Anaheim Ballet: Your Pointe Shoe Questions, Answered

[jrod1195]

I can't wait to get on pointe!!

[missingdecember]

i have come back to ballet at 17 and am doing Royal Academy of Dance intermediate and was wondering if it would ever be feasible for me to go onto pointe one day? thanks for all your podcasts.

[JazyGirl26]

my pointe shoes died this week, and i have to get new ones, my current (and dead) ones are grishko's 2007's. does anyone have a favorite brand i should try?

[dance4life5193]

if anyone is going en pointe at ages 9, 10, 11or 12 (except for in special situations) i can tell you that their instructor should not be teaching. at those ages a girl's body is not ready to be put under that kind of stress. their bones and muscles are underdeveloped and going en pionte can cause permanent damage to their growing bodies. once a girl has gone through puberty and their bodies are done or close to or done growing, that is when they should be allowed to go en pointe.

[QWERTY79091]

@dance4life5193 every is different, so everyone grows and changes at different rates; THUS there is really no exact age for pointe.

[WickedFan4000]

i always have trouble with one foot releves on pointe. Does anyone have any good exercises to help me?

[carmz51]

I HAVE A QUESTION!!!

Okay I've been dancing for about 8 years now and this is my second year en pointe, but I have a problem because my left arch isn't as big as my right arch, and so I can't even go on full pointe on my left foot... sometimes I can, but it takes so much strength and effort to push my arch out, and after a few warm-ups my arch hurts so much. Any suggestions?

[HannyBananny455]

@carmz51 That happens to me too!!! I've been wondering the same thing for a while!

[Maria5050]

i started ballet when i was 3 and i got my pointe shoes when i was 10 so it takes time before you can actually get your muscles ready for pointe

[liv4ballet]

what r the ribbons 4?

[baw17389]

I bought a new pair of point shoes it is my second pair of point shoes and while I've been breaking them in the left one is getting waves in the soles and it looks like it is going to break the sole. it didn't happen with the first pair... what do i do?

[MadagascarPenquen]

yeap sure it hurts, but for me it's not usual to bleed, it doesn't happen often :) btw what kind of pads you use?

How long does your pointes last, how often you need to bye new ones? :)

[Tallyzip]

my shoes are really slippery and i had them for a year...

[naminelover07]

Oh. just to say always wear the same pointe shoe on the same foot. left on left and right on right. before you begin dancing in them decide which feels better on which foot and always wear them that way because the shoes eventually mold to your foot. hope that helps!!!

[dancerrockstheworld]

wat type of pointe shoes is good for people with wide feet?

grishko

capezio

or bloch

people tell me to try capezio and i did and they didnt workout it felt like my feet were floating in the shoes and if i went up a size or a with it would be to big so someone please help.

[balletboy55]

noo i would not suggest that any girl in a company with pointe shoes put " toe pads " in thier pointe shoes just because you will not be ablo to feel the floor.. ex. turning on pointe with out toe pads was easier for me than using the toe pads just beacuse i could feel the ground.

[DisneyFanFreak14]

i havent gotten my pointe shoes yet. i started in kindergarten and im almost in 7th grade.. does that mean im bad?? i mean i dont have the best feet, but i've been dancing at the same studio for soo long.

[Klababy19]

What exactly is "dancer's feet."

[ktdancinchick]

I've been on pointe for about a year and a half now and i really love it!!

[neilanderson9]

i have had pointes from the beggining of jan and there really dirty !

How do i keep them clearner?

sarah x

[lilmisschatty20]

ok..u cant really keep ur shoes cleaner..the harder you work the dirtier they look i used my first pair for like 8 months and they were torn up..it just menas u were working hard..and they just become dirrtier just like ur flats if u have canvas they turn kinda greyish and leather they have those grey tips..so ur pointe shoes really cant stay clean..but thats me...

[balletbunni]

put mole skin on the end of the platform (the tip) that helps a bit :)

[naminelover07]

i heard there is something you can buy at a dance store that you "paint" onto your shoes and it makes them look clean again. Ive only heard of it so Im not sure.

[Dancerbee27]

I've always been told just to scrub dirty shoes with a dry, old toothbrush.

[salvadoranian]

Is this safe i just started ballet ((beginer like girls from 1st grade((im in 7th O_O))and i just got my info that im going on point

[Ponyboyluvr0228]

how long are you have you done ballet? i would suggest taking ballet for 3 years before going on pointe.

[LifeResort]

do we really need to break the shoes before wearing it? I never broke my shoes...since nobody told me..

[xmetalbabyx]

you are breaking your shoes in as you wear them! you jsut need to flex your foot around and muck around a little. its best to break your shoes in with your feet. better for them

[buggygut]

yes you do!!!!!!!!!!!

[ssassassa9]

It depends on which brand of shoes you get. For me here everyone has to break their very first pair of shoes because it's always Bloch. But I didn't have to break my Gayner Minden (3rd pair). So it all depends.

[purenrgroxmysoxX3]

i started ballet 4 the 1st time in fall of fifth grade and i got my shoes in the spring of fifth grade

[gelajoy]

i first go on pointe when i was 11 yrs. old

and stopped at age 12

then continue when i was going to age 13

[challyy89]

what does it mean to brake the pointe shoe??

[balletlover123]

well if you mean break-in it means that you have to ethier bend the sho to ajust to your foot or get use to them i think

[Dancerbee27]

Well, it means to make the box and the shank softer. It will help you get over on your pointe shoes better and the shoes will be more comfortable!

[TeresayNathalie]

Im New to This and I have one question. Does it hurt when You stand up on point shoes? B/c Although im a singer im intrested in trying ballet and I think its really cool so Im scared if it hurts.(Ive done ballet before in the 3rd grade but I barely remember most of the moves or special steps)

[LifeResort]

Yeah..it hurts.. not to scare you, but if somebody says that her toes are bleeding because of wearing pointe shoes, it is not an extraodinary thing.

I also always got wound on my feet after my ballet lesson. But I'm sure if you wear pads on your toes (before you wear the shoes), it will protect your toes and you won't get so much wound.

[Sayhk]

It's really not that bad. You put protective pads inside the end of your shoes so that your toes are cushioned from the bare insides of the shoe- which is quite hard. But after dancing in them for a little while (anywhere from 15-30 minutes, depending on how much you're doing and how strong your feet are) they will hurt a little.

[Cianni227]

well it doesnt really hurt if you wear the pads that come with the shoe. you have to at least have 2 years to go on pointe. i went on point when i was 10 and i am now 14 so im kind of ok to wear no pads on my feet.

[Belx2]

Yeah... You really have to have strong legs. Plus, you also have to be fit so that your feet can carry you. I stopped ballet for two years and I grew big, so big that I had to stop using pointes because I might harm my feet. Darn it!

[duckslikepoo]

78+9!! damn im in grade 5 and we started some pointe work but not much because most people hadnt broken there pointes in properly i had and because there is a show coming up we havent done pointe in ages u r so lucky that you skipped grade 3 !!and are on pointe!!!!

[LaydeexKirsty]

I'm 12 and I am going on pointe. But people younger than me that are in the same class as me that are about 7 8 or 9 are going on pointe to! I have been doing Ballet for three years now. Most kids started when they were just toddlers so are much more flexible than I am which is a shame. I am in grade 4 ballet now. I just did my grade 2 exam but skipping a grade because they thought i was ready. I go to cardwells Theatre School of Dance in Altrincham Manchester and I totally recommend it.

[youredhairedfreak]

3 years is a really short time to be studying ballet... i've been for 10 years and now im ready to go on pointe.

[monkey112sm]

wow omg. i took 1 year, maybe less.

[Balletfreak14]

same here

[princess102100]

i just got on pointe shoes. ive only been on a few months!

[LilShorti08]

my dance teacher started me (and most dancers) on pointe when i was 12 but a few start earlier and some later

[irishinnocence]

i cant wait to go on pointe

[galenanurse2b]

this is my first year on point and i luv it i watch all ur shows and luv the thank u

[bashibazouks77]

how do u ballet ppl bend your toes in?? i cant do it!

[isntlifegreat93]

No

I quit gymnastics for ballet

and I've only been doing ballet for a little over a year

I'm already on pointe

Gymanstics gave me flexibility and tequnique if you can pick up stuff quickly you'll be okay

I have chacotts and i have ouch pouches which help but it still hurts a little bcs you have all your weight on your toes

[KisaSohmaChan]

I wish I hadn't quit ballet.. I only took it for two years when I was younger, and then I started going gymnastics. But I quit that too because we had to move again. I'm 15 now and I'm started ballet next month. Do you think it will be harder for me since I'm just now starting back after about 6 or 7 years? And another question, when you do pointe, does it hurt your toes at all? Or do you have something in the show that pads it?

[jessicaah]

watch the video 'the pointe' anaheim ballet. it pretty much answers your question

[AlPhotoGuru]

I know my toes sometimes turn blue/red/purple but within a few minutes without my shoes they're fine. I use toe pads, but I know that some schools like the big ones in Europe don't.

[zacsbabyv1216]

i think you should be fine dance is easy to pick up if you really dedicate your self to it and pointe does hurt your toes but you do have pads there either ouch-pouches or gel pads you always wear those not just during a show and it WILL take you some time to get onto pointe since you just returned to dance...ive been on pointe for 6 years if u have any ?'s message me

[XxPotterGurlxX]

I am goin gon pointe soon my teacher said probly this summer. Every year i look at pointe shoes and the sizes ussally run starting at 2 and u order like a size or 2 smaller than streetso if u wear a 5 u order a 3, anyways my feet are soooo small and are probly not going to grow much more, i only wear like a 2 or 2 1/2. I kno you have to go and try it on at the store but are there any brands that run small that you know of??

[lottieluvs]

hi, my friend amelia has really small feet too so dont worry if you cant find any your size. Amelia has her pointe shoes specially made fore her as she can never find a pair in dance shops to fit her. I will try find out where she gets them made for you, hope I have helped.

[meowruffmeow]

This Video helped with my questions soo much. Thank you thank you. Love anaheim ballet~!♥

[mad0lover]

has anyone tried Russian class point shoes?

out of all the shoes i have tried (including gaynor minden and bloch)

now that im using russian class (model b and sometimes c) ive never danced better!

[nOObishgurl]

to all people out there on pointe or in ballet:

I am 12 right now and have been training once a week for 4 years now plus extra credit practice with my teacher. a girl 2 years younger than me just went on pointe. i want to go on pointe but dont know if you have to be flexible to go on pointe or if you just have to be strong enough and have nice physical appearance (grace, posture, standing on your toes, etc.) what is your opinion? message me plz...

~~♥Ashley♥~~

[SweetMisery01]

Hello..I LOVE your video podcasts!!!!

I have a major question about pointe.

I originally started ballet in 3 1/2 but quit for quite a few years due to a health thing, and the fact I was going to be living in Italy at the time for 2 months. I am trying to get back into ballet through my busy life with violin.

I have injured my legs a bit since I quit, so do you think it would be possible for me to go on pointe????

Thank you!!!!

[zacsbabyv1216]

you would have to talk to ur dance teacher and ur doctor

[bwabyfwendsforever]

I am 11 and have been doing it for about a year.

I was so scared just try and relax your feet but keep control of them. Try walking around on tip-toe it will help balancing.

DONT WORRY!

Its easy! :D

[0oprincessbettyo0]

has anyone got any tips to balancing well because i just cant balance on my pointe shoes

[xoKriStiAnExo]

maybe you're not ready for pointe work....

[lashenova]

I like the leo soft pointe pro's. They are not as thick as the other gel pads, and still protect the feet. I hate lambs wool. It kills me.

[citruzzlove]

I have been on pointe for 2 years. I am 13

[luv2dance509]

I have been taking ballet for many years now and my teacher says that I need to get my body, and most importantly my ancles, stronger to be able to go on pointe. Do you know of any exercises that could help me get stronger?

[cellolove7]

lots and lots of plie releves (however its spelled. i'm not french!) and pirouettes.

[singing12312]

Just simple Relevae and Pleae! I so spelled that wrong!!!!

[Anni96xx]

releve and plie :)

[Namibiangirly]

Hey I got my Point shoes today! Can somebody give me tipps? And is it good to put your toes in Methylated Spirates??

[dadudette1105]

I have a question of my own. How do most professionals find the RIGHT pointe shoe for them? I have been trying various types of shoes since i was 10, and I have never found a shoe that is perfect for me. (I am presently 13) Will this be an ongoing struggle for me? Do other dancers have similar problems to mine?

[lauraLICOUS]

yes. most are eternally in search of the perfect shoe. you just try and try, and sometimes the shape of your foot will change a little, so you try some more! good luck :)

[monkey112sm]

gel pads. also, bloch's good. Gaynor Minden's one of the best...

[cutypie12]

also if you need really good toe pads, try the ouch pouch. they work for me and it's so good that it doen't hurt as much as gel ones.

[ErradhadhRose]

Yea gell pads are good, but I think the Russian Pointes are the best.

[XemaXlouX15X]

I did ballet since i was four years old, and quit last year because i didnt find it very good, but my teacher was talking about pointe shoes. I wished i kept doin ballet as i could of gone on it.

[citruzzlove]

I have danced on pointe for... 2-3 years now. I am 13 years old.

[3marbs]

Love learning some history about the pointe shoes! Great for the young dancers.

[balletlover712]

ok, so im 12 and iv'e been on pointe for 2 years. what age do girls NORMALLY go on pointe? i know that at OBT (oregon ballet theater) there is a certain level that girls do on pointe. their age ranges from 9 to 14. what would be the youngest age that girls can on point?

[dancr278]

i just got gaynor mindens yesterday. they are completely different from conventional pointe shoes. you don't have to break them in or darn them or anything! and they actually fit my feet, which are long and narrow and just weird overall.

[MissEyeliner92]

I love this podcast!

Im 15 and just started ballet as a good source of excercise and fun, But after only a few classes I fell in love with it!

Ballet is addictive.

[ffkjmto5]

yeah not living in the dark ages! :DD haha

[jamsmen]

Segway?

lol

[mulberrie23]

Can you imagine going en pointe in just a satin shoe??????? I wont even do it with lamb's wool toe pad...only modern silicon for me!

[RangRangRang]

yeah i cant stand going up without my gel pads!

[anwyn23]

In my school we aren't allowed to use gel.

[Charnoble]

Early pointe work wasn't as developed as it is today. Early ballet dancers only went on their toes for very very brief amounts of time.

[Charnoble]

Those comments were supposed to be a reply @

mulberrie23

[Charnoble]

If dancers back then were expected to dance what dancers are expected to dance today, they couldn't do it in merely satin shoes.

[Hamstringmaster]

What are the best pointe shoes for really wide feet? I have the biggest size in russians right now but i really don't like how they look on my feet, any suggestions?

[lauraLICOUS]

try bloch balance, grishko elites. i don't know about others, but i have wide feet and these are good. i like gaynors, too...you might try those, because they come in all shapes and can be made custom! good luck :)

[balletbu]

I am writing something on ballet and this video has helped with some facts

[hbanana7]

loved that! Very helpful! In my late twenties and after much training, was allowed to wear point shoes. NOT yet able to create that "superhuman" illusion of being weightless, though. ^^ The pain is sooooo worth it!!

[masu90]

elijah22es yo soy de España (Spain). Sí, gracias a Youtube han alcanzado carácter internacional ^^ ¡Gracias por los videos! un saludo desde Europa :P

[nanigina]

i love this video!

[Lissbirds]

angry mob of guys in tights...ha ha!

[katroxthemic]

SEGWAY!

hahahha

[BlueEyedBoo94]

Thankyou so much for this vid , It's so useful , I love you anaheim ! .

[RadioSpazz]

Thank you so much for your videos! I've learned a lot c:

[clarabalettactingNY]

kdub,danceratkicks: THANKS! I'll start working on that.

[orangeRetard]

im so glad i fund your podcasts. i stopped dancing when i was 12 (ended whilst being in intermediate/advanced dance and begi/intermediate pointe). im now going to be 23 and im starting dance again.. hoping to get back to where i used to be. i love it.

[elijah22es]

gracias anaheim ballet... por subir cosas tan interesante e informativas... realmente he aprendido mucho con sus lecciones... hahaha y escribo en español para que vean que tan largo es el alcance que ustedes tienen... les saludo desde el salvador... y de nuevo muchisimas graciass!! YOU ROCK!!!

[dancemaiden]

men go on pointe sometimes! its just not very common...

[clarabalettactingNY]

hey, How can I improove my arches?? I need help..like now! bah!

[AmiralGaufrette]

you'd better ask your ballet teacher...

[kdub10009]

just keep working on pushing over your arches as much as you can and use a theraband or something of that sort to provide resistance and practice pointing as hard as you can and then releasing, and repeat repeat repeat. I find that most dancers' arches really improve over time, after years of being en pointe. Check out Alina Cojocaru's prix de lausanne footage on youtube from when she was 15, and compare with any of her more recent work and you'll see how much a dancer's feet can improve!

[LovelyDancer92]

That was very informative!! Thanks!!

[ChisaiJoyu]

I look forward to watching these videos! Thanks for making them!

[inspiration350]

Hahaha.. "SEGWAY!"

.. Love the narrator

[HappyLuckyLove]

Thank you!

Youv got honors:

#61 - Most Discussed (Today) - Education

#49 - Most Viewed (Today) - Education

#24 - Top Favorites (Today) - Education

#20 - Top Rated (Today) - Education

[clarabalettactingNY]

thanks you guys! This was really helpful!

[Bernd1964]

Hello Anaheim-Ballet,

did you ever think about making a DVD series with lessons in cassical ballet or a Ballet Workout for training at home? There are quite a bit of DVDs available for this purpose but I think you got an excellent expertise in teaching ballet and a very profound knowledge in video-making. I believe you could surely produce a very distinguished DVD for ballet training lessons at home.

[amjw]

i second that!!!

[oliviainyourpants]

"Nothing like an angry mob of dudes in tights" I'm gonna have to remember that one!

[JealousyBallet]

I saw a ballet recently where the was a male dancer on pointe. I felt so sorry for him because it looked so sore. I've read a lot of stories about male dancers on pointe and they usually find it hard.

[pointemeout]

which ballet video was it? i'd love to see it!

[roliboom]

"Angry mob of dudes in tights" LOL :D

thanks for your videos, I always enjoy watching them.

[SerafinaLily9]

Woot!

I just realized that I could upload your podcasts onto my iPod, and I am pretty psyched.

[kingdomliam]

i heard that guys couldnt go on point because their bones in their feet were different to girls and they simple couldnt do it... is this tru or can guys atcually go on point they just usually dont????

[sytycdfreek]

Its not true. Girls feet arent meant to be on pointe either. We all just work around that.

[Smashley27]

It's true, it isn't natural. Regardless it's beautiful lol

[kkriSSStaa]

Thx guys, this was informative and interesting as well. I look forward to the miniseries a lot.. *cannot wait* See you next week! :)

[classicalgal14]

This videos are such a big help! Thanks!

[Hiijab]

Thanks for the info =)

[ichinisa]

gosh, you make me miss my piont shoes, im mean they are right there but i cant use them anymore, im not strong or passionet enough to keep doing ballet, i really like it, but its not my entire life ^^¿, great video, thanks guys

[XManRCJ]

the guys got robbed! Literally! :lol:

[discouturex]

yay! i love pointe! i miss it =[

[mathdramape]

i luv all the anaheim ballet vids! thx 4 making them! :)

[AnaheimBallet]

Thanks for watching them!

[2thinkitive]

woo! great podcast!!! (first to comment?)

[AnaheimBallet]

Almost ;-)

Thanks for writing!

[2thinkitive]

whoops! close! but no dice! that's okay tho. it's kinda ironic, at dance auditions today,(Cinderella) we were all talking about how the pointe shoe evolved....

we were ALL WRONG... lol

[BallerinaKayy]

I love these Videos!

...you guys should make them longer!!!

[dancer021756]

awesome! 1st comment

[swedish13]

i thought mine was first...but apperantly it wasnt, lol i was one min be4 u and there were sum be4 me2...= (

[swedish13]

lol thx 4 adding yet another vid, luv u AnaheimBallet!!! my school had a cheer competition in anaheim and i wanted2 cum and see if u guys had anthin goin on...but u didnt =(

XOXO

[geckoarmy8]

Great! I love this podcast series! I went on pointe in the fall and I've been having some trouble, but all your episodes on pointe have really helped me!

[dnycp]

whooo first comment!!! i love point...i cant wait to start!!!! thanks anaheim!!!