Hair Trouble

When you're doing your hair in a bun (or otherwise pulling it back for performance), you can sometimes run into issues that cause anxiety and take time to correct.  In this post, I'll provide some tips for quickly and easily fixing common hair issues.

For kids and recitals:

1.       My daughter's hair is too short for a bun OR my son's hair is too long to leave down.  As an assistant teacher for children's ballet, one of my jobs is preparing students for their class photos and recital performances.  I often help with hairstyles.  For young students (or really anyone participating in an informal performance), the goal is to have all students look similar, be able to see, and avoid distractions.  With students who can't do their hair in buns, it's most important to pull back any bangs and keep hair away from the face.  Gel, bobby pins, and thin neutral-colored headbands all work well.  Regardless of the student's gender or hairstyle, as long as the hair is neatly secured in a way that it won't fall in the face, it's good enough for the informal stage.

2.      My child's hair is very fine or flyaway.  In this case, gel is going to be your best friend.  You can also use a mixture of conditioner and water if gel seems too harsh.  Lightly gel or spray the hair with the conditioner mixture before combing it back for the bun or other style.  This should give the hair a light "crunch" factor and keep it from falling out of the style.  Gelling before the styling step works much better than using hairspray after the style is in place.  After making the bun or hairstyle, try to keep your child from lying down, running around, or going outside in the wind.  All of these factors will make the hair more likely to fall out of the style.

For professional-quality performances:

1.      My hair is really curly and difficult to smooth down for a bun.  Slightly dampen dry hair with water or leave-in conditioner, then apply a little bit of gel from the roots to about 6" down.  Use a gentle brush or comb (I like the wet brush or tangle teezer for this) to brush through only the area you gelled (roots to 6" down).  Once that part of the hair is smoothed, put hair in a ponytail.  You should have a sleek head and curly ponytail.  Twist the ponytail and form your bun.  It doesn't matter if the hair is curly going into the bun; the tightly coiled hair will look smooth from the audience.  Cover it with a hairnet and secure with bobby pins to prevent flyaways.

2.      My hair is thick/sleek/heavy/slippery and tends to fall out of a bun.  Brush hair back and put it in a ponytail.  Use an elastic with rubber grips to tie the ponytail.  Rather than wrap the hair in a bun, it may be more secure to use a donut to form the bun.  Slide the donut onto your ponytail, spread your hair over it, and secure it with another rubber-grip elastic.  Wrap the loose ends of hair under the donut and secure with bobby pins.  Cover the bun with a hairnet and add more pins and hairspray for security.

3.      My hair got caught on Velcro and a little piece that's supposed to be sleek is sticking out.  Don't fret or try to redo your whole style if you don't have time.  Use a spoolie, brow comb, or toothbrush to gently comb that piece back into place (it's really surprising how well this works).  Spray on a liberal amount of hairspray and/or poke in a mini bobby pin to keep the piece form popping out again.

4.      I took off my warm-up or costume over my head, and now I have major static.  Do not use a brush here, it will only make things worse.  Spray hairspray on your hands or a paper towel and gently pat your hair.  This should make the stray strands lay flat again.  Give your whole style an extra spritz to make sure the flyaways don't pop up again.

5.      I have to change headpieces during a quick change.  The anxiety associated with a quick change makes it super challenging to find all the bobby pins in your headpiece, remove them without pulling pieces out of your bun, and securely attach the new one.  The best way to do this is to get a friend to help.  Sit down and have your friend stand over you so she can see the top of your head.  Since she has a good view, she can pull the bobby pins straight out and remove your headpiece quickly.  Depending on how much time you have, your friend can then attach your new headpiece while you work on something else, like changing shoes, or you can attach the new headpiece yourself.

Ballet Freakonomics

Freakinomics took the world by storm several years ago with a groundbreaking book that took very different things and showed how they are similar and work together to solve problems (such as how is a child's car seat like a DVD player).  This post will examine some common ballet and dance dilemmas and explain unusual yet effective solutions.

Problem:  I feel wobbly en pointe.
Unique solution:  Pilates

The number one solution your teacher and friends will probably offer is a slew of strengthening exercises for feet and ankles.  While these will help, something else will give you a faster and even more beneficial fix:  Pilates.  A full Pilates workout strengthens the arms, legs, back, and core.  While strong ankles are necessary for pointe, they will not stop you from wobbling if everything else is weak.  A strong core is the best thing to keep you stable.  Try 20 minutes of Pilates daily for a month and you will see and feel a difference (and keep it up forever after that!)

Problem:  I have a sore muscle.
Unique solution:  Keep on moving.

It's easy to overwork muscles like calves in intense classes.  Most of us have been trained to RICE (rest, ice, compress, elevate) at any sign of pain, so an ice bath and relaxing evening may be your first thoughts.  Actually, in situations where your muscle is just tight and overworked, not sprained or torn, heat and continued activity are much more beneficial.  Make your bath warm, and engage in some walking and/or stretching before turning in.

Problem:  I need to lose weight.
Unique solution:  Don't count calories.

Once you've determined it's safe and healthy for you to lose a few pounds, you're probably thinking about cutting down on fat and calories.  Actually, the best way to get results is to leave those things be.  Focus on how you feel, eat to meet your needs (hunger, activity, etc.), and try to consume wholesome food.  Worrying about calories and fat can add stress, which makes it more difficult to lose weight.

Problem:  I want to cross train.
Unique solution:  YouTube

Your first thought is probably to purchase a gym membership.  While there's nothing wrong with working out on the treadmill, fitness classes are usually more fun for people already used to the structure of dance class.  There are thousands of fitness classes available for free on YouTube and through fitness apps.  With weird rehearsal schedules, it's much more convenient to go through a HIIT series or yoga flow in the living room or backyard than trek to the gym in rush hour.

Problem:  I want to look bold and stylish in class.
Unique solution:  Ignore the trends.

To be stylish, you should get a patterned wrap skirt like everyone else has so you can fit in, right?  Wrong!  Start a new trend with something unique, like a solid colored skirt or knit shorts.  Trendsetters are seen as unique and confident, while those who wear only clothes that are already popular are more likely to be followers.

Spacer Roundup

When ballet dancers wear pointe shoes, some use spacers to help align their toes within their shoes.  Like many things in the dance world, there are many options for spacers.  This guide will go over the most common styles and how they are used.

Classic spacers

These are the most common type of spacers used in the dance world, and they are also commonly used by athletes like skiers and hikers.  They are great for filling a gap or providing comfort between the first and second toes.  What I find a bit nonsensical, though, is that these are probably the least effective in preventing and correcting bunions.  Because these spacers are short in height, the big toe can still curve inward over the spacer.  Due to this, I highly recommend this type of spacer to dancers who need to fill a gap between the toes, but I don't think it's the best choice to correct bunions that are already present.

Oversized or "P" spacers

These big spacers are perfect for keeping the big toe from curving inward.  Because they are usually as tall as the big toe, it can't curve over the spacer.  Nothing is more effective for preventing or correcting bunions.  However, because these spacers are very large, they take up a lot of space in shoes and may not work well for small-boned dancers.

Mini spacers

These are meant to go between toes other than the big and second toes.  If you get blisters between your toes or have pinky-toe-side bunions, mini spacers can be a big help.  When using them, you may need to add some tape over and/or under the toes you place the spacer between in order to keep it from falling out.

Wedge spacers

Wedge spacers can be a good alternative to oversized spacers for younger or smaller dancers.  They also prevent the big toe from curving inward, but they are usually made of softer and more flexible gel material than oversized spacers.  Tape may need to be used with these as well since they are less secure between the toes.

Homemade spacers

If you think you might benefit from spacers but don't want to buy them yet, you can make your own temporary ones.  A foam wedge makeup sponge can be a good trial run for a wedge spacer.  A cotton ball or two slipped between the first and second toes can imitate the feel of a classic spacer.  Small ovals of craft foam can be a slightly-less-flexible alternative to mini spacers.

A new thought on protecting your feet

Apolla Performance Wear reached out to me a couple weeks ago.  The company's mission is to help dancers reach their potential by building a strong base of foot care.  Their products are shocks (shoe+sock) meant to fit like a second skin and take the beating our feet don't need to. 

How often have floor burn or callouses made modern class a painful experience?  Have you worn socks under your jazz or tap shoes, only to find them bunched up and uncomfortable within an hour?  And what about that time you tried doing barre in socks to better feel the floor, only to find you were sliding around all over the place?

Apolla endeavors to improve the dance experience by improving the footwear.  While it might not sound like a revolutionary position, the amount of dedication the company has put into the goal is worth noticing.  Well-known choreographers and dancers around the world (recognize some of your favorites from So You Think You Can Dance in the video?) are wearing Apolla Shocks and seeing great results.  And this mission is definitely something I can get behind.

Check out Apolla's website here https://www.apollaperformance.com/.  It's extremely thorough and informative! 

Tiny tips: Spandex content

You may notice that some fabrics feel much strechier than others.  This can be especially apparent with dance tights.  If you have an athletic body shape like me, some brands of tights can be hard to pull over muscular calves and thighs while other brands slide on no problem.

Tights are usually made of a blend of nylon and spandex (sometimes called elastisene or elastic).  The higher the spandex content, the stretchier the tights will be.  Look carefully at tights packaging to see the material breakdown.  Most tights are between 85 and 88% nylon, and contain 12 to 15% spandex.  Unseamed tights generally have a higher spandex content than seamed tights.  If you need the look of a professional backseam tight but don't like the lack of stretch, try a faux-backseam tight from Capezio or the modern mesh tight from Gaynor Minden.