By Dianne M. Buxton

There are a lot of options available in pointe shoes now, and
if I were a young student I would be mightily confused. And yet
relieved, too that there might be a shoe that will fit exactly
right, and not be too painful to work in.

If you are a parent reading this, please be aware that there is
a considerable financial aspect at stake here. Pointe shoes
cannot be purchased to grow into. They must fit like a glove, to
be simplistic at the moment, and may not wear out before the
student grows out of them. On the other hand, if your child has
a high arch, shoes may be broken completely and useless for
pointe work, in a matter of a few classes. This situation will
improve as the feet strengthen, but must be put up with until
then. However, such students can remove the inner sole, soften
what is left of the box with their hands (if necessary) and wear
the shoes as soft shoes for regular classes. This saves buying
soft shoes, unless they are a requirement, such as for a ballet
exam.

At a student's first fitting, a lot of time must be taken. If a
fitter or a dance teacher is available, that is a real plus. Not
all stores may have experienced fitters.

The individual's foot shape must be examined. The length and
tapering of the toes, the width across the metatarsals, the
height of the arch, and the depth of the foot must all be fitted
correctly. Badly fitting shoes can contribute to sprains and
permanent injuries. Good technique can make up for bad fits, but
the tolerance of the resulting pain is a waste of the dancer's
concentration.

Before you get to the shoes, think about what you might want to
use for protection inside the shoe. This will take up space. The
variety of gel pads, toe length adaptors, toe tips and all the
other things are wonderful, but make sure you have room for
them. You may be a fan of a ballerina who has stated "I never
put anything in my shoes because I like to feel my feet".... and
you should definitely try that after a few years of pointe work
- but not now.

The boxes of pointe shoes come in tapered shapes, and square
shapes. They must fit so that the foot does not sink into, or
slide around inside the box. A longer second toe usually
requires a slightly tapered, narrow to medium box, but there are
no hard and fast rules. A longer big toe may also feel more
comfortable in a tapered box, but every shape of shoe must be
tried on.

Take a pair of tights with you, to put over your foot and try
the shoes on. For your first fitting, don't wear the tights, as
the fitter may ask to see your toes, if there is a problem
getting a fit. Just in case.

You can check the vamp needed by rising up to 3/4 pointe, and
seeing if the shoe break is wear your metatarsal joints are. Too
high a vamp will impede the foot movement, and too low a vamp
will not provide support.

The stiffness of the shank will be determined by the arch
height and ankle flexibility. You need to be able to get up onto
pointe fully, so that you are not working leaning into the back
of the box. So the shank must give support
but not present so much resistance that you can't work
properly. Most shoes will break in, and keep breaking in until
suddenly they are worn out! That's the life of a pointe
shoe..... Gaynor Minden's are different, and that site explains
exactly how. They don't break in, so you need to buy exactly
what you want to work in. I have never worn them, so please do
your research for exactly the right fit with those shoes.

When you are up on pointe, there should be about 1/4 inch of
spare fabric at your heel. If there is none, the shoe is too
short. If there is more, the shoe is too long. Also, if you do a
demi-plie, and your toes are mashed into the box, hurting, the
shoe is too short, too narrow, or both.

The vamp should not gape or wrinkle - neither should the sides.
There should be equal pressure from the shoe all over the foot.

I've tried to keep these articles fairly short - but like your
first few fittings - time, patience and detail is needed.

About the Author: Dianne M. Buxton is a graduate of the
National Ballet School of Canada. She continued dance training
at The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, and Toronto
Dance Theatre. She taught at, and choreographed for The National
Ballet School, York University, and George Brown College, in
Canada, and taught at Harvard University in the U.S.
http://www.theballetstore.com provides articles on fitting
pointe shoes, and strengthening exercises, for male students
too.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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BALLET CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
 
Proper classroom etiquette is essential to the education and training of a ballet dancer.  The following rules are universal and are followed by all major ballet programs and professional companies.  Additional rules may also apply.  
 

• Wear appropriate dress code as specified by the school
• Hair is to be pulled back off face and neck in a neat bun.
• No jewelry (except for small earrings) is to be worn to class or rehearsals.
• Elastic is to be sewn on shoes.
• No gum chewing, eating, drinking or smoking is allowed in the studios.
• Talking, leaning on barre, yawning or leaving class before is over is not acceptable. If a student needs to leave before class is over, he/she must ask to be excused by teacher.  Please do so discretely so as not to disrupt class.
• Arrive early at least 15 minutes before class. If late, wait for the exercise in progress to be over before entering the studio.  Students arriving late may be asked to observe instead of participate.
• If you are going to be absent call the office so that the teacher can be notified before class begins.  (If a make up class is available for your class level, arrangements can be made then.)
• Stay in the back of the room if you do not know the combination.
• Eyes and attention must always be on teacher.
• Be appreciative of corrections and apply them. 
• Students will progress only as fast as they can take corrections.
• Students should never stop in the middle of an exercise unless an injury is sustained.
• Do not talk back to teacher regardless of the situation.  It is improper to question the teacher's authority. If you have a problem, talk to the teacher after class.
• Be kind to your classmates. Displays of temper and rudeness are unacceptable.   Absolutely NO gossip!!!!
• After class applaud pianist and teacher and thank teacher for class.
• Keep your things neat in the dressing room and use the trash can.
• Because of the sweaty nature of class, please bring a towel to class and use it!
• Do not wear your ballet shoes outside the studio and wear street clothes over uniform when leaving the studio.
• Please label belongings, including shoes, and do not bring valuables to the studio!

7 Highly Effective Habits In Ballet Training
By Dianne M. Buxton

A key area of dancing for females is pointe work, and a key
area for males is jumping. In early training, regardless of age,
there are 7 highly effective habits that will contribute to
excellence in both these areas. This analysis can apply to other
areas of dance in the same way also, I'm choosing this one for
the sake of discussion.

***First, education as to specific physical attributes and
shortcomings. Every dancer would like to have long and stretchy
Achilles tendons, and flexible ankles. These 2 advantages
provide the biggest movement between the bottom of a demi-plie
and the take-off point of a releve or jump. One of the dancers
in my class at the National Ballet School of Canada had a very
shallow demi-plie. Yet, she had very flexible ankles and a high
arch, and this gave her the thrust to jump very high.

***Second, technical education . Regardless of physical
advantages, understanding of the ideal movements and resulting
positions can be obtained from an educated teacher, books, and
the many DVD's available to all through internet stores. There
is no restriction on our access to information.

***Third, a teacher who not only has decent credentials, but
who has the required habit of demanding correctness in class.
This is a variable, and inexperienced teachers do not realize
how often they are going to repeat the same old correction over
the years of training, to the same students.... in a million
different imaginative ways, and with appreciation for your own
uniqueness too.

***Fourth, knowing that there is cross-training that will help
you compensate for your physical shortcomings. If you are less
flexible than you would like to be, there is Pilates, massage,
or Yoga. If you are flexible but weak in some areas, Pilates,
and weight training will help.

***Fifth, knowing where more details count - if your habit is
curiosity, that's a huge asset. If it's not, adopt it. Studying
anatomy and kinesiology is a plus. (I know you already have
homework or a job, or family obligations, but hey, if you are
serious about dance, all this is just more fun, right?)

***Sixth, coordinating your knowledge of your physiology, and
how you might be compensating detrimentally to get the deepest
demi-plie and best take-off that you can, and instead compensate
more with cross-training and less with bad habits. It's only a
life-long process, don't get discouraged.

***Seven, a truly habitual appreciation of your own uniqueness,
talents, intelligence, and determination. There will always be
an invitation to doubt yourself, envy others' real or imagined
superiority, and waste time thinking negative thoughts.

Proper rest and good nutrition have a lot to do with #7. Body
and brain fatigue, and nutritional deficiencies are directly
related to mood. Please be curious and get the information you
need.

These 7 highly effective habits are just the tip of the
icebergs, but they are a great guide to go with until you
develop your own uniqueness in training priorities.

About the Author: Dianne M. Buxton is a graduate of the
National Ballet School of Canada. She continued dance training
at The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, and Toronto
Dance Theatre. She taught at, and choreographed for The National
Ballet School, York University, and George Brown College, in
Canada, and taught at Harvard University in the U.S.
http://www.theballetstore.com recommends The Ballet Bible - a
concise package of textual and visual education for a dance
student.

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