The Secrets in Your Shoes
November 28, 2001
A dancer’s relationship with her pointe shoes is so intimate, they become not just the tools of her trade, but extensions of her body. But have you ever thought about how they actually get made? This fascinating 2-minute video goes inside the London Freed factory to capture the makers performing their magic. See how they transform the raw materials into something a ballet dancer can depend on. The end of the film follows Yumiko Takeshima, Dutch National Ballet dancer and dancewear design superstar, as she takes her Freeds and precedes to cut, darn, deshank and dance in them until they’re finally, beautifully used-up and dead. Check it out: