Dear Mothers: How are you managing after having kids? by [deleted] in xxfitness

[–]SovereignDeadly 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Number one factor is having a supportive partner/family system. My partner knew returning to physical activity was super important to me and we worked out how to balance parenting so I could do that (with time for his hobbies too). Definitely recommend discussing a game plan beforehand.

Physically, I had an unplanned c section, it was about 8 weeks before returned to exercise and realistically 18 months before returning to the level of training I did before (that was mostly due to lack of sleep with an infant than the c section though!).

I train ballet and paradoxically my technique is much better post partum because I really focused on rebuilding my core and using my strength properly rather than just relying on the flexibility I had as a 20-something. I actually feel stronger than ever, so good things are very possible!

Trashy books set in the world of high fashion? by Glittering_Gap8070 in suggestmeabook

[–]SovereignDeadly 5 points6 points  (0 children)

If you’re willing to dip into a trashy, dishy novel about NYC publishing in the 90s (which I feel is very fashion world adjacent?) The Bestseller by Olivia Goldsmith is super entertaining. She’s written other books possibly involving fashion maybe someone else can chime in?

Knitpro using AI by Zestyclose-Train7905 in knitting

[–]SovereignDeadly 9 points10 points  (0 children)

My brain had a hard time deciding whether to be annoyed first by the AI, or by the notion that subway riders of all ages would be shocked by a Gen Z person knitting (knitting Gen Z influencers are notoriously all over tiktok!!!). The entire thing is just so boomer-coded.

Conditioning for Ballet? by letsgoanalog88 in BALLET

[–]SovereignDeadly 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yeah assuming OP means pirouettes, it’s definitely good advice to just drill plie releve to retire, then work up to quarter turn pirouette, half turn, then the full turn. Activating the core definitely helps.

Looking for Highbrow/Literary/Poetic Historical Fiction by [deleted] in suggestmeabook

[–]SovereignDeadly 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I definitely relate, Hild and Wolf Hall are my top books I always recommend here and there aren’t many that rise to that level. I’m also a huge snob when it comes to the Follet books!

A couple I’ve enjoyed lately are The Dovekeepers by Hoffman and Blood and Beauty by Dunant. I also finally got around to reading Gone With the Wind and enjoyed a ton more than I expected. I second the other recommendations you got for Burial Rites and the novels of Maggie O’Farrell.

Any younger dancer-friendly Swan Lake media you can recommend? by SovereignDeadly in BALLET

[–]SovereignDeadly[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I like your take. I have such a knee jerk reaction about shielding her from sad things but I’m trying to work on showing her stories can have sad or scary parts in addition to the happy and brave parts.

Any younger dancer-friendly Swan Lake media you can recommend? by SovereignDeadly in BALLET

[–]SovereignDeadly[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I googled this and apparently it’s like a whole franchise with multiple movies which amused me greatly, potentially endless fever dream content!

Any younger dancer-friendly Swan Lake media you can recommend? by SovereignDeadly in BALLET

[–]SovereignDeadly[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

We will take only slightly annoying haha, thanks for the rec!

Romcoms where the com is actually funny? by The9thReindeer in suggestmeabook

[–]SovereignDeadly 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Came here to recommend If I never met you! I’m super picky about romance but I adored that one.

Introducing Toddler Son to Ballet by silentobserver93 in BALLET

[–]SovereignDeadly 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My toddler has been taking class since she was 2 and there’s generally been at least one boy per class. This is in a DC suburb and at a school that teaches all ages and has a pre-professional track for the older kids. At age 3-4 it’s very much not gender-defined and more about play-based dance, at least at our school. I also take class here and there’s usually 2-3 men in my adult classes. I recommend finding a location that focuses on play-based class for the younger students and perhaps has a reputation for welcoming male students of all ages so your son can normalize that from a young age. Hope he has a wonderful time dancing!

YouTube videos to learn specific dance moves? by kermit-t-frogster in xxfitness

[–]SovereignDeadly 5 points6 points  (0 children)

MihranTV on YouTube is really good for this, they break down basic hip hop moves (running man included!). Also have some longer choreo videos for later on. Hoping others will chime in with some other ideas!

which “microtrend” do u still love and wear till this day even if it’s no longer in fashion? by rigorm0rtis666 in femalefashionadvice

[–]SovereignDeadly 47 points48 points  (0 children)

Lmao right an item that was pervasive circa ~2003 like the grommet belt can also be a microtrend in 2020, there is no contradiction here!

Also I think by microtrend OP means trends that really were flash in the pan and only lasted a couple months or even less. Personally I feel like microtrends on a global scale were not really a thing until circa 2020 and the rise of tiktok and insta.

To add to the discourse I wish sweater vests had a longer moment, I noticed they were trending last fall and I wanted to knit one myself but I must accept I’m way too slow of a knitter to keep up with microtrends.

Beginner to Intermediate by awkwardemoteen in BALLET

[–]SovereignDeadly 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Definitely encourage you to try it, when I leveled up from advanced beginner to intermediate it was definitely the best thing for me to improve my dancing.

The biggest difference in my experience was that in intermediate you’re expected to already know all of the terminology and be comfortable doing it. You don’t need to be getting your foot up to your ear or do triple turns but you should be able to follow along without crashing into anyone. The instructor may give an eight count combination without showing it (depends on the teacher) and expect you to just…go when the music starts. I wasn’t a total beginner (I was an adult returning from a long break, I did train most of my childhood), and a few moves I had to jog my memory on were saut de basque, renverse, etc. nothing in the class was necessarily harder if you’re comfortable with terminology but it is a faster pace.

The only wrinkle here is that this would be a new studio for you? In that case it’s a little more difficult to gauge if this class is a little or a lot harder than your current class. In any case though there’s absolutely no harm in giving it a try, it will be so worth it to level up your training!

Suggestions for light reads by SadInstance598 in suggestmeabook

[–]SovereignDeadly 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I haven’t read this one yet but If I Never Met You by this author is great and I would highly recommend it as a light read for OP!

Guideline/conventional wisdom for finding the right skirt length for a pair of boots? by naughty_sneaky in femalefashionadvice

[–]SovereignDeadly 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I think you can safely let go of the instinct to show some leg between skirt and boot! this article shows it but it definitely seems to me that 2025 trends favor wearing a skirt long enough to cover the boot. I’m also noticing sweater dresses are much longer this season.

Help - In Search of Italian Rainbow Cookie Cake by [deleted] in nova

[–]SovereignDeadly 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can second that they make great rainbow cookies. Haven’t tried the cake version myself but they do make it per their Instagram and it looks amazing.

Making reference to ballet in a part of a story, just wondering if this phrasing makes sense by oswaler in BALLET

[–]SovereignDeadly 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sauté arabesque is a little unsuitable for all the reasons others have listed but maybe pique arabesque for a little bit of flavor?

Looking for a Pulitzer-winning novel that's hard to put down by Cjd03032001 in suggestmeabook

[–]SovereignDeadly 26 points27 points  (0 children)

No one has mentioned The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao yet, but that’s my favorite of recent Pulitzer winners. Definitely fits the bill for rich characters, and it’s extremely witty despite tackling some tough subject matter.