mamamindy Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Tomorrow my big girls start ballet lessons! :D We are all excited. I am a bit nervous about getting their hair up in a way that it will stay up. One has long, thick, wavy hair & the other has straight, fine hair almost to her shoulders, but still bob-like. And, FWIW, we hardly ever "do" hair around here since we're mostly home all time. I just comb it. ;) I'm also worried about a morning rush as we have avoided any morning commitments since my youngest was born 18 MONTHS AGO! Give me luck! And tips for the hair would be much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Dd's hair is so thick the instructors allow pony tails instead of trying to put all that mess on top of her head multiple times a week. It must be up for recital but little else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 For the long and thick hair, a braided ponytail is much easier to wrap into a bun and keep it there. Bobby pins and a hair net also help a lot. I had to put DD's hair in a bun for her gymnastics competitions. Talk about needing hair to "stay put"! LOL.. Gel before braiding and Hair Cement (a type of hairspray) after worked well, too, but that might be overkill for dance class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trlt Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Do they have to have buns? If not just a ponytail will probably work. If you want to make sure it stays then use bobby pins, gel and hairspray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamajudy Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 I used to put my girls' hair in a high ponytail, then braid it, wrap it around and pin with bobby pins. Then I would use a hairnet (they come 3 per package, I believe), wrapped around a couple of times. A little hair gel or hair spray kept the frizzies down. The shorter, straight, fine hair might be more of a challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamamindy Posted February 20, 2013 Author Share Posted February 20, 2013 Thanks!!!!! I think a ponytail is fine for class. I have gel, hairspray, and bobby pins, so I'm armed and ready! :) We'll see after tomorrow morning if we need cement and hair nets. (Whew!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Sock buns and ditto on the hair nets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 I learned about spin pins here and I really like them. They are an add on item at amazon or you can find them at the drugstore. They are made by goody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Sylvia isn't required to have a bun for class, so I just do a ponytail with a little bow clipped in. She has thick, curly hair. Rebecca has long, fine hair and has been wearing a braid for gymnastics for about a year now. It's so routine that she can't even function in a leo and shorts, in a warmup suit, without a braid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Is there a way to secure it without pins? Dd has to put hers up for martial arts testing and can't use pins since they could potentially poke her or a sparring partner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Gel it back first, then pony tail, then braid, then bun with the hairpins from Bunheads (Discount Dance sells them), then a hairnet wrapped around the bun the same way you would wrap an elastic band, then more pins through the hairnet, then hairspray. Teach her to do it on her own ASAP. My dd did her own buns by age nine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Is there a way to secure it without pins? Dd has to put hers up for martial arts testing and can't use pins since they could potentially poke her or a sparring partner. The hairnet might hold it if you wrap it around enough times. I'd do that in conjunction with gel, braid, and hairspray to be sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 When my girls started ballet at a studio that requires hair in a bun, I learned how to do it by watching youtube videos. One I liked had two sisters who were teenagers and dancers demonstrating how to do a ballet bun. In fact I think I used the term "ballet bun" in my search. Shorter thinner hair requires a hair net to keep all of the poky hairs down! We don't usually need hairspray for class (unless someone is growing out bangs) but we do need it to make sure everything stays in place for a performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Seriously, you all need to see "Sock Buns!" On YouTube. Easy! No pins required! To protect from flyaways, cover with a hair net. You can use a hair net like a ponytail holder - by that I mean you put it on once, twist the excess, then cover again. That way you use up the excess hair netting and don't need a pin. Hillfarm, no pins needed. The only problem with sparring is if you use a helmet, that might not fit well or comfortably over a sock bun. Inpersonally use just about a third of a sock so the bun is smaller, but dds like the full bun. French braids (and hairspray when dd had flyaway layers) were always what dd wore under her helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne115 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 We use this for dance class - http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/style_WHIRLJM.html?pid=8178&Shop=Style&SID=456450057 It works great, and it is super easy and quick. We'll probably use hair products and a hair net for recital, but it is neat enough for class. Suzanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edelweiss Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Gel it back first, then pony tail, then braid, then bun with the hairpins from Bunheads (Discount Dance sells them), then a hairnet wrapped around the bun the same way you would wrap an elastic band, then more pins through the hairnet, then hairspray. Teach her to do it on her own ASAP. My dd did her own buns by age nine. You are so smart to have worked toward bun independence so young! LOL! I do DD9's bun 5 days a week for dance. Our ballet company requires buns for all ballet students, even the teeny tiny ones, so I have been doing her bun at least once a week since she was 3. I'm quite good at it by now! LOL! But I can't imagine DD doing it on her own. Well, she might be able to do it, but I sincerely doubt that she could make it look as good or be as tight as I can. So, I continue doing it. I do dream of the day that she can do it on her own though! Oh, I do buns the traditional way. I use a bit of gel to tame the frizzies, put her hair in a ponytail, wind it around the ponytail holder, and pin it. I don't braid it or use a hairnet, but she has long, one-length hair, so it isn't necessary for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 You are so smart to have worked toward bun independence so young! LOL! I do DD9's bun 5 days a week for dance. Our ballet company requires buns for all ballet students, even the teeny tiny ones, so I have been doing her bun at least once a week since she was 3. I'm quite good at it by now! LOL! But I can't imagine DD doing it on her own. Well, she might be able to do it, but I sincerely doubt that she could make it look as good or be as tight as I can. So, I continue doing it. I do dream of the day that she can do it on her own though! Oh, I do buns the traditional way. I use a bit of gel to tame the frizzies, put her hair in a ponytail, wind it around the ponytail holder, and pin it. I don't braid it or use a hairnet, but she has long, one-length hair, so it isn't necessary for her. This is about what I do too. I have an 8 year old dancing 3-5 days a week. Long pony tail, twist hair. Wind around base of pony tail. I use another pony tail holder to fasten it in. I don't use spray or gel for class or we'd need to wash her hair a bunch more. I don't even typically need bobby pins for day to day for her. I'm SO much better at bun creation than I used to be! You'll get the hang of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 You are so smart to have worked toward bun independence so young! LOL! I do DD9's bun 5 days a week for dance. Our ballet company requires buns for all ballet students, even the teeny tiny ones, so I have been doing her bun at least once a week since she was 3. I'm quite good at it by now! LOL! But I can't imagine DD doing it on her own. Well, she might be able to do it, but I sincerely doubt that she could make it look as good or be as tight as I can. So, I continue doing it. I do dream of the day that she can do it on her own though! Oh, I do buns the traditional way. I use a bit of gel to tame the frizzies, put her hair in a ponytail, wind it around the ponytail holder, and pin it. I don't braid it or use a hairnet, but she has long, one-length hair, so it isn't necessary for her. I was not about to do it every day. LOL But she's always been great with hair (she does hair for her friends' weddings now as her wedding gift, and she's busy almost every weekend), so she was able to manage it fine. I have the same rule for pointe shoes. "I will show you how to sew these ONCE. Pay attention." She did, and she's always sewn her own ribbons and elastics. And then banged them on concrete, slashed the box with a box cutter, pulled out the nails and ripped out half the shank...all by herself. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deannajo Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 yeah, my 8 yo does her own buns, but she's awesome with hair. I still do my 11yos buns for her - those kids are individuals, for sure. Except for their identical love of dance. I originally learned via youtube as well, we typically do a ponytail, then twist around, and put another ponytail holder on top of it, and then a hairnet and a few pins, to keep it in place - these things: http://www.ponybun.com/ are amazing as well, and my 11yo uses those. So easy. My 8yo prefers the "naked" bun with a flower pinned right above it. We only use product (gel and hairspray) before a performance, not for classes. The 11yo also wears an elastic headband around her head to control wisps. We've tried some of the other devices, including those spiral things from Goody, and the sock bun, but none of them worked very well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 There are crocheted bun covers which are acceptable for class in our area studios. They make it very easy (once the hair is long enough to make it to the binder). Ponytail, twist, crochet cover, a couple bobby pins, voila! Lovely, simple, cute, no gel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 DD uses a harigami-ponytail, snap the hairagami it, roll up. For recitals/performances, we use gel and a hair net to control wispies, but that's enough for class. I also use the Harigami when she needs bouncy pigtails for cheer-put a bit of gel in her hair, wind up a haragami on each side, in kind of a Princess Leia do, and then take down right before the competition. MUCH easier than rolling the tails when all we need is a little body and wave, not outright curls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I learned about spin pins here and I really like them. They are an add on item at amazon or you can find them at the drugstore. They are made by goody. My dds were required to have their hair in buns when they were in ballet, and for Highland dance competitions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Also, remember that ballet buns look a certain way. They are at the crown of the head and flattened. They do not stick out like a donut glued to the back of your head. They are not on top of the head. Some studios are very strict and you need to have the "right" bun. It makes a difference when dancing and partnering. Here's an example of well done ballet buns: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamamindy Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Wow! Thanks for all the advice! Buns aren't required for their class, only recital, but it has to stay out of their face somehow. Today I had trouble with DD2's short, flyaway hair. :( I fixed it at home, had to re-fix it at class, and when I picked her up, it looked terrible. I used hair spray, but didn't seem to have the right size ponytail holders (too small/too big) and no hair nets. I will need to get more supplies and practice. Thank God we only go once a week. I CANNOT IMAGINE having to do this several times a week! (We live out of town and I have other little ones.) And this morning we woke up to snow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamamindy Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Those spin pins look awesome!! Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.