Ditching my Capezio Hanami slippers

When I first became involved in ballet, back in the mid 1980s, Capezio was the brand name I knew best. My first shoes, tights, and dance belt were all Capezio. Now I almost feel like the name Capezio is a code for "stay away from these".

I loved my Capezio 4945 tights. They were soft and stretchy and comfortable. Poof! Gone, replaced by the inferior MT-11. I asked the owner of my favorite dancewear store if she knew where I could find some, and she told me that if she could get them she'd "buy a thousand of them". The Capezio website now shows "Ultra Soft" footed tights (10361M), but I have two pairs each of M. Stevens and Wear Moi tights and am not inclined to buy more for a while.

I tried and fell in love with the Capezio CA222 leggings. They were officially a women's style but they fit me quite well. Again, soft and stretchy and comfortable. Poof! Gone. So far gone that this blog is now Google's top hit when searching for them.

I started with Capezio Cobra shoes. Their failing was inconsistent sizing. Eventually the Cobra was replaced with the Capezio Romeo, which was an improvement in my view. Last November, when my big toe started protruding through my most recent pair of Romeos, I went to my local dance store to by replacements. They told me they didn't stock the Romeo anymore, and Capezio's replacement was the Hanami. In case you're wondering, "Hanami" is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers. At first I thought the Hanami was an improvement over the Romeo. The fabric is very stretchy compared to my Romeos, which makes it conform to the foot really well, and the absence of a drawstring avoids having a knot digging into my instep. However I've become increasingly disenchanted with my canvas Hanami slippers.

The Summer of Susan

I've been busy on Saturday mornings recently, meaning I've been missing the weekend Beginner 2 class I usually take. While I like that class, it's a bit of a challenge because of the complexity of the sequences this instructor likes to use late in the class. While they're really not that complex on their own, my IQ diminishes as I get tired and by the end of class I'm just too stupid to retain them. After I've rested I often mentally kick myself for not being able to deal with them, but at the time I just don't have the brain power to deal.

The regular Sunday morning instructor, Julie, keeps her Beginner 2 class at an easier level and reserves the more complicated sequences for her Advanced Beginner classes. This gives me a chance to focus on details rather than struggling to remember sequences. So there is something to be said about taking the Sunday class rather than Saturday.

Except this summer, which has been designated "The Summer of Susan".

I'm not sure why, but it seems like Susan is teaching all the classes. I sign in for a class and the desk clerk says, "Susan is substituting". There's no escaping her. Maybe she's been cloned. Or been given a Time Turner.

It may be that Julie wanted time off. Or Susan is feeling the pinch of having to buy a car on short notice after a tree fell on her (parked) car after a heavy rain. I can't imagine what this must be doing to her social life.