How to Make a Performance-Ready Ballet Bun
If you’re just starting out in ballet or are looking to improve the quality of your ballet bun, you’ve come to the right place!
Today, Ballet 5:8 Second Company Artist Sophia Snider takes us step-by-step through the process of making a beautiful, performance-ready ballet bun.
Gather Your Supplies
Before you begin making a ballet bun, you will need the following supplies:
A smoothing brush
A hair tie
Sturdy hair pins (you’ll need a lot - like 20-30)
Hairspray
Start with the Ponytail
Use your smoothing brush to make a hight ponytail. To figure out how high your bun should be, imagine a line beginning at your chin and coming up at a diagonal past your cheekbone, above your ear. The ponytail should not be on top of your head, but it will be pretty close. This ensures that the shape of your bun will be aesthetically pleasing in relation to your head, which in turn compliments the lines created with the whole body in ballet. A ponytail that is too high or too low will cause your bun to “stick out” visually in relation to your head.
Use the smoothing brush to create a tight, smooth ponytail. Depending on your hair type, you may want to apply a light layer of hairspray at this point in the process.
Begin the Twist
Once your ponytail is in place, you will begin twisting your hair in preparation to make a coil for the bun. If you have thinner hair, one twist should be enough; for very long and/or thicker hair, two is better. This may take some experimentation to figure out what is best for your hair type and length. Twist the hair until the entire ponytail is tight.
Then, begin to swirl your twist around the ponytail in a coil shape. If you twist to the left, coil to the right (counterclockwise). Especially if you have longer hair, it will be important to begin pinning down the coil right away as you twist it around the ponytail. Press the hair flat as you pinning; it is best if you insert the pins in a scooping action to be sure the bun is secured into the ponytail - one end of the pin is getting tucked into the bun, while the other is getting some of the hair from the ponytail. This way, if you circle around the coil again, you will end up with a flat bun (imagine a cheese danish - yum!) rather than a bun that sticks up and out away from your head. Keep pinning around the entire bun, and go back for any pieces of hair that may still stick out.
You may find that different types of pins are better for different points within this process. For thicker hair, you may find that larger hair pins are ideal for holding the bun in place, but that smaller “bobby pins” are better for finishing the job and for catching any fly-away pieces of hair. Again, experiment to find what works - everyone’s hair is a little different.
Spray It Down
Use hairspray to hold everything in place! Especially for a performance, you will want to spray liberally all over the ponytail and the bun itself. You can apply spray directly to areas of the bun where hair tends to stand out, adding additional pins if necessary. Use a mirror to check your work, and spray some more if needed.
Give It A Test
Finally, before you put your supplies away, give your head a good shake to test the bun. If everything feels secure, you’re good to go! If anything moves or hair comes out, go back a few steps and add some more pins and/or hairspray. Nobody wants their hair coming out while they’re performing!
You Did It!
Congrats! Hopefully you’re feeling great in your beautiful, performance ready ballet bun. If you’re not completely satisfied, however, don’t give up. Making a bun is a skill that comes with practice. There are many variables that you need to work out precisely for your hair. Try again tomorrow, and again the next day and watch as you gain skill and figure out what works for your hair. Before you know it, you’ll be making buns like a pro.