues the characters face are all quite realistic and applicable, and the main action is built on a dark mystery, but the presentation has a touch of comedy to it.  The best way I can describe it is it’s as if Glee, Scooby Doo, 13 Reasons Why, and Criminal Minds were thrown into a blender with some Archie comics and this is what came out. 

Riverdale has a really nice quality to it—it’s small-town, but big budget.  The sets, costumes, cinematography, and actors are all great.  Most are unfamiliar to me, but Cole Sprouse(you may remember him from his Disney channel show back in the mid 2000s) plays Jughead, and the representation is just awesome. 

As a final note, the show is definitely mature, but it’s not explicit.  I appreciate that a lot.  I highly recommend this show.  It’s definitely appropriate and engaging for teen and up audiences.  Check out season 1 on Netflix, and get ready for season 2 coming to the CW.

Is it ever ok to try on someone else's pointe shoes?

In general, the answer is no.  However, I recently heard a story from one of my friends involving Ballet West's Allison DeBona trying on a student's shoe at a summer intensive where she was teaching.  Now I feel the need to make a few things clear.

If you are a non-dancer, it is never, ever, ever ok to try on pointe shoes, regardless of whose they are.  You wouldn't jump in a race car and start speeding around the track if you've never even taken driver's education classes.  It's the same with pointe shoes.  It's unreasonable to expect that you will be safe trying something advanced if you haven't learned the basics.  Dancers train their bodies to perform movements and hold positions that are not innate, so even if you're relatively strong or athletic, you probably won't have the specific foot and ankle strength needed to rise onto pointe safely.   (Note that there is nothing wrong with lacking this skill-it doesn't make you "weak" or take away from your unique talents and abilities.)  If you are interested in your friend's pointe shoes, it's absolutely ok to ask to touch them or for her to tell you about her pointe experiences.

If you are a dancer who is not (or not yet) practicing pointe, do not try on pointe shoes (unless, of course, you are having your first pointe fitting).  If you do a style of dance like jazz or tap, you are not training the same muscles as ballet dancers.  While your dance style keeps you strong and healthy, it probably does not prepare you for the specific physical requirements to safely dance en pointe.  If you do ballet and your teacher has not yet promoted you to a pointe class, you're still working.  After some time (amount depends on age, years dancing, etc.), you will be strong enough to earn your shoes.  Stepping into pointe shoes now can cause you to get injured, which will increase the amount of time you must wait until you're ready.

If you are a beginning pointe dancer, you should not try on someone else's pointe shoes.  You definitely have the strength and flexibility to start learning pointe, but there's much more to it than ability.  When you were fit for pointe shoes, the fitter and/or your teacher took time to analyze your feet and choose shoes for you that would best meet your needs.  Even if you tried on multiple pairs, each one was selected because it had potential to work for you.  If you try on a friend's shoe, it may be too big or too small or too hard, and each of these elements can cause you to fall and hurt yourself even if you are being careful.

If you are an advanced pointe dancer, you should still avoid trying on other people's shoes.  The reasons for beginning pointe dancers still apply, though you're most likely a lot stronger and in control of your feet than you were when you first started pointe.  Every person breaks in shoes differently, and rising onto pointe with the arch and demi in a different place can be disorienting enough to make you fall.  Also, pointe shoes can breed bacteria, especially if they are generally worn without tights and/or toe pads.  Putting your feet in someone else's shoes is kind of like putting on someone else's sweaty socks.  It can spread fungus like athlete's foot if you're not careful.  It's better to stick to trying on new pointe shoes at the dancewear store if you need a change.

If you are a professional (i.e., no longer a student), and/or in an advanced enough level that you manage your own pointe shoe choices (your teacher does not approve the shoes, you choose your own toe pads, etc.), it's still not the greatest idea to try on someone else's shoes for the health and safety reasons listed above.  However, by this point in your training, you've definitely amassed a large body of knowledge about pointe, pointe shoes, and what specifically works for you.  There's one situation where it might be ok to give someone else's shoes a go (and this is the case with the Allison DeBona story):  If their shoes are (relatively) new and there's a reasonable chance the size and model will work for you.

Most pros have as much knowledge (or more) about pointe shoes than fitters and teachers, and they will purchase or request shoes with minor adjustments (up a width, etc.) without going in for a fitting or asking a teacher first.  They develop the ability to imagine adjustments to their shoes and how they will affect the feet, like thinking, "I bet I'd be able to balance a bit better and have less pain in my bunion if my box was a tad wider."  If that dancer was in class and saw a friend putting on a pair of brand new pointe shoes that look very much like her own shoes, but with a slightly wider box, it may be reasonable to ask to try them on and see if the imagined adjustment is actually beneficial.  In this case, tying on a friend's shoes eliminates the expense of buying (or having the company buy) the shoe without knowing if it will work.

Of course, if a dancer tries on a friend's shoe, she must be very careful.  She should first evaluate the shoes on her feet without rising onto pointe.  Once that seems ok, she should very carefully rise up while holding the barre.  Care should be taken with the shank so she doesn't break them in the wrong place for the dancer who owns them.  If the "fitting" went well, the dancer should take note of the shoe's brand, style, and size and consider ordering some for herself.

Overall, remember that it's almost always a poor decision to try on someone else's shoes.  Unless you're a seasoned professional or very advanced dancer with lots of experience and autonomy, it's safest and smartest to stick with your own shoes that were fit for you or refrain from trying pointe shoes all together.

Proper names for a dance show

I find it quite amusing when people ask me, "How did the play go?"  I generally just tell them it went well, but internally I cringe.  I would love to snap back that "It didn't happen," or something like that, because I was not in a play.  I was in a ballet.

I don't blame non-dancers for not knowing dance terminology, but a little education goes a long way.  Here are some terms for referring to dance performances.

If there is a performance of ballet dancing that portrays a story or the original work of a choreographer, it is called a ballet.  Ballets can also be called performances or shows.  Individual sections of ballets separated by intermissions are called acts, and sections that are not separated by intermissions are called pieces or variations.  Generally variation is used to refer to classical solos, and piece is used to refer to more contemporary choreography that involves more dancers.  Within the variation category is something called a divertissement, which is a length of choreography that shows off a dancer's abilities without advancing the plot of the ballet or developing a character.  Sections of Nutcracker like Arabian and Spanish are divertissements.  When two dancers (almost always a male and a female) dance together, it's called a pas de deux.  When three dancers dance together, it's a pas de trois.  When four dancers dance together (4 swans from Swan Lake), it's a pas de quatre.  A ballet performance that contains multiple pieces that do not form a cohesive story is called a repertory show.

If there is a performance of another style of dance like tap, jazz, contemporary, or ballroom, it is called a show or performance.  Individual sections of the show are called pieces.  If a dancer performs alone, it is called a solo.

If a dance school is putting on a performance to show the work each class has done over the training year, it is called a recital.  Each dance done by a group of students is called a piece.  Some teachers, parents, and students call pieces dances, which is more informal.  If one dancer performs a solo in classical ballet, it is called a variation.  If one dancer performs a solo in another style, it is called a solo.  Sometimes pieces danced by two dancers are called duets or duos, and pieces performed by three dancers are called trios.

At a dance competition, dancers perform individually and in groups.  Group dances are called pieces or dances.  Individual pieces are called solos.  If a solo is in classical ballet, it is called a variation.  Pieces danced by two dancers are called duets or duos, and pieces performed by three dancers are called trios.

Sometimes dancers are performers in plays (such as on Broadway).  Plays can be called plays, performances, or shows.  If there is a lot of singing and dancing in a play, it is called a musical.  Dance sections in musicals are generally called numbers.

Big point here: you can call a both a ballet and a play a performance or show, but you cannot call a play a ballet and you cannot call a ballet a play.  If you are not sure what to call a dance event, use performance or show.  Both are accurate terms for all types of dance.