# Ballet

## The Point of Pointe Shoes

## What are pointe shoes?

Pointe shoes are specially-made shoes worn by ballerinas to allow them to dance on the tips of their toes.

## What are pointe shoes made of?

Pointe shoes look dainty, but they really aren't. The tip of the shoe is a rigid box made of densely packed layers of fabric, cardboard and/or paper hardened by glue. The dancer depends on it to be extremely sturdy: the entire weight of her body is balanced on a small platform in that box! The rest of the shoe is made of leather, cotton and satin. Each shoe is custom hand-made to fit each dancer's specifications. No two pairs of pointe shoes are identical!

## Why do ballet dancers wear pointe shoes?

Pointe shoes make ballet dancing look magical and even daring. They create an illusion of lightness and give a sense that the ballerina is floating on air.

## Do male dancers wear pointe shoes?

Not normally. Sometimes men will wear pointe shoes for comedic effect, such as for the Stepsister characters in Cinderella (men are often cast as the sisters). Male ballet dancers usually wear a leather or canvas slipper with a soft sole, which allows the foot flexibility when jumping.

## Can a dancer just put on a pair of pointe shoes and start dancing?

No! Each time a dancer gets a new pair of pointe shoes, she has to break them in. Some methods include:

darning the platform of the box to provide traction and to prevent the satin from fraying

pounding the box of the shoe with a hammer to soften it

opening and closing a door on the box

cutting the satin off the box and using a carpenter's file to rough up the sole

lining the inside of the box with floor wax or shellac to mold the shoes and prolong wear

All dancers sew on their own ribbons and elastic to hold their shoes in place.

## Suggested steps for preparing shoes

Before your first class, bend your pointe shoe a bit at the arch

Break in the box (front part) of the shoes by gently pressing the top until it gives a little

For your first class, try to keep this kind of breaking-in minimal, just enough so that the shoes are wearable

All your sewing should be done with either pointe shoe thread, or dental floss

## The Finishing Touches

Padding:

Wrap each toe with self-adhesive tape, Band-Aids or masking tape.

Fold a paper towel around your toes. (Change it frequently to prevent shredding.)

Use a pre-shaped lamb’s wool or gel pad.

Cut the toes off thick socks and wear them under your tights.

Use a chamois (shammy). This soft cleaning fabric absorbs sweat without falling apart or feeling bulky.

Ribbons and Elastic:

Fold the heel down and sew the ribbons where the fold meets the shoe, one on each side. The elastic should be sewn just below the ribbons and stretch across the arch.

To tie, cross the ribbons over the front of the ankle and continue to wrap them around in opposite directions.

Tie them in a knot at the inside of the ankle and tuck them in along the groove between the Achilles tendon and the anklebone. Do not tie them directly behind or in front of the ankle, or wrap them up the calf.

## How long do pointe shoes last?

Not long - sometimes for just one performance (or part of a performance!), depending on the difficulty of the ballet. A professional ballerina can go through 100-120 pairs of pointe shoes in one season. At a cost of about $80 each, PBT spends close to $100,000 on pointe shoes per year.

## When can a ballerina start dancing on pointe?

In most cases, somewhere between age 11 and 13. A young dancer must have several years of good dance and strength training to ensure that her feet, ankles and legs are strong enough to handle the stress of dancing on her toes.