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A Special Piece of Jewelry

My beloved grandfather passed away 23 years ago. I was only 12 years old when this special person in my life died. However, this man taught me so many things during the few years I spent with him. My grandfather was also an accomplished guitarist. A few months ago, I visited the home he shared with my grandmother. While searching through his old belongings, I found a guitar pick. To keep the memory of my grandfather alive, I want to make a necklace out of this special token from my grandfather’s past. On this blog, you will discover how to make jewelry items from guitar picks.

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A Special Piece of Jewelry

Dyed Toe Shoes: When Your Ballet Dance Apparel Must Match Your Shoes

by Priscilla Gray

Ballet dance apparel comes in a wide variety of colors, fabrics and styles. A dancer can wear a nude unitard that gives the appearance of dancing naked on stage, or a dancer can wear a tea-length dance dress in a rainbow of hues. When it comes right down to it though, people are watching a ballet dancer's feet. The traditional pale pink toe shoes for women and black for men is not always preferred. If you want and need toe shoes dyed to match your dancewear, it is not only possible, but sometimes also necessary. Here are some examples of roles where you will need dyed toe shoes.

Most of The Nutcracker Ballet

The Mouse King, the sugarplum fairies, the blue fairy and the snowflake fairies all need dyed shoes. Some of them may even need a splash of glitter, but this should be applied sparingly just prior to their entry on stage. Too much glitter and improper dye jobs will complicate the dance steps and look awkward.

Swan Lake

The duality of the solo dancer playing the swan princess requires one pair of white or gray toe shoes and one pair of black. If your company opts for gray when the soloist plays Odette, then you will need to place an order to have a traditional pair of white shoes dyed gray. Otherwise white and black are simple enough to come by in any ballet apparel store.

Woodsmen, Hunters, Party Attendees in Various Other Ballets

Many of these characters, although minor, still should look the part. Green toe shoes for woodsmen, toe shoes to match dancing garments for party attendees, and brown, black or green for hunters (although you could use some sort of legging or decorated tights and black toe shoes underneath for this final one) are typical dye selections. If you already have these toe shoe colors in your wardrobe, you may still need to get newer ones that fit your dancers' feet and have them dyed to match.

Interpretive and Modern Dance

Both of these types of dance mean that dancers may wear differently-colored toe shoes than traditional ballet dancers. It is the vision of the choreographer that dictates what color of shoes the dancers wear, as well as the rest of their dance apparel. Since you cannot possibly know in advance what color, size or gender of dance shoes you will need, you will simply have to have them dyed and delivered closer to the date of the performance.

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