The Importance Of Pointe Shoes

Have you ever seen the Nutcracker ballet during Christmas time? Or have you danced for years and are finally deciding to dance on pointe? Ballet has been for hundreds of years and is still important to many people today. One of the main parts of ballet is pointe shoes. Pointe shoes are worn by all of the female dancers, except very young girls. The most important parts of the pointe shoe are the box; the end of the shoe that has pieces of cardboard and fabric glued densely together to support the dancer’s entire body weight, and the shank; the bottom of the shoe that has a hard material used to support the foot. Learning how to sew and break-in pointe shoes are done by finding the right shoes, sewing the ribbons, and breaking-in the shoe. …show more content…
There are various brands and styles to fit different foot types, the trick is to try multiple on. The shoe should fit comfortably and fit snugly. Having pointe shoes that do not fit properly can cause excess pain, trouble dancing in the shoes, or breaking the shank quickly. Once you have your shoe, you can add padding to the inside to make it hurt less. After that, you need to either add moleskin to the very end of the pointe shoe, also called the platform, or scuff the end so it is not smooth and slippery. This needs to be done to add grip to the pointe shoe so when you go up on pointe, you do not fall. You will also need to make sure you have ribbons that match your pointe shoes, a small needle, thread similar to the color of the shoes, and scissors. You may want a lighter and clear nail polish. When you have your pointe shoes and have done these simple tasks, then you are ready to sew the ribbons …show more content…
Pointe shoes start off very hard and inflexible. They do not bend easily, which would make dancing in them a challenge. The two parts that need to be broken-in are the shank and the box. You can start by bending the shank back and forth with your hands. This will help give them some shape so it is easier to dance and get all the way onto the boxes of the shoes. To break-in the box of the shoes, there are many different ways. You can step on the boxes or lay a book on them. Even smashing the ends on a hard surface can work. The goal is to make the boxes a little softer so they can be gently squeezed. Another way to break-in the shank and the box is to put on the pointe shoes and practice some simple moves. Going up on your pointe shoes, stopping half-way down, and then all the way down will help break them in. Even just dancing in them will help give them some flexibility and make them more comfortable. Once your shoes are broken-in, they will be ready to be danced