French Sole x English National Ballet

French Sole founder and designer, Jane Winkworth, has designed a limited edition, sparkly pink pair of shoe in aid of English National Ballet, an arts charity she and her brand have supported in the last couple of years. The ‘Henrietta’ style, which has a silver leather insole stamped with the English National Ballet’s logo, are a gorgeous addition to any ballet lover’s wardrobe…. And any non-ballet lover for that matter!
 
Female dancers can go through up to THREE PAIRS of pointe shoes in just ONE performance of a full-length ballet (that’s A LORRA LORRA twirls) so it’s easy to see how the girl’s pennies for pointes mount up!  As a result, the English National Ballet, which spends around £145,000 on pointe shoes every year, has set up the Pointe Shoe Appeal.  This appeal is vital to keep English National Ballet’s dancers performing world-class ballet to audiences around the UK and beyond.

French Sole’s beyond pretty pink pumps are available to purchase HERE for £120.00 and 50% of each sale will be donated directly to the English National Ballet’s Pointe Shoe Appeal.


'Thought Of You' - Animated short by Ryan Woodward (music by The Weepies)

"Everything that I said I'd do

Like make the world brand new

And take the time for you

I just got lost and slept right through the dawn

And the world spins madly on..."

This 2 minute little treasure of a short film, created by animator Ryan Woodward (‘Where The Wild Things Are’) came from his desire to unite several of his passions into one art piece; 2d animation, EFX animation, and contemporary dance. These three forms were combined to convey an intimate, complex relationship dancing along to The Weepies’ ‘World Spins Madly On’… The results are extremely powerful, evocative and affecting.

The meaning of the love story shown is open to each viewer’s interpretation...

I have a feeling that if there had been another sequence to this film we would have seen this girl standing up, dusting off her frock, and once again raising up her wings…
'You go Mama!' (I'm still trying to speak 'Kelly Rowland' - but not quiiiite pulling it off yet...)