I received a parcel from Sansha a couple of days ago. My new pointe shoes have arrived. I'm staying in in a great mood, so I’ll write this post... in three parts :) The girls, God forgive me, Vumn.Ru and best friend, who said she didn’t understand anything about it. “But she’s not the only one,” I thought. So today I’ll tell you about pointe shoes.
The historical excursion focuses on a major innovator - ballerina Maria Tiolny. Nothing particularly interesting, just a significant figure in the ballet. More interesting about the pointe shoe itself. These are shoes. For dancing. How many characteristics of ordinary shoes do you know? For pointe shoes, I can off the top of my head say at least 10. So, meet pointe shoes.
Let's start with a nickel.
It is on these approximately 5 square centimeters that the ballerina stands. It differs mainly in size. For example, Grishko (a very large Russian manufacturer popular all over the world) has models with a large nickel (Foutte and Triumph) - they are more stable, but there are models with a very small one (Vaganiva and Maya, in honor of the great ballerinas) - they create the feeling that the ballerina does not stand on the stage, but hovers above it.
The listed models of Grishko pointe shoes, which seem almost identical to a normal person
Next comes the box.
This is a hard sock. It is not made of wood - it is many layers of cardboard and/or textiles glued together. It is the box, not the nickel, that allows you to stand on your fingers. The box fits tightly on the leg and holds the foot. Thus, the ballerina rests not on her fingertips, but on half of her foot, rigidly fixed in pointe shoes (essentially, on the metatarsals).
The boxes are also different. The first difference is called closedness - this is the height of the box at the front (usually there are 3 degrees). The fact is that everyone’s fingers are different in length - some are short, some are too long, and if we talk about professional dancers, some have a very well-pumped instep muscle - you want to demonstrate it in all its glory, opening your foot more strongly . The strength of the fingers also affects the choice of closure: with weak fingers and minimal closure, the leg will simply fall out of the box.
The second parameter is the cutout (V- or U-shaped). This is a matter of taste, but it also affects the closeness.
And the third characteristic is fullness, focused on the volume of the leg (in a thin person it is smaller, in a fat person it is larger). There are volumes from three (for the Chinese Sansha) to five (for Grishko). Sometimes there is also such a parameter as the amount of rise in addition to fullness.
If the nickel, closeness and neckline are the nuances of the model, then fullness is a full-fledged characteristic on an equal basis with the size. That is, you need to tell the seller not only the size of your feet, but also its volume. 
Next comes the upper soft part of the pointe shoe. It differs in the degree of closedness on the side, and the heel in depth (sometimes deep, more typical of Russian ballet, sometimes shallow).
The entire pointe shoe is textile on the outside. Usually it is made from flesh-colored satin (although everyone has their own concept of “flesh”:) and varies from light yellow to pig pink). Atlas differs in its quality (and there is even one that does not glare under the spotlight). In addition, the top of the pointe shoes can be made of tarpaulin (matte dense fabric) and can be of almost any color. But ballerinas traditionally dance in flesh-colored satin shoes, since the pointe shoe is an extension of the leg. And, although costumes for ballets are made of amazing complexity, both technically and in terms of finishing, only the shade of pointe shoes can change: from almost white on the swan Odette, to reddish-brown on the Spanish Kitri.
As for the lining, different materials are used inside, for example flannel, but the traditional and most hygienic is calico.
The second important thing in a pointe shoe after the box is the insole. The insole here is stiffer than the box. There are several degrees of rigidity, which is achieved by the area of the insole reinforcement and the materials - beginners wear the least rigid insole, professionals, judging by the descriptions of the models, prefer a harder insole. There are from three to seven degrees of hardness.
The second characteristic of the insole is its type - with or without rebound. You can jump on your fingers (on a nickel) or rise through your half-fingers (that is, stand on your tiptoes and then on your fingers).
In addition, the insole is not full, but 3/4, and sometimes even separate.
In the picture 1 - a lace in the drawstring, 2 - an inner insole, 3 - a rigid insert and 4 - a sole.
The sole can also be different - it is made from different materials. Good pointe shoes are made from genuine leather, while cheap ones are made from artificial leather or cardboard.
Against the background of almost a dozen parameters listed, size no longer seems such an important detail :) But, as in any shoe, it is paramount: expensive manufacturers produce many half sizes so that the pointe shoe fits like a glove.
And one last thing: the pointe shoes are attached to the ankle using ribbons according to a simple pattern that is recognizable at first glance. I think every adult has seen how ribbons are tied at least once in their life.
But many people have their own opinion on this :) Tied shoes like this can cause a serious fracture.
In addition, to securely fix the heel, sometimes an invisible elastic band is sewn to it, and in most models there is a lace running around the perimeter, which allows you to tighten it more tightly along the foot. Pointe shoes are sewn (and glued) both manually and automatically - in different ways, using different technologies: from cheap - fixing the sole with a construction stapler, to expensive - making a personal last for the customer, often this is completely handmade. There's a lot about this on YouTube. rollers.
To be continued.
From theory to practice in the next post :)
Let's try to figure out what ballet shoes are made of - pointe shoes, or as the ballerinas themselves call them "fingers".
Today there are enough companies producing ballet shoes. And the Bolshoi Theater ballerinas have a choice.
So, in front of you are 4 pairs of “fingers”. These are Chinese SanSha, Japanese Chacott, shoes made in the workshops of the Bolshoi Theater and American Geynor Minden.
It is the latter that we will talk about today.
I'll allow myself lyrical digression. Unlike many, I have been dancing exclusively in Bolshoi Theater pointe shoes, made to my measurements, for almost 30 years. I tried different ones. Of all the variety, besides my native “fingers,” I feel great in Capezio. In Geynor, I can’t just dance, I just can’t walk. Although many leading ballerinas love them. But as they say - it depends on the taste and color.
Let's continue.
The shoes initially have a curved arch. This may be convenient for some. No to me.
The shoe patch is a very important part, if not the main one. After all, the ballerina is standing on it. I remember I was surprised when I came to the Bolshoi and saw pointe shoes with the heel of no more than a five-ruble coin.
Now nickels are two or even three times more. It is considered more comfortable to stand on a large, wide heel. Maybe.
Shoes without ribbons. Each ballerina sews in the way that suits her. Since I wasn’t going to use the shoes, I didn’t sew on any ribbons.
In profile, the leg in shoes looks quite nice, but in full face, folds become visible. Knowing how the Bolshoi shoes work and what they are made of, I wanted to know what ballet shoes are made of in America. By the way, Geynor, in my opinion, has two drawbacks. It’s hard to stand on your toes in them (I always wondered why) and you have to sew an elastic band to the heel of the shoes so that the heel doesn’t slip off.
First, we strip off the nickel. On Geynor it is sewn separately, unlike other shoes. Under the fabric... plastic and a piece of thin foam!!!
Now I think I understand why in many ballet photographs the nails are affected by fungus. Legs and fingers in plastic DO NOT BREATHE!!!
We take out the insole, which by the way is also made of synthetic material.
Thin foam rubber is glued to the back side.
We look into the shoes and there... Also plastic. This is why it is difficult to stand on your toes. The plastic is quite hard and difficult to bend.
Between the fabric and the plastic liner in the shoes there is a thin film of foam rubber under the heel.
This is what Geynor shoes look like without the plastic filling. The inner fabric is also synthetic!
This is the “beauty” I have left from my right or left shoe. Almost dismantled for parts.
The only one natural material is the sole. This is suede.
And now... we put on the spare parts separately.
Just to understand how the foot feels inside the pointe shoe.
It looks terrible. Hence the calluses, bones and everything else. Terribly inconvenient.
Even in this horizontal position, the leg does not fit into the block. Of course, you can choose the right size, but it still won’t fit perfectly.
Standing on your toes is no problem. But again, not very convenient.
As a matter of fact, now you know how and what Geynor Minden ballet shoes are made of.
Pointe shoes(from French les pointes des pieds - “fingertips”; also toe shoes, Sometimes pegs or helmets, colloquial) - women's ballet shoes, an integral part of women's dance in classical ballet. Pointe shoes allow the dancer to take a position with the point of support on the tips of the toes of the outstretched foot of one or both legs (French: sur les pointes), which makes the pose less casual and more elevated.
Having emerged as a means of figurative expression with the advent of the era of romanticism, they were initially used for the roles of fairies, goddesses and other magical creatures in order to emphasize their unearthly origin - while “mere mortals” were assigned to dance on half-toes (French sur le demi-pointes) or in characteristic high-heeled shoes. Academic ballet also emphasized the social differences between noble heroines and those around them of ordinary origin.
Pointe shoes of the 19th century are very similar in shape to ballroom and street women's shoes of the late 18th - 1st half of the 19th century century, when, after the revolution, French women practically abandoned heels, which became a symbol of dangerous belonging to the aristocracy in favor of ancient naturalness. Like ballroom shoes, they were made of silk satin, with flat leather soles and a rectangular toe. The “Greek fashion” of the 1790s was also picked up by dancers: Maria Medina, and after her other artists, appeared on stage in tunics and sandals, preaching freedom. At the same time, dancers such as Mademoiselle Parisot continued to dance in narrow, low-heeled shoes (but without the buckles, bows, flowers and other decorations of the Rococo era).
In 1821, in London, on the stage of the Royal Theater, Bias performed, decorating her dance with individual poses on her fingers. It is from this time that the lithography by J.-F. Waldeck, which depicts the ballerina in a confident pose on her fingers in the V position.
In October 1830, Maria Taglioni (1804-1884) showed dancing on pointe shoes in the ballet “God and La Bayadère”, on March 14 of the following year she made her debut in Didelot’s “Zephyr and Flore”, and exactly a year later, on March 12, 1832, she was already dancing confidently on pointe shoes in his father's ballet La Sylphide, finally establishing the primacy of romanticism on stage.
In 1846, Paris was so impressed by the finger technique of Sofia Fuoco that the young Italian, “brilliant in the so-called pointe shoes,” was given the nickname La Pointue.
The first Russian ballerina to start dancing on pointe shoes is Didelot’s student Avdotya Istomina (1799-1848), who danced in, among other things, the ballet “Zephyr and Flora.”
Gradually, dancing on pointe shoes turned into an obligatory element of classical ballet - to such an extent that in many editions of ancient classical ballets character, demi-character and even grotesque parts (such as the fairy Carabosse from Konstantin Sergeev's Sleeping Beauty, 1964) were completely transferred from heels and soft shoes to pointe shoes. This trend reached its maximum with choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, who almost completely removed heel dance from the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, replacing the characteristic suites in “The Nutcracker” (1966), “Swan Lake” (1969) and other ballets classic variations on pointe shoes with some national flavor.
Manufacturing
In the second half of the 19th century. A round cork, 2 fingers thick, was inserted into ballerinas' shoes. The relatively expensive cork was replaced at the beginning of the 20th century with a special starch glue - all the inner layers of the “box” or “glass” (the part of the shoe in which the toes are placed) are impregnated with it, thereby achieving the degree of rigidity required by modern toe technology, reaching extraordinary virtuosity in the 2nd half of the 20th century. The slightly oval “patch” of the pointe shoe, thanks to which stability is achieved in various poses, is made flat.
Since pointe shoes should fit snugly to the foot without causing discomfort, ballerinas, whenever possible, prefer to order shoes according to individual measurements rather than selecting them in a store according to size from the existing model range. IN Soviet era with such major theaters, like the Bolshoi or the Mariinsky, there were their own theater workshops that made shoes individually for each artist - while the ballerina was assigned to a specific master who remembered the wishes and anatomical features of each artist, and could make shoes that did not require additional fitting.
After taking measurements, a standard shoe last is made from wood, precisely following the contours of the foot. In the cutting shop, the cut is cut to the required size (most often from pale pink satin), and a blank is sewn from it onto the block. Then a small, smaller than the size of the foot, sole made of thick leather is nailed to the last. The satin blank, wrong side up, is put on the block, and several layers of burlap and container fabric are glued onto it. Having stitched the workpiece with a strong thread and cut off the excess material, it is removed from the last, turned right side out and put on the last again, this time secured with small nails, after which the entire shoe is carefully hammered so that it repeats the shape of the last.
Having removed the shoe from the last, a multilayer insole made of leather or cardboard is glued into it, with a narrow rectangular plate of hard cardboard inserted inside, which will help support the foot in vertical position. To emphasize the arch of the foot and allow the toes to reach, the sole is given a curved shape. After the sole and insole are glued together, the shoe is pulled back onto the last and placed in a drying cabinet - an oven with a temperature of 60-70°. After a day, when the glue has completely hardened, the pointe shoes are removed from the oven. then a cotton insole is placed inside each shoe, with which the foot will be in contact.
One craftsman can make 6-7 pairs of handmade shoes per day; a small team can produce about two thousand pairs a month.
Some of the most reputable manufacturers of pointe shoes are the English company Freed of London, founded in 1929 and producing about 700 pairs daily, and the Australian Bloch, which has existed since 1931. The Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet use Freed shoes: the former buys about 12 thousand pairs annually, spending approximately £250 thousand on them, the latter tries to stick to a budget of $500 thousand. The Australian Ballet purchases shoes from Bloch.
Also in great demand modern ballerinas They use shoes from the American company Gaynor Minden, founded in New York in 1993. Unlike traditional glued pointe shoes, their base is a glass cast from polymer materials- such shoes do not need to be “broken” before wearing, they can be washed, their insole does not break and they are more durable. Thanks to the use modern technologies They provide better support to the foot, allowing less muscle effort to be expended during descent and ascent, so they are not recommended to be used too often to avoid muscle weakening. For the same reason, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes are not allowed to be used in some leading ballet schools, since by taking on part of the work, they do not allow the necessary muscle apparatus to form correctly.
Usage
In order to be able to dance in the finished shoes, ballerinas do many different manipulations with them: they sew ribbon ties to them and various types rubber bands that prevent the instep from falling out and the shoes themselves from slipping off the feet; using a hammer, beat off a hard “glass” (“box”) from a layer of glued fabrics so that it does not press anywhere and does not rub your fingers; cut off the satin “patch” and cover it with threads or crochet it (there are also non-slip pads that can be glued directly to the “patch”), make small cuts on the insole using a knife or grater. Although some ballerinas prefer to work barefoot, most insert silicone pads and other pads inside to help prevent calluses.
From numerous liftings on and off the toes during the dance, the shoes gradually soften and become loose. Their service life depends on the intensity of the load: for example, a ballerina performing main role in a ballet performance with a large number of duets, variations and other performances, he can change several pairs of shoes per evening. In addition, for performances such as Giselle, where each act requires its own technique and expressiveness, artists prepare different shoes for every action.
In order to avoid slipping while moving, earlier, when the covering of the stage and rehearsal halls was wooden, rosin and also ordinary water were used for better grip - a garden watering can was an indispensable attribute of the rehearsal halls. There was even a proverb: “He who doesn’t know how to water, doesn’t know how to dance.” After wood was widely replaced by stage linoleum, performers began to use sweet soda, such as Coca-Cola, that was sticky when dry.
Fluttering on the tips of their pointe shoes. However, few people thought about the history of this elegant shoe. How pointe shoes appeared and what ballerina shoes are will be discussed in this article.
The beginning of ballet shoes
Typically, when most people hear the word “pointe shoes,” they think of stiff satin shoes with narrow ribbons tightly tied around them. However, it would be logical to assume that ballerinas did not always wear such shoes.
Naturally, at the very beginning of the birth of ballet there was no question of professional pointe shoes. Many people know what a ballerina’s shoes are called, but few know where this concept came from. The very name of this specific one comes from French word sur les pointes, which means “to dance with your fingertips.” Indeed, initially ballerinas danced exclusively barefoot, standing on the tops of their toes. However, this method was extremely traumatic, since a huge load was placed on the foot, which led to constant dislocations, sprains and other injuries to the joints and muscles. This is how the idea arose to create special supportive shoes.
First copies
What were the first pointe shoes? Photos of similar specimens are below. For the first time this type shoe was created at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Italy became famous for their invention. Ordinary shoes were used as the initial pointe shoes, in which they put soft cloth. This approach helped to avoid injury and excessive stress on the foot.
Later, they began to wear hard leather sandals, which were secured to the foot with sewn straps.
Modern pointe shoes
The first time dancer Maria Taglioni wore ballerina shoes, which resembled real pointe shoes, was in 1830. This one is famous for its ancient surname the granddaughter of hereditary dancers first appeared on stage during a performance called “Zephyr and Flora.” Fulfilling her allotted female role, Maria barely touched the ground with her tiny silk slippers. This exit created a sensation. Not endowed by nature with any special feminine beauty, the dancer completely amazed the audience with her dancing abilities and, most importantly, her thoughtful image. She chose for her performance exactly those hard shoes with a special seal in the toe area, which later became such a success in ballet world. These were the same pointe shoes. Anyone can see the photo of their owner.
However, another type of shoe made this type of shoe no less popular. famous person- wife of commander Napoleon Josephine. She preferred to wear ballet flats that looked like dance shoes. They were small slippers made of satin fabric, which were attached to the foot with ribbons. In the era of romanticism, such casual and light shoes were in great demand among fashionistas and socialite divas. Among art historians it is believed that it was these shoes that later became the prototype of the pointe shoes we know.
On the territory of Russia, the first ballerina who began to dance in these shoes was now ballet, pointe shoes and dancers performing in them are integral concepts.
Making pointe shoes
Ballet shoes seem like extremely simple and easy shoes to make, but this is not true.
Modern pointe shoes consist of 54 elements. Each pair of such shoes must strictly fit the dancer’s feet, which avoids unnecessary injuries and stress. The selection of shoes is also carried out individually.
Each shoe consists of three components. This is the top of the pointe shoe, which consists of several layers of satin and is covered with inside lining fabric, as well as a rigid, unbending sole made of genuine leather and a place where the fingers are placed. This part has the shape of a box made of several tightly glued layers of fabric.
It is the high requirements for dance pointe shoes that explain the fact that, despite high level automation of production, most of the assembly of these shoes is done by hand. As a rule, wet glued pointe shoes are left on a specially adapted last, after which they are processed with tools and sewn together with a strong thread soaked in a paraffin solution. To harden, the ballerina's shoes are left to dry overnight at a temperature of forty to fifty degrees.
All shoes differ in shape, strength, duration of wear and are selected individually for each dancer.
I love it when some specific things are told in an accessible language, and on the contrary, I can’t stomach people who talk about their specialized knowledge from the point of view that it is not accessible to anyone else. The troublemaker for my peace was the Vumn.ru forum: I wandered there by accident in search of what a “jump up” was. I didn’t find an answer, but the dialogue was interesting. A girl asks there whether it is possible to get on pointe shoes at the age of 25+ (why ask - just go ahead and do it!). Immediately women came running (not to be confused with women), those who always know everything, and a couple of ballerinas. The latter began to discuss that they had been struggling with lifting since childhood, and in general the lady couldn’t lift her leg higher than 90 degrees...
Firstly, who told you that a dancer understands something about teaching ballet or is familiar with the technology with which he was taught? Who even said that actors, athletes or singers are so smart people, that their opinion is worth listening to? Secondly, I don’t understand, I like it - study, try, work, achieve. Unfortunately, we don’t have such a mania in our country. different hobbies: in the states, in Europe, in China there are many amateur schools where people seriously (otherwise it is impossible in the classics) study ballet for themselves (and not in order to perform). Why not? There are also sling mothers (you know the ones with small children who wear them in a special scarf) who stand by the stick with the sling and the baby. Thirdly, buy pointe shoes, and then we’ll see...
How to choose?
Of the 15 parameters of the last, the majority (nickel, closeness, type of insole, neckline and lace) is what distinguishes the pointe shoe models from one another (Capezio has more than 10 of them, Grishko and R-Class have about 15, Bloch has 20 models ). But for each of them you can choose the size, fullness, and rigidity of the insole (and, sometimes, material and color).
Most manufacturers have visual ways to select a model, and brand stores employ a specialist in selecting pointe shoes - a fitter.
How much to buy?
A ballet soloist spends 3 pairs of pointe shoes per performance (according to rumors, I don’t know how it really is, but just one is definitely not enough). They are not durable: the rigidity of the box and insole begins to decrease under load, which means that it becomes more difficult to stand on your toes. Sometimes the insole simply breaks. Professionals change pointe shoes and ballet shoes often, but this is not a problem for an amateur. Although today durable pointe shoes from Gaynor Minden have appeared (and they are not the only ones mastering this technology), manufacturers write that they are high-tech, but there is another problem: they do not break, do not wear out, the outer material simply becomes completely unusable (they cost 2-3 times more shoes from Grishko, R-Class or Bloch).
It all depends on the intensity of the classes, but the first pair will last you for at least a year. Another thing is that there is a desire to try more and more new models :)
Can I wear it?
When new pointe shoes are purchased, unlike sneakers, you cannot put them on right away. They need to be prepared. In general, everything is too easy with sneakers: the laces are there and already inserted! And to begin with, ribbons are sewn onto pointe shoes, and not just anywhere, but at the top of the instep, in the place where support is needed - it is individual for everyone, so the ribbons come separately. Although there is another simple way: the place is selected according to the bent heel.
Of course, they are sewn on by hand, thread and needle, then cut to length and melted (sometimes the cut is treated with varnish or glue) so that they do not stick out or crumble. Optionally, an elastic band is sewn on to hold the heel and the lace is tightened.
Now they can be attached to the leg. But that’s not all: if we talk about professionals and experienced amateurs, they prepare their pointe shoes more carefully.
Sometimes the top fabric is cut off from a nickel, sewn around the perimeter with threads or a leather overlay is glued on, and beaten with a hammer to remove the corners.
The box is kneaded (the manufacturer says that this does not need to be done, and these are relics of the past, but here the taste and color, as they say, all markers are different - it is important to bring the box to the desired degree of softness so that it is comfortable), for this they knock on it with a hammer , they stand with their heels on top, squeeze them in the door... in general, they mock them as they want.
The insole is bent, especially in the heel area, sometimes torn off at the top from the sole (as I understand it, for a more aesthetic appearance on the half-toes), they give it a shape and simply soften it on its own.
Some professionals soak their pointe shoes in a special way, or rosin the inside, or... in general, everyone has their own ritual, but the amateur cares about them, like Zakharova...
Is it possible now?
Now it’s too early to put on pointe shoes. It will look like this, although it should look different.
And the point here is not that this is funny and unaesthetic. You simply cannot dance with such legs: there will be either a fracture or a serious deformation in the ankle area. This is roughly like climbing a steep hill, putting on skis and pushing off - hypothetically you can get all the way to the bottom, but an adequate person without minimal training will not do this.
In order to stand on pointe with your foot, which is usually in position L, you need to do I, that is, straighten it from a position of 90’ to 180+. Adult stubborn amateurs use such a thing for this, and in childhood it stretches easier.
In addition to stretching the instep, you also need to pump it. This muscle is developed in ordinary person sooooo weak. There are Plie and Releve dance exercises.
What is it? Grab something, stand very straight, as straight as you can, put your heels together and spread your toes (something like a V), and now squat down without lifting your butt, as if you had swallowed a crowbar, without lifting a single millimeter of your foot from the floor . Squat as low as possible - this is Plie.
Now, without lifting your toes from the floor and without tilting your foot, rise onto your tiptoes (half toes). Now you just lift your heel off the floor, rise higher, even higher, and higher, now press your heel into your leg - this is Releve.
Repeat 1000 times.
And here it is also important not to forget to pump up your fingers. Yes, yes, those same toes that a healthy, sane person does nothing with, but football players, for example, use to train them. They do a lot of things for this: they do push-ups, push weights, walk up the steps, swing with an expander.
As with any activity, 10,000 hours will make you an expert. Pump and pull, pull and swing... Good ballet legs for a normal uninitiated person look, to put it mildly, ugly.
These are beautiful ballet legs: there is an inflated instep, which makes the foot huge (but strong, and it looks beautiful in pointe shoes), as well as X-shaped legs (what is called hyperextension) - especially appreciated by ballerinas: in the photo below on the right legs normal person, on the left are the legs of a human dancer.
And these are feet worldwide famous ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, who is idolized by almost all ballerinas (she is truly beautiful, beautifully built and artistic), would be great if she were not an ardent supporter of PZhiV.
But this, of course, does not threaten simple mortals :)
Is this even safe?
