PointePointe Shoes Essential Tools of the Trade
A Brief History
Whether we call them toe shoes, which is correct but a bit passé, or pointe shoes, the more current usage, the structured, blocked and typically pink satin shoes that are worn predominately by female ballet dancers have a very interesting history.
Starting at the beginning, King Louis XIV of France ordered the founding of the Royal Academy of dance in 1661. Men dressed as women took the female roles until 1681 when four ladies danced in a ballet for the first time. These early ballerinas wore shoes with heels, constricted bodices, voluminous skirts, unwieldy headpieces and large shawls. Their costumes both reflected and dictated the nature of their technique which was limited to gracefully executed sliding, walking and running in intricate floor patterns.
During the first half of the eighteenth century, dance technique experienced rapid development, and the dancer's dress was adjusted to accommodate these new physical demands. In 1726 Marie Camargo made her debut at the Paris Opera Ballet and introduced the entrechat. To display these rapid changes of her feet, she had to wear a shorter skirt. She soon abandoned her heeled shoes for a flatter shoe that provided an improved springboard for her complicated jumps.
The French Revolution swept away the remains of confining costuming. Flat ballet slippers tied with ribbons became standard footwear. These short-soled slippers with pleats under the toes were developed in response to the need for a more flexible shoe. The new slippers facilitated the fully extended pointing of the foot as well as jumps and turns. They were the foundation upon which the first pointe shoes were built.
During this time Charles Didelot introduced the concept of a flying machine in a production at Lyons. His contraption enabled dancers to stand briefly on their toes before being whisked upward, creating the illusion of lightness as they portrayed the ethereal, unreal characters of classical ballets.
Didelot's flying machine was enthusiast-ically received in London in 1796. As theatrical dancing evolved, women had become more athletic, and the audience adored watching them perform such feats as sailing across the stage aided by hidden wires. When dancers landed on their toes, their fans cheered with delight. This favorable response encouraged choreographers to seek ways for their stars to linger in an elevated position. The attempt to dance on pointe without the support of wires was a logical extension of this growing emphasis on technical skill.
In 1832 Marie Taglioni appeared on pointe in the first performance of "La Sylphide." She demonstrated that pointe shoes could be used as an aesthetic element to convey a sense of character that was essentially Romantic. She used pointe shoes to bring a new poetic quality to ballet. It inspired one member of the audience to write, "hers is a totally new style of dancing, graceful beyond all comparison. She seems to float and bound like a sylph across the floor."
The Evolution of the Pointe Shoe
These new technical demands required a more substantial shoe. Taglioni's shoes appear to be nothing more than soft satin slippers, heavily darned at the tip. They had no box to protect the toe. Stitched ribbons and starch were the only attempts at reinforcement, leaving the dancers to rely on the strength of their feet and ankles.
In the nineteenth century dancing on pointe became a means of expressing fire and strength as well as fantasy. Shoes evolved to become less pointed and had a flatter, sturdier base. They had strong soles and a box that was molded with more substantial layers of fabric. In 1890 some shoes were made of newspaper and floured paste which was reinforced by a light cardboard insole stretching between the tips of the toes and the instep. This is amazingly similar to certain shoes worn today.
By mid-twentieth century pointe shoe boxes had become considerably harder in order to accommodate the technical demands on the dancer's foot. The continuing evolution of contemporary ballet technique has led pointe shoe manufacturers to nonstop experimentation. The ability to rise to the tips of her toes has afforded the ballerina the opport-unity for virtuosity on a new plane. It has allowed her to create the illusion of incredible lightness and to project an increased sense of daring.
The Prime Consideration
How does one go about searching for pointe shoes? Prospective home buyers are advised that the three most important things to consider are "location, location, location." When it comes to pointe shoes, the primary considerations should be "fit, fit, fit." The construction of these shoes is unique and ingenious, but if the fit is not exact, the dancer will not be able to stay on balance, move quickly and gracefully or come out of jumps lightly.
Although it is not possible for many people, in an ideal situation, a professional fitter should aid and counsel the pointe shoe customer. Some manufacturers such as Freed of London, Gaynor Minden, and Capezio send fitters to schools and companies as a free service. If working with an experienced fitter is impossible, call or e-mail the manufacturers to ask for advice.
Sizing Confusion
Life would be so much easier if the manufacturers would get together and decide on a compatible sizing chart. Right now there is no obvious 'rhyme or reason' to the systems. If you wear a 5 1/2 A in a street shoe, it translates to a 2 1/2 A in a Capezio. It might even be a 4 no-X or a 3 1/2 N in another brand. Making it more confusing is that even within one company, some models' widths are A, B, C or D while others are X, XX, XXX or XXXX. Since the companies are international, some have charts comparing their sizes to American street shoes while others use European size comparisons. It is all mind boggling!
Three Types of Shoes
For many years most shoes were made in the same manner...........with a water soluble paste. These are the ones that break down quickly, but are light weight and also give the dancer a large degree of control. Today other shoes use generally the same method, but the glue is less water-soluble and more durable. This shoe will take more break-in time. The third type has boxes made from molded, injected or heat-formed plastic and rubber-based materials. They are extremely durable and change very little with wear. Gaynor Minden is an example of the latter.
They mean different things to different
people
No matter how pointe shoes are described, they mean different things to different people. To ballet students who are too young for pointe training, the dream of dancing en pointe is a fantasy of the future. When these dreams actually come true, the beautiful bubble can burst when they discover the lovely, shiny slippers can be unwieldy, uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful. Exercises and steps that had been polished and nearly perfected on three quarter pointe now are out of reach until more strength is developed to enable the dancer to rise all the way onto pointe. For those who are still enchanted and determined, it's the beginning of many years of training and hard work.
To teachers it means something else. It must be assumed that female instructors have all had considerable experience en pointe. However, this does not mean that it is easy to teach this discipline to others. In fact, in all my years of interviewing experts on this subject, I have found that even the most famous teachers in well respected schools all have questions such as "what have I found out from others in similar positions?" Most are very humble in acknowledging that even they are perplexed in certain areas. Male teachers have the additional burden of probably never having worn pointe shoes unless they have been members of The Trockaderos or Les Ballets Grandiva. If they have trained in them for additional strength, as some do, the chances are they have not worn them extensively. Another challenge for teachers is having to stay up to date on the numerous new styles and models that are constantly being introduced.
We mustn't forget the parents. What do pointe shoes mean to them? To those who are committed to the emotional, physical and spiritual development of their off-spring, it at first represents achievement through advancement to another plateau. At the same time a glaring reality is the considerable cost of the shoes. This expense has risen sharply over recent years.
Because of the escalation in cost, pointe shoe manufacturers have introduced new types of shoes using innovative methods of construction as well as inorganic materials to extend the life of the shoes. Most companies, even the most traditional with the best reputations, have given in to the demand of longer lasting shoes in order to please parents and students who are concerned about the expense. It was always thought that shoes must break down quickly in order to protect the dancers' feet from the impact of a non-yielding shoe. This on-going controversy about the safety and desirability of longer-lasting shoes has inspired rather heated controversy. In the long run all businesses have a bottom line, and that is making a profit. This specialized, niche business must find a way to strike a balance between the bottom line and concern for their customers' health. While it must be hard for people outside the dance world to believe, there are still some companies and skilled "makers" for which this truly is a labor of love.
Ultimately, it's the professional dancer that is most concerned about pointe shoes. There's no question that her shoes can 'make or break' a performance. Any professional will tell you that when shoes fit perfectly and help, rather than hinder, each relevé, balance, jump or turn, they are worth their weight in gold.
Common Adjustments for Special Orders
Shoes 'off the shelf' are rarely worn by dancers in ballet companies. Most wear shoes that are painstakingly customized for each irregularity and idiosyncrasy. For instance, longer vamps, reinforced shanks and stiffened wings are many times built into shoes for dancers with those gorgeous high insteps. While this type of foot is pleasing to the eye aesthetically, it can have an intrinsic weakness. Paloma Herrera says that not only does she have a longer vamp and a stronger shank built into her Capezios, but she also uses an elastic drawstring because it conforms to the shape of her foot.
Maria Kowroski, Principal with New York City Ballet, has the vamp on her Freed shoes made extra long to cover her very long toes. Because the sides of a stock shoe come so far up on her foot, her custom order has the sides cut down. She says that otherwise her foot would not even be seen. Jenifer Ringer, also a Principal with NYCB, has a similar problem with fabric bagging around her arch. While she has her Freeds cut down on the sides, she has them come a little higher on the heel to insure they stay on.
Not only does Melanie Hamrick of American Ballet Theatre have the sides of her shoes cut down, but she also has the box "smushed" at the Capezio factory while the paste is still wet so that it is easier to break-in. It also aids in a smoother "roll-through." Jennifer Lee, also of ABT, has her Capezio shoes narrow in the heel and wider in the metatarsal. This is a rather common custom order. She also has the profile (the depth of the box) cut down to better hug her foot.
It's impossible to list every custom order and adjustment. They are too numerous to mention. Most pointe shoe companies are willing to accommodate any request. Of course, this is always with an extra charge. With a dancer's reputation resting on controlling and manipulating her shoes, it's well worth it.
Even after the special orders arrive, many dancers make further adjustments by cutting a 3/4 shank down to 1/2, taking the nail out of the back of the insole (in Sanshas it's staples) or shaving the shank and insole or even outer sole to make then thinner. There are many variations of these operations. If one were to examine the contents of some dancers' bags, one would find large scissors, hammers, pliers, screwdrivers, exacto knives, rubber cement and jet glue. Former Principal with the Houston Ballet, Janie Parker, has those very beautiful high insteps. Because her metatarsals would "squish" around inside her shoes, Janie built her own last (the form around which a pointe shoe is built) and would spend at least two hours re-cobbling every pair of her already custom ordered shoes.
Manufacturers' Accommodations
In recent years stock shoes have a different meaning. While companies only used to offer variations in length (whole and half sizes) and widths (usually 3 or 4), choices in styles were even more limited. To avoid the necessity of special orders, many companies now offer endless choices of not only length and widths, vamp lengths, shank thickness, materials and strengths, broad, wide, narrow, light, hard, flat, quiet and tapered boxes, and narrow, broad, medium, extra flat, extra tapered, and square platforms. There are shoes for dancers with high arches, short toes, long toes, triangular shaped feet, square shaped feet and narrow heels. While most shoes are made with pleats, there are now some without them; drawstrings are not only made of fabric but also elastic. There are numerous longer-lasting shoes, student shoes, light-weight shoes and arched pre-shaped shoes. Most unusual are shoes that combine a jazz shoe with a pointe box and even one that looks like a lace-up sneaker. Most colors offered are pink, peach or European pink, but other colors are available on special order. Satin predominates, but some are made of denim or leather.
Most manufacturers specialize in stock shoes, but some only take special orders. A few now offer a variety of stock shank strengths, vamp lengths, box shapes and heels. Russian Pointe has a brochure that is extremely clear and easy to understand. Check their websites for specific information since new styles are introduced frequently.
Which Shoe is Right for You?
The primary concern should be finding the right fit. With all of these choices, it seems that today's dancers would have no problem. First, they must be very familiar with their own feet as well as their technical strengths and weaknesses before they can assess which features might be right for them. There will inevitably be a process of trial and error before finding something that is satisfactory.
Janice Barringer is a ballet teacher and writer and has produced numerous instructional DVD's and CD's for the classroom. She will be touring with MusicWorks Teachers' Workshops in the summer of 2006. www.musicworksunlimited.com.