BEGINNING

POINTE

Baldwin Dance Department Level II Dancers

To the Pointe by Janet Parke Modified & Edited by Whitney DuBose

HISTORY OF THE POINTE SHOE Ballet, as the art form we know today, had its roots in 17th century France in the court of Louis XIV. At first, all the roles, both male and female, were danced by men. It wasn't until the 18th century that women began to figure more prominently in the ballet world. The first ladies danced in heavy floor-length costumes and heeled shoes. In the middle 1700's, Marie Camargo caused a sensation by shortening her skirts (to just above the ankles!) and removing the heels from her shoes. This adjustment enabled Mlle. Camargo to jump higher and allowed the audience to see her footwork. The one element most associated today with ballet, the pointe shoe, did not emerge until early in the nineteenth century. We may never know which dancer was actually the first to dance en pointe. Current historians credit several dancers with being among the first. Pictures of Maria del Caro (1804) and Fanny Bias (1821) depict the ballerinas on the tips of their toes, or nearly so. Genevieve Gosselin and Amalia Brugnoli were among those receiving acclaim for their early development of what is now considered basic pointe technique. It was perhaps Marie Taglioni who, at the height of the Romantic Era, developed the visual beauty of pointe work, which enabled her to appear ethereal and weightless.

To the Pointe by Janet Parke Modified & Edited by Whitney DuBose

ANATOMY OF THE POINTE SHOE

The first pointe shoes used by ballerinas of the early nineteenth century were little more than soft ballet slippers which were heavily darned at the tip. Dancers posed for barely a second on pointe. Today's pointe technique, which consists of relevs, pirouettes, hops and sustained poses, was not possible until the advent of the modern pointe shoe. Todays pointe shoes differ greatly from ballet slippers. They are made of many, many layers of burlap and canvas, each formed and then dipped in glue. It is this hardened glue which gives the shoe its stiffness. The final layer is satin.

The shoe is then held together by three soles, called shanks. The outside and middle shanks are made of leather, the inside of cardboard. The shanks, with the edges of the satin and canvas in between, are glued and then nailed together. The pointe shoe lengthens the line of the leg, helps refine and tone the calf muscles, and builds strength in the ankles, feet, and toes. All this enables the dancer to jump higher, move more quickly, and accomplish the increasingly difficult technique demanded by today's choreographers

To the Pointe by Janet Parke Modified & Edited by Whitney DuBose

PREPARING THE POINTE SHOE FOR WEAR Pointe shoes must be prepared properly before the student is able to wear them. Ribbons and elastics must be sewn, and a small amount of breaking in must be completed before a dancer is ready to dance en pointe. I. Sewing the Ribbons Two and one half yards of 7/8" wide pink satin/grosgrain ribbon is needed for each pair of pointe shoes. This type ribbon is shiny satin on one side and rough grosgrain on the other. The grosgrain side will be placed toward the leg to help grip the tights and hold the shoe in place. 1. Place the two ends of the ribbon together. Fold the ribbon in half. Cut into two equal length pieces. 2. Fold each piece in half and cut again. You should now have four lengths of ribbon. 3. Next, take the pointe shoe and fold the heel forward from the end of the shank. Place the ribbon inside the shoe next to the edge of the heel and lightly mark the shoe on each side of the ribbon with a pen or pencil. 4. Take one section of ribbon. Fold under one end about 5/8" shiny sides together. Fold under again.

5. Place the folded end between marks on the shoe. The fold should be even with the bias tape edging of the shoe. The shiny side of the ribbon should face outward, toward the outside of the shoe. The grosgrain side faces inward.

6. With a double strand of thread, sew small whipstitches around the two sides and bottom of the ribbon. Go through all thicknesses of ribbon, but only through the white canvas shoe lining. Stitches should not go through the satin to the outside.

To the Pointe by Janet Parke Modified & Edited by Whitney DuBose

When sewing across the top, use a running stitch catching only a little of the bias tape casing. Be careful not to sew through the drawstring, as this will prevent proper adjustment. You'll know that you've stuck your needle into the drawstring if it becomes difficult to pull the needle through the casing. 7. Repeat Steps 3 through 6 with the other 3 lengths of ribbon. 8. To prevent raveling, run the ribbon ends very quickly through a match flame which will melt the nylon fibers. Caution: This should be done only by an adult. II. Sewing the Elastic 1. Use 3/8" - 5/8" wide elastic. Sew to the outside of the shoe, where it will not rub the heel and cause blisters. 2. Measure a length of elastic to fit snugly from the back of the heel, around the ankle and back to the heel again. This elastic will hold the shoe level on the foot. It should be fairly tight (but not tight enough to stop circulation). 3. Sew the elastic with the same type whipstitch used to secure the ribbons, starting at the top edge of the shoe, down the right side, across the bottom, taking long stitches at least " into the elastic, and then up the left side of the elastic. It is not necessary to secure the elastic to the casing of the shoe. The elastic should be sewn at a slight angle at the back of the shoe. After each wearing, the dancer should check her ribbons and elastic for any needed repairs and make them before the next wearing. III. TYING THE RIBBONS When wearing your new pointe shoes, the ribbons must be tied correctly so that the shoe will remain correctly positioned on the foot. Slip the foot through the elastic and into the shoe. Cross the ribbons over the instep, continue wrapping them around the Achilles tendon and again across the instep. Now take the ribbon which is going around the outside of the foot and bring it across the Achilles tendon to meet the inside ribbon. Tie a square knot at the soft part of the foot between the inside ankle bone and the Achilles tendon. Neatly fold up the excess ribbon and tuck it, from the top, under all the ribbons wrapped around the ankle.
To the Pointe by Janet Parke Modified & Edited by Whitney DuBose 5

The ribbons which wrap the ankle should lay on top of each other rather than wind up the lower leg. Pointe shoe ribbons MUST NEVER come untied or untucked during class, rehearsal, or performance. Stray ribbons are easy to trip upon and are distracting to other students and the audience. Quickly stitching ribbons to your tights or a quick spritz of hairspray on the knot will help ribbons remain in place. IV. BREAKING IN THE SHOE Brand new pointe shoes are unsuitable for wearing. You may have noticed how inflexible new pointe shoes are while being fit at the dancewear store. Like any new shoe, some "breaking in" must be done before the shoes can be worn comfortably. For new students, the "breaking in" should be done by or under the supervision of the teacher. NOTE: Pointe shoes should not be worn at home without the teacher's permission. 1. The box of the shoe needs to be "softened so that the rise to demi-pointe or full pointe is performed smoothly and with control. Dancers may soften the box of the shoe by firmly kneading it with the heel of the hand (like kneading dough). NEVER place shoes in door frames, flatten with hammers, or soak in water. Part of learning to dance en pointe is using the strength of your feet to break in the shoe. Skipping this step of beginning pointe technique will only hinder your performance as you advance in your training. 2. The shank also needs to softened before wearing. Bend the stiff, flat shank at the place where it will conform to the shape of your arch. This should be done at the very back of the shank -- NOT IN THE MIDDLE! To make it flexible, it is sometimes necessary to bend the shank back and forth several times until it bends fairly easily. 3. Try on each shoe. If it gaps around the side of the foot, adjust the drawstring for a snug fit. Be careful not to pull too tightly. Tie the strings in a square knot, cut off ends to about 1 inch, and tuck them inside. AFTER EACH CLASS, POINTE SHOES MUST BE PROPERLY FOLDED TO MAINTAIN SHAPE. DO NOT KEEP POINTE SHOES IN YOUR DANCE BAG. THEY MUST BE GIVEN TIME TO DRY OUT AND RESUME THEIR ORIGINAL SHAPE.
To the Pointe by Janet Parke Modified & Edited by Whitney DuBose 6

WHAT TO EXPECT ON POINTE Pointe shoes will feel very different from ballet slippers or street shoes. The snug fit allows little, if any, room to wiggle the toes. They will feel very constricted at first, but this will lessen as the shoes break in. Dancers soon become accustomed to these discomforts, which are experienced to some degree with each new pair of shoes they wear. At first, there is the uncomfortable sensation of feeling the end of the shank which stops in the middle of the heel of the foot. Balance is also somewhat difficult at first because the shank is narrower than the sole of the foot. Strong ankles are needed to keep the feet from rolling side to side. Another different feeling is a lessening of depth in demi-pli. This happens because the ribbons constrict the ankle joint and the snug shoe prevents the foot from spreading out as it does in ballet slippers or barefoot. When standing on pointe, the foot should be placed so that the instep is fully stretched and the toes form a perpendicular angle with the floor. A straight line can be drawn through the center of the hip, knee, ankle and big toe joints (when viewed from the side). From the front, a straight line can be drawn through the hip, knee, and ankle joints through the box of the shoe, on or between the second and third toes. The entire flat surface of the tip of the box should touch the floor.

To the Pointe by Janet Parke Modified & Edited by Whitney DuBose

The dancer's weight should be lifted out of the shoes and evenly distributed throughout the body. At no time should the dancer be allowed to "sink down" into the shoe. This inhibits her dancing, creates undue stress and pain in the joints of the foot, and causes shoes to wear out faster.

WEAR AND TEAR ON THE FEET No matter what precautions are taken, a dancer is going to experience some wear and tear on her feet due to pointe work, especially while breaking in new shoes. Eventually, a dancers feet develop callouses and the muscles strengthen, all of which will help lessen the discomfort experienced by beginning pointe students. Blisters Blisters occur when tender skin is rubbed back and forth against the inside of the shoe. Most blisters caused by pointe work pop open and sometimes bleed before the dancer experiences much pain. But once the raw skin is exposed, the pain of dancing with an open blister is extreme. It is better to stop dancing and tend to the blister than risk worsening or infecting the area. If any of the dead skin remains on the open blister, cut it off with sterile scissors. Cover the blister with merthiolate or rubbing alcohol. Both of these sting like crazy for a few seconds, but they are most effective at drying up and hardening the exposed skin. Expose the healing blister to fresh air whenever possible. If you must dance in pointe shoes again before the blister has healed, cut a piece of moleskin larger than the blister. Cut a hole in the middle -- a little larger than the size of the blister. Place the outside ring on the toe around the blister and secure with adhesive tape. If needed, use two layers of moleskin. A product called Second Skin, which is a layer of gel between two very thin layers of cellophane-like film, can be placed right on the open blister. Then use the moleskin donut and tape to secure it in place. If one toe consistently gets blisters, it is advisable to wrap the healed toe in adhesive tape before each wearing. This should prevent a new blister from forming.
To the Pointe by Janet Parke Modified & Edited by Whitney DuBose 8

Ingrown Toenails Ingrown toenails occur when the edge of the toenail grows down into the soft skin of the toe. This can best be alleviated by trimming the toenail straight across without rounding the corners. If pain occurs, soak the foot in warn water and place a thin bit of alcohol-soaked cotton under the edge of the nail. Repeat this several times daily until the nail grows out over the skin. If the area becomes infected, see a doctor immediately. Bruised Toenails Two painful conditions result from improper toenail length. If the toenail is too long, it will extend beyond the toe itself, and the pressure of pointe work will bruise the live cells of the nail bed causing the toenail to grow out purple. If the nail is too short, the skin at the tip of the toe will pull way from the nail, causing pain. To insure that toenails are the proper length, cut them straight across (helping prevent ingrown toenails), so that when pressing the tip of your toe, your finger barely touches the end of the nail. The pain of a severely bruised toenail can be relieved if doctor's care is received within 24 hours of the injury. Before the accumulation of blood in the nail bed dries, a doctor can drill a tiny hole through the nail and release the pressure. (This sounds horrible, but it really isn't. The pain of a badly bruised nail is much worse!) If a doctor cannot be seen before the blood has dried, however, the dancer will have to endure several days of pain as the nail bed heals. Once the pain is gone, it is fine to continue dancing on pointe -- even if the toenail is purple. Sometimes only a part of the nail will grow out in a purple color. If most or all of the nail is purple, the whole nail will eventually fall off. Don't worry. This is neither painful nor prevents dancing.

To the Pointe by Janet Parke Modified & Edited by Whitney DuBose

POINTE SHOE ESSENTIALS In addition to the supplies you already keep handy in your dance locker, you will also need to purchase the following items. 1. Sewing kit with scissors, thread, and needle. (Dental floss may be used in place of thread). These items are used to sew the ribbons and elastics to the shoes, as well as make any necessary repairs before or after class. 2. Medical tape (the type with foam). This is used to wrap the toes in order to prevent blisters. 3. Nail clippers. These are used to keep the toe nails neatly trimmed in order to prevent bruising. 4. Epsom salts (suggested). These are used to soak blistered or tired feet after long classes or rehearsals. 5. Toe pads. These are used to cushion the toes and prevent blisters. Toe pads should not be so thick that you can not feel the floor through the tip of the shoe. We recommend Ouch Pouches by Bunhead. 6. Toe separators. These are only needed for certain types of feet (prone to bunions, very narrow or wide feet, and those with second toes longer than the big toes. Separators are not necessary, but may make pointe work much more comfortable. 7. Hairspray. This is used to help secure ribbons.

To the Pointe by Janet Parke Modified & Edited by Whitney DuBose

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