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...
by Josephine Lee | Aug 31, 2020 | Profiles, Viral Videos
When it comes to her pointe shoes, Houston Ballet principal Yuriko Kajiya has been on a multi-year quest to find the perfect fit. (She has even worn two different brands at the same time onstage.) Below, watch expert pointe shoe fitter Josephine Lee interview Kajiya...
by Amy Brandt | Aug 10, 2020 | Ask Amy, Training
I’m 14, and I feel totally stable and on my box on my right foot on pointe. But my left foot? Not so much. How can I fix the problem of being on one box and not all the way on the other? —Summer I spoke with Judy Weiss, master pointe shoe fitter for Grishko USA,...
by Julia Rosica | Aug 4, 2020 | Dance History, Instagram, The Latest, Training
Pointe shoes, with their ability to elevate a dancer both literally and metaphorically to a superhuman realm, are the ultimate symbol of a ballerina’s ethereality and hard work. For students, receiving a first pair of pointe shoes is a rite of passage. The shoes...
by Josephine Lee | Jul 30, 2020 | Profiles, Viral Videos
Did you know that Royal Ballet principal Yasmine Naghdi’s pointe shoes are actually made up of two different models, combined? Below, watch pointe shoe fitter Josephine Lee interview Naghdi on all of her pointe shoe hacks, from her anti-slipping tricks to her...
by Chava Pearl Lansky | Jun 8, 2020 | Dance Spirit, Instagram, News, The Latest
Updated on June 12, 2020 Last year, in a segment on “The Today Show” on diverse shades of pointe shoes, Dance Theatre of Harlem artistic director Virginia Johnson reflected on the groundbreaking 1970’s-era performance, when DTH founder Arthur...
