Today I am with our wonderful web guys at Acumen Software as we continue to make our web site easier and better for you. I do hope you enjoy keeping up to date with us!

Elaine, our buyer, is in the process of sourcing new products for your next Diamond Book due out in August 2010. This week she just returned from a back to back, whistle-stop trip taking in The New York Gift Fair, The International Toy Fair in Germany and The Spring Fair in Birmingham.

We have recently introduced a range of Bloch shoes and accessories to our website. This high quality professional brand is in huge demand and used by professional dancers the world over. Check out the bags, many of which are from the very latest Bloch 2010 Spring range.

On Tuesday 8th December Darcey Bussell Direct entered centre stage for its debut launch with Darcey taking time out from her busy “Strictly” schedule to attend the DBD Press event at the RAD. Just like the Oscars the paparazzi flashed away to get the perfect shot with the young students of the Susan Robinson School of Dance all dressed up in the DB Star Tutus. Darcey was in a very relaxed mood having chatted away to Anne and some of the kids in the car coming back from another photoshoot with Darcey in front of a 25ft Christmas Tree at the Hurlingham Club.

The children performed an adapted version of the Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker to rapturous applause. Darcey sat down briefly to sign vanity cases and autograph books to adoring fans … before being whisked away for interviews with the press. The day ended with Darcey watching the kids perform a series of ballets steps starting with plies and ending with a flourish of jetés from the older girls. The press event had all the hallmarks for great press exposure to follow … we’ll have to wait in the wings again but this time we hope to make it to centre stage over the next week running up to Christmas. Thank you Darcey for joining IDS for the day. BRAVO Darcey but I did hear ENCORE as well coming from Anne and the Marketing Team!!!

This collection will help young girls conjure up that dream fairytale of star turns … taking them on an enchanted journey with a flight of fancy full of pirouettes, pink princesses and fairies from Nutcracker’s Kingdom of Sweets or Cinderella’s wondrous voyage through the snowflaked landscape leading to the castle for a captivating night at the ball under the watchful eye of Prince charming! Every young aspiring ballerina will crave to have a piece of this fancy dress collection so that they too can dream the dream and step into Darcey’s shoes and join a galaxy of stars.

“I’ve enjoyed working on the collection … it is important to me that the dancewear was developed in a professional manner. I’m thrilled to put my name to this fabulous collection!”

Darcey Bussell CBE