The wand is a witch or wizard’s holy grail and Hogwarts students from the Harry Potter films especially visit Ollivanders to find their perfect match.
A similar quest goes for ballet dancers as well; pointe shoes are essential to their success and they have to visit ballet shops to fit the right shoes for them.
Pointe shoes – A specific pair of shoes a ballet dancer dances in; it is typically made up of layers of fabric, cardboard and paper inside the shoe and satin for the outside of the pointe shoe.
After attending a full-time vocational ballet school for quite a few years, I understand the struggle to find the right pair of pointe shoes for yourself.
Each dancer has a different foot anatomy, so it’s vital that they find a shoe that they can flourish in, but most importantly, dance safely to prevent any injuries which could hinder them from continuing their training or career.
It takes lots of matchmaking and trial and error to find your best pair.
It could take you years and years to find your one and only.
Different ballet brands have different styles of shoes, so one brand may suit you more or not.
Pointe shoes give the effect of a dancer floating on stage, making them look ethereal and weightless.
Young dancers aspire to be able to achieve this as they admire the sensational ballerinas on stage leaping across the stage and pirouetting endlessly, hoping that one day they will be able to fulfil this dream when they get their first pair of pointe shoes.
Dancers tailor their pointe shoes to their own specific needs.
This is called ‘breaking in’ pointe shoes.
Each dancer has their own particular routine for this.
Some might bang their shoes on steps or walls, darn the box (which is the flat platform that the dancers stand on) to balance better and others might cut a quarter of the insole in their shoes to make their arch look more aesthetically pleasing, according to the dancer’s preference.
Pointe shoes go through pretty much everything with you throughout your dancing journey.
They will help you to get you through classes, rehearsals and performances.
They experience mishaps on stage with you, but ultimately, they enable you to become a ballet dancer.
Dancing on pointe is no easy feat; it takes grit, perseverance and pain to dance successfully.
This is why finding your pointe shoe is such an intricate process.
Finding the right pair brings the best out of you as a dancer.
