What are Pointe Shoes?

The first thing somebody notices when watching a ballerina dance is how on earth she can stand on the tips of her toes and dance around effortlessly. Let me explain how this is possible. This is the work of the Pointe Shoe, the specially designed ballet shoe that female ballet dancers wear when performing pointework.

Today's pointe shoes

Initially, pointe shoes were developed to make ballerinas appear weightless and sylph-like on stage and have evolved throughout the years to their current form, enabling dancers to stand en pointe for a long period of time and perform difficult steps. They are usually worn by female dancers, although men may wear them when performing unorthodox roles, such as The Ugly Stepsisters in Cinderella, or men performing as women in dance companies like the Les Ballets Trockadero. They are normally produced in pale pink shades, although they may also be found in a wide variety of colours.

Maria Taglioni in La Sylphide

The first dancers to rise up on their toes did so with the help of the "Flying Machine", invented by Charles Didelot in 1795. This invention lifted dancers upward, enabling them to stand on their toes before leaving the ground. The audience took to this delicate and elegant quality, making choreographers and teachers seek other methods to help dancers rise onto the tips of their toes.


As dance processed into the 19th century, the emphasis on technical skill increased, as did the desire to dance on pointe without the help of wires. The first ballet dancer to dance en pointe was Maria Taglioni in La Sylphide. When she performed this role, her shoes were nothing more than modified slippers; the soles were made of leather and the sides and toes were darned to help the shoes keep their shape. Additionally, as the shoes of this period were not supportive, dancers would pad their toes with cotton for comfort and rely on their foot and ankle strength for support.

Anna Pavlova

The next different form of pointe shoe appeared in Italy in the late 19th century. Instead of wearing the narrow, sharp-toed shoe of the earlier models, dancers preferred shoes with a flat, sturdy platform at the front end of the shoe. This model also contained a box -made of layers of fabric- for supporting the toes and a stiffer, stronger sole. They were manufactured without nails and the soles were only stiffened at the toes, making them almost silent.


The beginning of the modern pointe shoe is often attributed to the early 20th century Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, one of the most prominent and significant dancers of her century. Pavlova had particularly high, arched feet, making her prone to injuries when dancing on pointe. They were also tapered and slender, resulting in excessive pressure on her big toes. To help the situation, she would add toughened leather soles into her shoes for extra support and would flatten and harden the toe area to form a box. While this made it easier for her to dance on pointe, her peers considered it as "cheating".

Today's pointe shoes come in different styles, frames and sizes, catering to every dancer's    needs. In a following post I'll write about the essential parts of the modern day pointe shoe, as well as how to find the right pointe shoe for yourself.



Source: Wikipedia
Photos: Google Photo Search