The THE PERFECT POINTE BOOK will help you study ballet more. And prepare you for your first pointe shoes.
When you go to buy your first pointe shoes, take your time. Let your parent know that you cannot be rushed or pressured in any way. It is very exciting, but you are composed, calm, and have some idea of the challenge of the sizing variations in pointe shoes, the styles, the brands, and the possibilities of which one will be exactly the right fit for you.
You may already know your foot type and what type of pointe shoe you need.
A wide shallow box, non-tapered, low wings and medium strong shank.
A deep box, high vamp, high wings and very strong shank.
A tapered box, narrow, medium vamp, more flexible shank.
And there are so many more variations! Every Bloch, Sansha, Freed, Capezio (and more and more) shoe has lots of shapes, strengths and styles. Since everyone's foot is anatomically different, even though it belongs to a "type", just try on a lot of shoes.
Your toes may feel constricted, but you should be able to wiggle them. You must be able to do a demi plie in first and a small second position, without pain, although this will feel compressed. The wings of the shoes should cover your little toe as well as the other four toes.
You will probably want some type of toe protectors. Gel "ouch pads", lamb's wool, or an individual (for example, for a long second toe, or its neighbor big toe) toe shield may be needed. Padding can be used to equalize the pressure that will bear on the toes, which are always of varying lengths.
Many ballet students worry that their toe shoes will hurt too much for them to dance well. It cannot be emphasized enough that the stronger your sole-of-foot muscles are, the more control over the shoe you will have.
If the shoe is not the BEST fit, but pretty close, strong feet will still dance well.
Yes, you want to get the best fit you can. But, no, it will not necessarily be too painful to dance if the fit can be better. Honestly, it may take a few pairs of dance ballet shoes before you really discover which brand, style, and size is the best. You can know how to avoid pain and prevent dance injuries.
The PERFECT POINTE BOOK will help you study ballet better.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Pointe Shoe Sizing and Ballet Foot Positions
If you are the "be prepared" personality, who wants to gain an advantage on the competition, go right now and get
The Perfect Pointe Book manual, a dancer's guide to pointe shoe sizing to progress towards dancing in pointe ballet shoes.
Once you have done enough ballet class beginners work to need to buy pointe shoes, you need to understand pointe shoe sizing.
The variety of shapes, styles and stiffness of ballet toe shoes is almost overwhelming. Although, as you will find out, all of that variety may not be available in your local dance wear stores. Here are some ballet tips to help you research ballet pointe shoes, before you get to sizing and finding exactly the right fit.
Your first pointe shoe sizing will take a lot of time, assuming your area dance wear store has a lot of choices. First, call the stores closest to you and ask what brands they sell. You need to get an idea of your options.
Take notes!
Then, go on the internet and search pointe shoe brands. Get on the main site for the brands, and look for a "sizing" chart, which will often be a pdf file.
You can download them, and look over the widths, lengths and box types (tapered, square, etc.), and strength of the shanks.
If you do not know your foot type, stand on a piece of paper and draw an outline of your foot. This is something you can take with you to your first ballet toe shoe fitting.
Even though your are not going to make any decisions at this time, you will see the wide array of possibilities in fitting your first pointe shoes.
You probably already know whether you have more flexible, stiffer, or hyper-mobile ankle joints. This determines the type of shank (inner sole support) you will need.
The length of toes you have will also determine what height of vamp you will require. And if your heel is narrower than the rest of your foot.
You will be challenged with the coordination of information about pointe shoes, brands, sizing, and your own foot type. But isn't this exciting!
To learn all you can, get The Perfect Pointe Book so you can improve your ballet technique.
The Perfect Pointe Book manual, a dancer's guide to pointe shoe sizing to progress towards dancing in pointe ballet shoes.
Once you have done enough ballet class beginners work to need to buy pointe shoes, you need to understand pointe shoe sizing.
The variety of shapes, styles and stiffness of ballet toe shoes is almost overwhelming. Although, as you will find out, all of that variety may not be available in your local dance wear stores. Here are some ballet tips to help you research ballet pointe shoes, before you get to sizing and finding exactly the right fit.
Your first pointe shoe sizing will take a lot of time, assuming your area dance wear store has a lot of choices. First, call the stores closest to you and ask what brands they sell. You need to get an idea of your options.
Take notes!
Then, go on the internet and search pointe shoe brands. Get on the main site for the brands, and look for a "sizing" chart, which will often be a pdf file.
You can download them, and look over the widths, lengths and box types (tapered, square, etc.), and strength of the shanks.
If you do not know your foot type, stand on a piece of paper and draw an outline of your foot. This is something you can take with you to your first ballet toe shoe fitting.
Even though your are not going to make any decisions at this time, you will see the wide array of possibilities in fitting your first pointe shoes.
You probably already know whether you have more flexible, stiffer, or hyper-mobile ankle joints. This determines the type of shank (inner sole support) you will need.
The length of toes you have will also determine what height of vamp you will require. And if your heel is narrower than the rest of your foot.
You will be challenged with the coordination of information about pointe shoes, brands, sizing, and your own foot type. But isn't this exciting!
To learn all you can, get The Perfect Pointe Book so you can improve your ballet technique.
Friday, September 3, 2010
The Best Pointe Shoes - How To Buy Pointe Shoes
Pointe ballet shoes are often described as best fitted to 2-3 sizes smaller than the street shoes you wear.
This is grossly inaccurate, as pointe shoes, or pointe ballet toe shoes, come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes.
The best approach, if you are a pointe ballet beginner and are ready to go and buy ballet shoes, is to first really know your foot type, to get the best pointe shoes for you.. Here are some ballet tips that will help.
If you have a "Greek" or "Morton's" foot type, your second toe is longer than your big toe. This means you must have the strength to keep the second toe long in the pointe shoe. Using a toe protector such as a gel sleeve on the toe is a good idea, at least until a student is used to toe shoes. A "V" shape of the vamp, or the cloth covering the foot over the metatarsals, may be a more flattering and comfortable style of shoe. Try on a few vamp/box shapes and see what feels best.
The "Egyptian" foot is a challenging shape to fit. The big toe is longer with the other toes diminishing in length steeply. Often the little toe is opposite the ball of the foot. In a pointe shoes, this means that it is not even in the box. This little toe may need taping up as it will be rubbing against the wing, or the stiff outside of the shoe, instead of being tucked securely in the box with the other toes. Make sure that as you press up through demi pointe, that the big toe joint is not meeting a too deep box edge, but can bend efficiently.
The "Giselle/Peasant" foot has three or more toes that are the same length. Often toes on such a foot are short, and medium in width. Some students do not think this foot type is very elegant, yet it is great foot for pointe ballet. Short to medium vamps are good. This can be strong foot in toe shoes, and will likely suffer less injuries than other foot types.
The Compressible foot is one which appears quite wide when the dancer is standing. Yet this foot has little muscle structure between its bones, and will easily compress into a narrower shoe than a fitter might pick from a visual decision.
So always try on MANY pairs of shoes. Fitting ballet shoes takes time, so don't allow anyone else to rush you. Once you find a shoe that feels fairly good, try half a size different each way - shorter, longer, narrower, wider, just to be sure. Try different brands of the same size.
Point shoe sizing charts are a guide, but only a guide. After you buy your pointe ballet toe shoes, take them to the dance studio and let your teacher check the fit before you sew ribbons on them. This way you can be sure that you have the best fit. For more details, get THE POINTE BOOK to read more about how to buy pointe shoes, and get the best pointe shoes.
This is grossly inaccurate, as pointe shoes, or pointe ballet toe shoes, come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes.
The best approach, if you are a pointe ballet beginner and are ready to go and buy ballet shoes, is to first really know your foot type, to get the best pointe shoes for you.. Here are some ballet tips that will help.
If you have a "Greek" or "Morton's" foot type, your second toe is longer than your big toe. This means you must have the strength to keep the second toe long in the pointe shoe. Using a toe protector such as a gel sleeve on the toe is a good idea, at least until a student is used to toe shoes. A "V" shape of the vamp, or the cloth covering the foot over the metatarsals, may be a more flattering and comfortable style of shoe. Try on a few vamp/box shapes and see what feels best.
The "Egyptian" foot is a challenging shape to fit. The big toe is longer with the other toes diminishing in length steeply. Often the little toe is opposite the ball of the foot. In a pointe shoes, this means that it is not even in the box. This little toe may need taping up as it will be rubbing against the wing, or the stiff outside of the shoe, instead of being tucked securely in the box with the other toes. Make sure that as you press up through demi pointe, that the big toe joint is not meeting a too deep box edge, but can bend efficiently.
The "Giselle/Peasant" foot has three or more toes that are the same length. Often toes on such a foot are short, and medium in width. Some students do not think this foot type is very elegant, yet it is great foot for pointe ballet. Short to medium vamps are good. This can be strong foot in toe shoes, and will likely suffer less injuries than other foot types.
The Compressible foot is one which appears quite wide when the dancer is standing. Yet this foot has little muscle structure between its bones, and will easily compress into a narrower shoe than a fitter might pick from a visual decision.
So always try on MANY pairs of shoes. Fitting ballet shoes takes time, so don't allow anyone else to rush you. Once you find a shoe that feels fairly good, try half a size different each way - shorter, longer, narrower, wider, just to be sure. Try different brands of the same size.
Point shoe sizing charts are a guide, but only a guide. After you buy your pointe ballet toe shoes, take them to the dance studio and let your teacher check the fit before you sew ribbons on them. This way you can be sure that you have the best fit. For more details, get THE POINTE BOOK to read more about how to buy pointe shoes, and get the best pointe shoes.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Ballet Toe Shoes - When Can You Get Into Them
Get your dancer's guide for ballet toe shoes right now!
Ballet toe shoes, or pointe shoes, are a goal of most dancers that have seen professional ballet and have fallen in love. Ballet beginners, and adult ballet beginners, often wonder what it will take to get into pointe shoes.
You can take advantage of every single ballet barre exercise that you do, if you know how to use your foot muscles correctly. In fact, use of the foot is an important element to classical ballet technique.
Pre-pointe training is actually all of your ballet classes. Sometimes special pre-pointe classes are offered in your dance studio, to add to the preparation for dancing in ballet toe shoes.
However, you can learn the essentials of developing the foot muscles to achieve the strength and reflexes required for professional ballet footwork.
Isolating and working the tiny intrinsic (specific to the foot) foot muscles is easy to learn, with the proper instruction. Once learned, you can sit and watch television, study, read, or carry on conversation while you do most of these exercises.
Knowing how to increase ballet turnout and improve basic ballet positions will help ensure that when you get old enough, or experienced enough to dance in pointe shoes, you will be strong enough.
Bear in mind that anything you do technically incorrect in regular ballet slippers, will be emphasized greatly in pointe shoes. Not that being perfect is a requirement - nobody is!
Learning ballet is a journey. Getting more flexible is ongoing. Needing to develop your core muscles as you get more advanced is also a demand that keeps on increasing.
Ballet is a great work out, yet also a soulful pursuit. It is your personal artistic path. If you want to progress onto pointe, I recommend this expert dance manual to help you achieve your goal of dancing in ballet toe shoes.
Ballet toe shoes, or pointe shoes, are a goal of most dancers that have seen professional ballet and have fallen in love. Ballet beginners, and adult ballet beginners, often wonder what it will take to get into pointe shoes.
You can take advantage of every single ballet barre exercise that you do, if you know how to use your foot muscles correctly. In fact, use of the foot is an important element to classical ballet technique.
Pre-pointe training is actually all of your ballet classes. Sometimes special pre-pointe classes are offered in your dance studio, to add to the preparation for dancing in ballet toe shoes.
However, you can learn the essentials of developing the foot muscles to achieve the strength and reflexes required for professional ballet footwork.
Isolating and working the tiny intrinsic (specific to the foot) foot muscles is easy to learn, with the proper instruction. Once learned, you can sit and watch television, study, read, or carry on conversation while you do most of these exercises.
Knowing how to increase ballet turnout and improve basic ballet positions will help ensure that when you get old enough, or experienced enough to dance in pointe shoes, you will be strong enough.
Bear in mind that anything you do technically incorrect in regular ballet slippers, will be emphasized greatly in pointe shoes. Not that being perfect is a requirement - nobody is!
Learning ballet is a journey. Getting more flexible is ongoing. Needing to develop your core muscles as you get more advanced is also a demand that keeps on increasing.
Ballet is a great work out, yet also a soulful pursuit. It is your personal artistic path. If you want to progress onto pointe, I recommend this expert dance manual to help you achieve your goal of dancing in ballet toe shoes.
Ballet Toes Shoes - A Realistic Goal
I am a ballet teacher and dance educator who has felt the pain - and the joy - of dancing in ballet toe shoes. Also referred to as ballet pointe shoes.
I have read the entire dancer's guide, THE PERFECT POINTE BOOK to ballet toe shoes, and the instruction on how to improve ballet technique. I recommend it to all ballet dancers and ballet teachers.
I think it is an excellent volume of knowledge for teachers and students alike. I sure could have avoided a lot of pain and dance injuries if I had had it when I was training.
If you are a ballet beginner, or an adult beginner, and you dream of getting into pointe shoes, you will love this package. It offers the most basic and complete explanations of classical ballet technique, basic ballet positions, and ballet turnout.
On top of that, there is detailed text with photos and videos, demonstrating ballet barre exercises and center work too.
You may be too young yet, or too early in your ballet training to get into pointe shoes. But this book will help you start now, with all the correct barre exercises you need to prepare for dancing in toe shoes.
The best thing is, these exercises will improve all your ballet technique, and strengthen you for jumps and your future pointe work.
It is a realistic goal to get into pointe shoes if you have the right education. I recommend you get THE PERFECT POINTE BOOK and prepare, right now, to dance in ballet toe shoes.
I have read the entire dancer's guide, THE PERFECT POINTE BOOK to ballet toe shoes, and the instruction on how to improve ballet technique. I recommend it to all ballet dancers and ballet teachers.
I think it is an excellent volume of knowledge for teachers and students alike. I sure could have avoided a lot of pain and dance injuries if I had had it when I was training.
If you are a ballet beginner, or an adult beginner, and you dream of getting into pointe shoes, you will love this package. It offers the most basic and complete explanations of classical ballet technique, basic ballet positions, and ballet turnout.
On top of that, there is detailed text with photos and videos, demonstrating ballet barre exercises and center work too.
You may be too young yet, or too early in your ballet training to get into pointe shoes. But this book will help you start now, with all the correct barre exercises you need to prepare for dancing in toe shoes.
The best thing is, these exercises will improve all your ballet technique, and strengthen you for jumps and your future pointe work.
It is a realistic goal to get into pointe shoes if you have the right education. I recommend you get THE PERFECT POINTE BOOK and prepare, right now, to dance in ballet toe shoes.
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