How NYCB Dancers Prep Their Shoes

Pointe shoes are just as fascinating to us ballet veterans as they are to non-dance folks—especially when you’re looking at how the star dancers modify their own. Recently, the New York Times followed New York City Ballet dancers backstage during Nutcracker performances to see how they customize the 10–12 pairs they each go through a week. While the article explains a lot of what we already know about shoe prep, it’s cool to compare your own methods to NYCB’s stars. Tiler Peck uses the slam-the-box-against-the-wall method. Janie Taylor closes them in doors. Dental floss is a common substitute for thread. And the company-wide glue of choice is Satellite City Hot Stuff—a furniture glue. Which NYCB dancers’ methods are most like yours? Click here to read the article.