I thought your kitty Alice (I believe that was her name), was adorable! I used to have a calico kitty whose name was Precious. She passed on several years ago, but I will never forget her. She was one of the sweetest, most affectionate kitties I ever had.
Hi there :-). I'm stumbled upon your channel the other night after seeing some video clips done by the Pacific Northwest Ballet. I've never done ballet before so watching videos like this that describe the tools of your craft are very interesting and insightful to me...so I highly look forward to your future videos. I just had one question I was wondering about, and I ask it in the most respectful manner: have you thought about what might happen if you develop severe irreversible foot problems from pointe dancing? I would be very interested to hear your response since you are an expert. Thank you and I hope you are having a wonderful evening!
Hello! I'm so glad you found my channel! So I have considered this a few times since developing some sort of foot deformation is usually inevitable for most dancers who train enough to be at the professional level. Personally, the downside of developing bunions and calluses has never outweighed the joy that dance brings me, so it has never made me want to stop! Another way I like to look at it, is that ballet has also enhanced my health and longevity in many ways (i.e. through learning to take care of myself and maintain healthy habits) that I will continue with long after I stop dancing. As you know, every profession has its pros and cons so it's just up to the individual to assess what is worth it to them!
That was very helpful. How long did it take you to figure out the angle for the jet-gluing part? haha :D And were you allowed to 3/4-shank your shoes before becoming a professional? :)
Thank you! To my surprise it took very little time haha. Yes, I have never been at a school where they tell me that I can't do certain things to my pointe shoes to make them look better. I daresay that would rarely ever happen unless a student is clearly making a big mistake in the way they prepare their shoes!
are there ballet dancers who dance in the pointe shoes as they are made, or are they always modified for personal preference? And what is inside the box? Thank you!
Yes, there are certainly many dancers who simply sew their elastics and ribbons on, bend the shank a bit to soften it around the arch, and wear them as is! I find that Freeds are most often adjusted to personal preference because that is what the brand intended (more or less) for the user to do. Nothing is inside of the box except for a little jet glue to make the shoes last longer!
my questions came about because of all the youtube vids with ballet dancers demonstrating all the customizing they do for their pointe shoes - it occurred to me to finally ask if any dancers just wear them straight out of the box - I expected a different answer. so amazing! thank you for letting me know.Btw, my question about the box should have been: what is it made of so that it supports your weight? And do you soften/crush the box to make the shoes quieter? Thanks again for your time.
My pleasure! So the box of the pointe shoe is made of a tough, paper mache type material which, along with the hard shank (or sole) of the shoe, supports the dancer's weight. I soften the box to make it easier for the box to form to the shape of my foot. It makes it feel much better and prevents blisters!
I personally don't like doing anything at all to my shoes. But then they literally last only a few hours. So I add some glue to the shank and shellac to the box to make them even harder. I bend the shank a bit with my hands too, otherwise I do it with my feet and it just destroys them. I don't crush the box or do anything else. It's all personal preference. The better a shoe fits to your foot, the more comfortable it is, and the longer it will last!
Hi! Thank you so much! They order each dancer's specific pointe shoes for them, and give them a certain number of shoes per season. They also will order custom designed shoes so that it fits really well! It's very nice!!
Oh very true what you wrote in the description, i tried to deshank my Ghrisko's 2007 H shank but that was a big fail :p The shank is way to thick, i had to use construction materials to saw it and it just left a way to thick painful edge that just cut into my arch. Now i just bend them to make them more flexible. :D I never tried jet glue. Have not seen it in shops before, can you use that in grhisko's 2007?
Yes, the same thing happened to me when I wore Grishko's! Jet glue actually works for every type of shoe, which is great since it really helps to make them last longer!
It's probably not related but my teacher told me for certain exexrises I have to stand on 3/4 pointe even tho I'm not on pointe yet what does she means?
I don't, but all that I do after what I showed in this video, is push on the box against the floor to flatten it a bit and slip them on! It's not very interesting, haha!
I thought your kitty Alice (I believe that was her name), was adorable! I used to have a calico kitty whose name was Precious. She passed on several years ago, but I will never forget her. She was one of the sweetest, most affectionate kitties I ever had.
Aww kitties bring so much joy into the world
Do you leave the shanks undone or do you glue them back after you’ve pulled them apart?
Hi there :-). I'm stumbled upon your channel the other night after seeing some video clips done by the Pacific Northwest Ballet. I've never done ballet before so watching videos like this that describe the tools of your craft are very interesting and insightful to me...so I highly look forward to your future videos. I just had one question I was wondering about, and I ask it in the most respectful manner: have you thought about what might happen if you develop severe irreversible foot problems from pointe dancing? I would be very interested to hear your response since you are an expert. Thank you and I hope you are having a wonderful evening!
Hello! I'm so glad you found my channel! So I have considered this a few times since developing some sort of foot deformation is usually inevitable for most dancers who train enough to be at the professional level. Personally, the downside of developing bunions and calluses has never outweighed the joy that dance brings me, so it has never made me want to stop! Another way I like to look at it, is that ballet has also enhanced my health and longevity in many ways (i.e. through learning to take care of myself and maintain healthy habits) that I will continue with long after I stop dancing. As you know, every profession has its pros and cons so it's just up to the individual to assess what is worth it to them!
Thanks for the tips!!😃 Very helpful tutorials you have.
Thank you! I'm so glad you like them!
That was very helpful. How long did it take you to figure out the angle for the jet-gluing part? haha :D And were you allowed to 3/4-shank your shoes before becoming a professional? :)
Thank you! To my surprise it took very little time haha. Yes, I have never been at a school where they tell me that I can't do certain things to my pointe shoes to make them look better. I daresay that would rarely ever happen unless a student is clearly making a big mistake in the way they prepare their shoes!
When I danced pointe (sooo long ago, but I still miss it like crazy
Melanie Recker 9
I used Grisko, so I had to just break them in a door.
I used to do the exact same thing when I wore Grishkos!
I know this is an old video, but did you ever end up finding a maker? I saw in one video you were struggling with that!
are there ballet dancers who dance in the pointe shoes as they are made, or are they always modified for personal preference? And what is inside the box? Thank you!
Yes, there are certainly many dancers who simply sew their elastics and ribbons on, bend the shank a bit to soften it around the arch, and wear them as is! I find that Freeds are most often adjusted to personal preference because that is what the brand intended (more or less) for the user to do. Nothing is inside of the box except for a little jet glue to make the shoes last longer!
my questions came about because of all the youtube vids with ballet dancers demonstrating all the customizing they do for their pointe shoes - it occurred to me to finally ask if any dancers just wear them straight out of the box - I expected a different answer. so amazing! thank you for letting me know.Btw, my question about the box should have been: what is it made of so that it supports your weight? And do you soften/crush the box to make the shoes quieter? Thanks again for your time.
My pleasure! So the box of the pointe shoe is made of a tough, paper mache type material which, along with the hard shank (or sole) of the shoe, supports the dancer's weight. I soften the box to make it easier for the box to form to the shape of my foot. It makes it feel much better and prevents blisters!
I personally don't like doing anything at all to my shoes. But then they literally last only a few hours. So I add some glue to the shank and shellac to the box to make them even harder. I bend the shank a bit with my hands too, otherwise I do it with my feet and it just destroys them. I don't crush the box or do anything else. It's all personal preference. The better a shoe fits to your foot, the more comfortable it is, and the longer it will last!
hi! love your videos! i have a question now that you're in a company, do they stock the pointe shoes for you or do you have to go out and buy them?
Hi! Thank you so much! They order each dancer's specific pointe shoes for them, and give them a certain number of shoes per season. They also will order custom designed shoes so that it fits really well! It's very nice!!
Oh very true what you wrote in the description, i tried to deshank my Ghrisko's 2007 H shank but that was a big fail :p The shank is way to thick, i had to use construction materials to saw it and it just left a way to thick painful edge that just cut into my arch. Now i just bend them to make them more flexible. :D I never tried jet glue. Have not seen it in shops before, can you use that in grhisko's 2007?
Yes, the same thing happened to me when I wore Grishko's! Jet glue actually works for every type of shoe, which is great since it really helps to make them last longer!
Thank you.
It's probably not related but my teacher told me for certain exexrises I have to stand on 3/4 pointe even tho I'm not on pointe yet what does she means?
Amira Safwat I think your arch
Do you have a video on how you prepare your shoes from start to finish?
And what you use in them?
I don't, but all that I do after what I showed in this video, is push on the box against the floor to flatten it a bit and slip them on! It's not very interesting, haha!
Wasn't this channel called 'TwinsTalkBallet' in the past..? Did your sister stop dancing or just stop doing videos with you..?
She was injured and had to stop dancing a few years ago, and now I've started up the channel again on my own!
Oh, sorry to hear that! I hope she's doing better now and found a new passion :)
a pair of bullnosed pliers for the nail will stop your scissors blades getting ruined.
does your company supply you with Pointe shoes?