1.         Pull the hair back into a ponytail in the centre of the back of the head, use water/gel to secure any stray hairs if needed.  Smooth out any bumps with a brush or comb, then secure with an elastic band.

2.         If the hair is particularly thin, teasing, or back combing the pony tail can add volume to the bun.

3.         Twist the ponytail until it is like a long rope, plaiting is also good for long thick hair.  Start to coil the rope around the base of the ponytail, pinning along the way.  French pins (the ones that look like V’s) are better at holding the bun than bobby pins.  When inserting pins don’t poke them straight in, poke them through the hair outward, then flip them to poke back into the base of the bun.  This will ensure the pins don’t fall out.

4.         Place the hairnet over the coiled bun.  Secure in place with French pins.

5.         Spray with hair spray to prevent loose strays getting out of place.

Sewing Ribbons on your shoes:

1.                  Before sewing ribbons on pointe shoes for the first time, take them into your teacher to check they are the right size and style for your foot.

2.                  Cut the ribbon into 4 even lengths, approx 44cm depending of the size of the ankle

3.                  Either use nail varnish or a flame to seal one end of each ribbon to prevent fraying.  An alternative to this is folding and tucking the ribbon under so it is not seen.

4.                  Find the place to attach ribbons by folding down the back of the shoe so that it touches the sockliner.

5.                  Place the back edge of the ribbon against the fold, with the sealed edge a couple of centimeters into the shoe.  Angle this ribbon slightly so it is on an angle pointing towards the toes

6.                  Sew the ribbon around each side and across the top of the shoe for extra strength

7.                  Once the ribbons have been cut to length, seal the ends to prevent fraying

Sewing Elastics on your shoes:

Ballet shoes without ribbons should be placed in the same place described in the section above; at the crease made when the back of the shoe touches the sockliner.

1.                  To add elastics to shoes with ribbons, place your thumb at the side of the seam at the back of the shoe.  Sew a piece or elastic on the outside of each thumb

2.                  Put the shoe on and measure the length of elastic needed to reach across the top of the foot to sit just behind the ribbons.

3.                  Cut and sew in place

Illustrations by Aidan Martin