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...
by Alexandra Martin | Dec 6, 2021 | Training
As dancers return to long rehearsal days and performances, pointe shoe demand is on the rise. And yet, a reduction in manufacturing caused by supply-chain delays means professionals and students alike may face long wait times for back-ordered pointe shoes. That means...
by Kyra Laubacher | Sep 20, 2021 | Health & Body
Ballet seasons are starting up again. But returning to long rehearsal days on pointe can be really challenging, especially after past seasons’ spotty schedules and pandemic-related modifications. With the shift back to full-time work, dancers once again face the...
by Josephine Lee | Oct 1, 2020 | Profiles, Viral Videos
Fun fact: Alonzo King LINES Ballet dancer Ilaria Guerra hates new pointe shoes. Why? For this contemporary phenom, malleability is everything—so nothing is worse than a stiff pair of shoes. Below, watch pro pointe shoe fitter Josephine Lee speak with Guerra about all...
by Chava Pearl Lansky | Sep 16, 2020 | Profiles
Pointe shoe brand Gaynor Minden recently welcomed 32 young dancers to its coveted roster of Gaynor Girls. But this year, the company included two applicants who push the boundaries of what it means to dance on pointe. While both Mason Simon Underwood and Colleen...