It's a question we are often asked "how do you do such a good bun?" or "How do you get it to stay in?". Well in this post Im going to share my top tips and tricks on creating the perfect ballet bun.
There are lots of methods of doing a bun and lots of different hairstyles you can do for ballet class (stay tuned for further posts about ballet hairstyles), however in this post we are just going to cover the basic ballet bun in the way we like to do it at Glenbrook Ballet Theatre.
First of all - Gather everything you need:
Hair pins to match hair colour (the strong, long U shaped type)
Bobby Pins to match hair colour
Hair Net to match hair colour (Unless you only have very short/fine hair always get the larger "hair nets" rather than "bun nets" )
Comb or Brush (I find the stiff bristled brushes best rather than the ones with plastic spines.)
Hair elastics to match hair colour
Lets get started!
Brush and smooth hair back into a well secured ponytail. My personal preference is for the ponytail to be at the crown of the head. This gives a lovely long neckline.
Twist the ponytail into a long "snake" shape and then twist around the hair elastic and secure with just 1 or 2 hair pins (not bobby pins).
Cover the bun with a hair net (doubled over/wrapped around 2 or 3 times depending on the size of the bun) and tuck the ends underneath the bun.
Remove the original hair pins and mould the bun into a flattish circle.
Once you are happy with the shape, begin to add pins around the edge of the bun.
Hold the hairpin flat and push it through the edge of the bun and hairnet, pulling slightly out, then push gently back into the bun. (Take care not to push it in too far or the bun will be squashed)
Repeat all the way around the edge of the bun until it is secure.
Secure any wispy bits with bobby pins and finish with hairspray.
Add a ribbon/clip/bow/accessory to the finished bun if you like.
Some tips!
One of the big secrets to a secure bun is having a well secured ponytail. Make sure the elastic is firm and the ponytail is well secured before doing the bun.
To find the "crown" of your head - place the heel of your palm on your forehead at the start of your hairline. Stretch your hand out towards the back of your head and where your middle finger touches is where to do the ponytail.
The size of your hairpins needs to match the size of your bun. Ideally you want the hairpins to go into the elastic.
Generally the flatter the better. "Mushroom" buns that stick out from the head don't give the same lovely long line as a nice flattish round bun.
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