Pointe Shoes
Emily Walters
Infromative Sentence
I will inform my audience on the different parts of pointe shoes, the different brands of pointe shoes and how to sew your pointe shoes.
How can you get pointe shoes?
In order to get pointe you need to start off in a ballet class and wait till you get you strength in your legs feet and ankles and your core. Also to engage the right muscles to balance. Then you should get into a pre-pointe class while still in the ballet class. Some strengthening exercises you can do are balancing blindfolded, jump on it, unless of course it’s injured,funky walks , write with your feet, point your feet, also known as ton dues, roll your ankles while sitting down, point an flex your feet. A way to strengthen your legs is to do rises on your feet and tighten up through to your butt , and just do that at least twice a day. Also you need to strengthen your core so you can balance and you can find many different core workouts online or you could just do the basics like, leg lifts, crunches, sit ups, and planks.
What are the different parts of pointe shoes?
There is a lot of different parts of the shoe and this explains what it is and where it is located on the shoes.
BOX: The box covers the toes and provides the support a dancer needs to stand en pointe. It is lined with a combination of natural materials and Capezio's specially formulated glue. The side wings are an extension of the box and provide lateral support.
VAMP: The vamp refers to the length of the shoe upper measuring from the platform to and including the binding at the center front of the shoe. A longer vamp can help draw the foot closer to the shank when en pointe.
THROAT: It is the open area located from one side seam to the other through the center front of the shoe. The throat is the shape of the upper, which presents and flatters the arch.
DRAWSTRING/BINDING: The binding is the finished edge of the upper. The drawstring, which is encased in the binding, further secures the upper to the foot.
PLATFORM: The platform is the outer, flat tip of the box, which allows the dancer to stand en pointe.
CROWN: The crown is the vertical height between the vamp and the sole.
PLEATS: The pleats are located on the underside of the box where the fabric is folded into the sole.
STAY: The stay is the fabric that covers the seam in the back of the shoe at the dancer's heel.
SIDE QUARTERS: The side quarters are the sections of satin from the side seams to the back of the stay.
SOLE: The outer sole is made of either buffed or scored leather to provide traction. The sole is internally stitched into the upper.
SHANK: The shank is made of either leather board or red board and is the backbone of the pointe shoe. It is located under the sock lining and provides support to the arch. Capezio shanks range in strength to accommodate the strength and technical ability of each dancer.
What are some of the brands of pointe shoes?
Capezio (USA)
Grishko (Russia)
Bloch(Australia)
Gaynor Minden (USA)
Fuzi (China)
Freed (England)
Chacott (Spain/Japan)
Repetto (France)
Gamba (England)
Sansha (China)
Prima Soft (USA)
Porselli (Italy)
Angelo Luzio (Canada)
Schachtner (Austria)
Russian Pointe
Baryshnikov (USA)
Eva (Germany)
Gandolfi
Soloist
Leo (USA)
These are many types of brands and whatever brand fits you better and is more comfortable, looks better, doesn't hurt as much and your foot doesn't slide in the shoe that's the brand for you. For me my brand is Bloch.
How do you sew pointe shoes?
First you need pointe shoes, obviously, but you also need a stitch kit that comes with thread and needles. So you usually start off with the ribbons and the ribbon is usually 2.5 meters. So then you want to cut that in half,and the the two halfs you have cut those in half so you have 4 equal length ribbons. Then you want to fold the heel of the shoe down and mark where it creases. Then you want to sew the ribbons on in a square with a whip stitch. To sew the elastics on is a little bit different. With elastics you have to measure where a comfortable tightness is because the elastics help keep your shoe on your ankle. Once you get the right length you can start sewing, now it’s just like the ribbons, sew in a square with a whip stitch. Depending on if you know to how to sew or not it will usually take you about 45-60 minutes to successfully sew your pointe shoes.