puzzledance ([info]puzzledance) wrote,
2005-07-19 18:49:00
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  • Mood: cheerful
  • Music: Delaware Valley Live from the Spring Ball 2003

Dance Accessories

"Where did you find those?" "What are those things?" I got these questions over and over at Pinewoods this year. Most of the comments were in regard to my purple ghillies. I bought them on eBay, they are James Seniors, they were custom made for the person who originally ordered the lot, and they are not available anymore, as far as I know. Everything else I had that people wanted to know about is available for purchase.

What did I have that people wanted? Here's the list:

  • Dancewear Ghillies -- Of all the ghillies I've tried (and there have been many), these fit me the best. Yes, they are highland ghillies, but SCD ghillies are usually too wide for me. The ones I have are unpadded, and I ordered them two full sizes down from my regular shoe size.

  • Bunheads Gel Products -- My favorites are the Ouch Pouch and Ouch Pouch Jr.. These are great for protecting the balls of your feet and your toes, respectively. They're available from most on-line dance supply stores such as Discount Dance.

  • Toe Covers and Toe Covers with Silicone Gel Pads -- These are similar to the Bunheads products, but somewhat less bulky and also less expensive. They're available from Footsmart.com.

  • Convertible Tights -- These are great if you want to be able to check on your feet without having to remove your tights. I like the Bloch Convertible "Hipstar" in light tan the best so far because they're soft and they come in colors other than pink and dark tan. Again, these are available from most on-line dance supply stores.

  • Hair Barrettes -- Handmade in Oregon by Northwest Goods. I received mine as a gift from a friend who went to Reed College. I should note that at one of the dances my partner managed to knock mine out of my hair during an allemande, so be careful if you're unsure of your partner.
Tags: dancing, pinewoods

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  • 2 comments

[info]rshreel

July 20 2005, 05:24:57 UTC 6 years ago

Thanks for all this information. I bookmarked several of these sites. I struggle so much with my feet. I can't wear ghillies because of my achilles problem. I need to wear a shoe with a heel. Problem is I can't find a good jazz shoe that holds up and is structured well that I can get a good point in. The shoes with the split sole just wear out so soon. I bought a new pair before Thistle and by the end of the week, the new ones were worn down on the outside of the heel.

I will probably by a couple of these products. I think they would have helped during that week. Thanks!!!

[info]puzzledance

July 20 2005, 08:49:44 UTC 6 years ago

I've tried wearing jazz shoes, but every time I do, I get huge, painful bruises on my instep from closing in third position in my pas de basque. I should probably take those shoes out of my shoe bag, because every time I wear them, I'm sorry afterwards. I just need to get some SCD shoes with more traction, or treat an old pair of ghillies to be non-slip.

The dance supply sites have so many styles of jazz shoes -- maybe you can find a split-soled shoe that's more durable than the ones you've tried so far. You might also check around those sites for modern and character shoes. Those styles often have a small heel on them, and might work better for you than jazz shoes.

Have you ever tried SCD pumps? St. Andrews Shoemakers makes a heeled pump called Lady Fife. I also know several people who have custom ordered ghillies with a heel (similar to the heel on Lady Fife) from St. Andrews Shoemakers. If that's something you'd be interested in having, you may want to contact them.
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