The Pointe Shop Goes on the Road: Josephine Lee Explores 4 California Studios

June 5, 2018

A few weeks ago, we shared the first five vlogs from master pointe shoe fitter Josephine Lee’s West Coast tour. Now, Lee is back with videos from four California cities—Morgan Hill, San Francisco, Roseville and Oakhurst—to wrap up her 20-day tour. Lee shares a bit about the training at each studio, as well as advice on what dancers should look for in their first pair of pointe shoes and what to do if your feet are very different from each other. Lee also touches base with a physical therapist for advice on the most common pointe shoe injuries. Later this summer, Lee will take her wares to summer intensives around the country—stay tuned!

South Valley Dance Arts
in Morgan Hill, CA

Lee reports from the suburbs of San Jose on the diverse training methods at South Valley Dance Arts, which range from Balanchine to Cecchetti to Ukrainian folk dance.

San Francisco Performing Arts Physical Therapy
in San Francisco, CA

Taking a break from a long string of studio visits, Lee chats with physical therapist Kendall Alway on the injuries that she sees from poorly fitting pointe shoes. She also gives advice to a student with two very different feet. Also… did you know that bendy straws were invented in SF?

Northern California Dance Conservatory
in Roseville, CA

Before heading to Roseville, Lee takes us around Sacramento, California’s state capital. At the Northern California Dance Conservatory, ballet director and former Joffrey Ballet principal Michael Levine discusses the studio’s training methods.

Yosemite Dance Company
in Oakhurst, CA

Oakhurst marks the final day of Lee’s tour. Lee gives tips to students going up on pointe for the first time, and reflects on her 20 days on the road.