| 13 May 2008, at 1.10 am | Sign In or become a Member to use the Guestbook, Results Exchange or Chatroom |
We hope these pages will gradually fill out with the accumulated experience of our dancers and parents. If you have a problem, look here first for help.
If you can't find the answer here, please email us for advice. We'll do two things: we'll try to answer your question (maybe not immediately, though!), and we'll add the answer to these pages to help other dancers.
As with most things, it will only work if everybody chips in. So if you've found a good treatment for blisters, or the best way to store a wig, email us now.
A
Apron: Worn by some dancers to prevent spills down their costumes. Others simply remove their costume while waiting to dance. Your choice. (Also called a smock or coverall).
B
Blisters: minimise damage by wearing in new shoes gradually (although this is not always possible), and by buying good shoes that fit well. If you are already suffering, there are some excellent plasters available made especially for blisters. They stick like glue and are very effective. Whatever else you do, keep a close watch on blisters, keep them clean and look out for signs of infection. If in any doubt, talk to your doctor.
C
Class costumes: costumes should be worn to all open feiseanna. The 'Friends' have invested heavily in the purchase of class costumes, which are available to hire (all income is reinvested in replacing older costumes). See Frances or email us for more details.
Costumes: costumes should be worn to all open feiseanna. Class costumes are available for beginners and those 'between costumes'. If you are planning to buy a costume, please talk to Frances first, as some are more suitable than others. It is also worth talking to other parents, as there are pitfalls to be avoided if possible.
Curling, hair: see hair curling.
D
Dry cleaning: dance dresses can be difficult to keep clean. They are hot and do not usually come with detachable linings (dressmakers take note!) It is sometimes possible to have them dry cleaned, depending upon materials, but you must be sure that your cleaner is confident that the dress won't be damaged. You will also end up re-sticking all of the diamante stones, because the chemicals detach them. Good fun for a rainy weekend!
Dresses: see costumes.
E
F
G
Glue, sock: see sock glue.
H
Hair curling: This is a big subject. See our separate curling page for one way of doing it.
Health: See specific items on this page -- eg, blisters, Osgood-Schlatter Disease, etc.
I
J
K
L
M
Magic wands: see hair curling.
N
O
Osgood-Schlatter Disease: a condition, affecting the leg tendons, that is fairly common in young athletes, including dancers. There is a useful web page here. As with most health issues, the most important advice is to do something about it if you are worried, or if you have something that doesn't seem to be getting better. Talk to your parents, your dance teacher, or your doctor.
P
Q
R
S
Sock glue: one of the effects of vigorous dancing is that socks fall down (good old Isaac Newton!) This looks awful and loses marks in competitions. Prevent it with liberal doses of sock glue, obtainable as a roll-on from good dancewear suppliers.
Socks: These need to look clean and crisp at all times during competition. Watch out for smears of shoe polish and fake tan.
T
Tan, fake: Used to boost skin colour when dancing on stage, a long way from the adjudicator, or under fierce lighting. There are lots of products on the market, and you have to find one that suits you. Watch out for uneven colour, rubbing off on sheets and towels, and smearing on poodle socks. 'Tan towels' are quite good. A plus point is that they are applied in advance (eg, the night before), and the solution dries completely so you don't cover everything with tan. It can also be a downside though -- the solution takes some hours to hit full colour, so it's no good slapping it on at the last minute. If you forget, it's back to 'instant' tan and smeared poodle socks!
U
V
W
Wigs, storing: Buy a wig mist(from your wig dealer or local wig store),which keeps the curls curly, and mist it LIGHTLY! Let the spray dry completely Next,put the wig in a hairnet, and store it in as small of a box it will fit in. This helps keep the curls tight,and they don't droop as much. (Many thanks to a friend from the O'Hare School of Irish Dance, Michigan, USA for this tip).
