by Jennifer Heimlich | Jan 22, 2025 | Health & Body, Pointe+, Wellness
Throughout her career, Richmond Ballet dancer Naomi Robinson has seen some gnarly feet on other dancers—and not just your typical bunions and calluses. “I’ve seen infected toenails and infected blisters because people didn’t use the proper hygiene all the time,” she...
by Katie Slattery | Sep 6, 2024 | Pointe+, Training
Have you noticed the option to purchase three-quarter-shanked pointe shoes from your shoe supplier or seen a friend removing part of the shank from her shoes? Many dancers prefer the feel of a three-quarter shank; it can improve the look of your foot on pointe and...
by Sierra Hitchcock | Aug 28, 2024 | Career, Company Life, Pointe+
Whether it’s pointe shoes, character shoes, or sneakers, a dancer’s footwear is crucial to their performance. Behind the scenes, shoe managers work to outfit artists with the shoes that will allow them to dance their best in the studio and onstage. Read on to learn...
by Haley Hilton For Dance Magazine | Mar 22, 2024 | News, The Latest
Pacific Northwest Ballet goes through roughly 2,000 pairs of pointe shoes per year. New York City Ballet uses 500 pairs per month during Nutcracker season. Some pros exhaust multiple pairs of shoes in a single performance day. Stats like those raise a big question:...
by Amy Brandt | Feb 15, 2024 | Ask Amy, Pointe+, Training
I just learned that I’ll be starting pointe this year. But I’m nervous—does it hurt? —Sariah First of all, congratulations on advancing to pointe class! It’s a testament to your hard work and technical strength as a dancer. Pointework can feel uncomfortable at...
by Cory Stieg | Mar 28, 2023 | Health & Body, Pointe+
Most ballet dancers can correctly point to a bunion—the painful, bony bump that typically sticks out at the big toe joint—but what they are and why they develop is more complicated. “Some people think bunions are just a growth on the bone, but it’s really an angular...
by Monica Stephenson | Jan 24, 2023 | Career, Company Life, Pointe+
In 1974, Dance Theatre of Harlem women began wearing tights and shoes in customized shades of brown, presenting a beautiful continuity of line. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Houston Ballet principal Lauren Anderson became an iconic example of a classical...
by Hannah Chang Foster | Mar 9, 2022 | News, Top Stories
If I had a dollar for every time I heard the phrase “global supply-chain delays” in the news, I’d be able to purchase a year’s supply of pointe shoes. But in reality, these international delays have had a big impact on pointe shoe manufacturers, too, causing a backup...