Pointework is often considered the pinnacle of ballet training and a fundamental part of our modern ballet culture. If you have been working hard in class, it’s natural to aspire to pointe. But if you’re an adult student, you may ask, “Am I too old to start?” While technique requirements are the same for ballet […]
Pointe shoes are high maintenance. New pairs are not only expensive, but time consuming. So it’s no surprise that many dancers try to extend the lifespan of each shoe. But did you know that dancing on dead shoes can increase your risk for a variety of injuries? What causes a shoe to break down? Pointe […]
Have you ever looked at the ever-growing pile of dead pointe shoes in the corner of your closet, unsure of what to do with them? It seems wasteful to throw them out, but they can’t be recycled. And many dancers feel a sentimental attachment to their old shoes and want to hang onto them. This […]
As ballet’s gender roles grow increasingly blurred, more men than ever are reaching new heights: the tips of their toes. It’s no longer just Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and the few pointe-clad male character parts, like in Cinderella or Alexei Ratmansky’s The Bright Stream. Some male dancers are starting to experiment with pointe […]
This story originally appeared in the August/September 2016 issue of Pointe. You’d be hard pressed to find a pair of ballet slippers in Noelani Pantastico’s dance bag. Instead, you’ll find a pair of socks—and plenty of pointe shoes. The Pacific Northwest Ballet principal, who joined the company in 1997, ditched wearing slippers for class when […]
Landing your first-ever ballet company contract is cause for celebration. But a contract is more than just a ticket to living out your dreams as a professional ballet dancer. It’s a legal document laying out the terms of your employment—from how much you get paid to when exactly you’ll be expected to work to what […]
Most dancers with hyperextended knees consider them a blessing—until something goes wrong. While hyperextension can create elegant lines, excessively mobile joints can be prone to injury. “They have to be handled with care,” says Adriana Wagenveld, a dancer with Grand Rapids Ballet. Over time she has learned how to use her hypermobility safely and effectively. […]
Over the course of her career, Miami City Ballet’s Dawn Atkins has come to value herself as a whole person, not just as a dancer. The recently promoted principal credits this shift to finding inspiration from within and developing skills outside of ballet. Atkins spent her formative years as an artist at Boston Ballet, where […]