As a flat-footed adult beginner ballet student who has recently commenced her pointe journey, I just have to say what a RELIEF it is to see someone like Josephine who is so prevalent in the online ballet community, shares the same foot problems as myself. I feel like everyday on social media I constantly see images of the “perfect” ballet feet and this can be very discouraging as yes, you can certainly do exercises to improve your feet but at a certain point (no pun intended) if you have low arch, low profile feet then that’s what you have. Thank you for this very educational and entertaining video, it’s really lovely to hear about how adult ballet students are fitted.
Don’t be discouraged! I am a former dancer who danced for 20+ years started super young - and I still had flat(er) feet, even at the peak of my dance life. While I didn’t have “perfect” feet, but they’re wide, square and made me rock solid pretty easily. I remember not having a “classic” footprint getting out of a pool - just a blob of water print. But after a few years on pointe I was shocked one day to notice I had a “normal” footprint!! My point is that with training and time, your feet will change some - but also that it’s ok even if they don’t, because “perfect” feet are not required to enjoy dancing (thank god!). I hope to get back on pointe now that I’m older, but broke my leg and did soft tissue damage to both ankles and feet in December so I’ve still got a lot of rehab to go before I get back to the barre. 💗🤞🏻😊
@@julesj2353 ballet definitely changes the feet! I started to dance at 17, danced for about 2 years and didn't even went on pointe. But I had the same realization! My arch strengthened and I remember being so excited to have a "normal" footprint lmao Goodluck with the going back!
I think Josephine's feet look so pretty. I'm getting kind of tired of the extremes now - the hyperextended legs and over-arched feet. It's refreshing to see a straighter, cleaner line, for me anyway.
The reason why i started ballet as a child was because i was completely flat-footed and my doctor said that this would have helped. Well, i don't have flat feet anymore...while i don't know if adults can fully fix it, ballet is a massive help and definitely improves
The trauma of going back to class was too much for me and I haven't been back after a few classes a few years back. Kids won't get this but I think a lot of adults do get this. My teacher definitely knew what was happening and addressed it to me. Thanks for making this point(e).
I first started dancing ballet at the age of five, I then departed and tried out figure skating. I eventually swam competitively, I somehow ended up dancing hip-hop for two years (which surprisingly I despised). My birthday is February 18th 2008, which now makes me fourteen. When I was thirteen my mother called a decent ballet school, that's located in our vicinity. So I was signed up and began taking classes, with a bunch of 10 -11 year olds. My teacher told my mother that she will soon transfer me to a different group, that consist of students my age and higher (of course they're all en pointe). I work hard everyday, I am noticing a lot of major improvements, my teacher is absolutely excellent. With every lesson I learn something new, to assist me in improving my technique. As I had stated before, I train and rehearse every single day. I stretch about three times a day, even when I'm not thinking about it. Every of my stretches lasts about fifteen minutes, to an hour and a half. I also do a little bit of pilates, pretty much 4 times a week for one hour. At class I give it my all, as well as at home. I will repeat the choreography taught in class at home, I especially work on my turns (pirouettes). I try make everything look as clean as possible, my understanding of dance terminology is accumulating quickly. One of the girls that's in the upper group (the one that I previously mentioned) at times rehearses several variations with us. I find her really inspiring, as she herself started dancing ballet at eleven (she's fourteen too, she's taking classes with pointe shoes. She told us that she works really hard to be achieving these goals.). She's now competing all around the world, winning medals and scoring critical roles. I aspire to become a professional ballet dancer, hopefully I get there. I tend to lay out goals for myself. I dream big however, I am also being realistic. I anyone has a similar story, then I would be happy to learn about them! I will gladly take tips if there are any, thanks a lot for reading this lengthy comment of mine (English isn't my mother tongue, so I deeply apologize if I wrote something incorrectly or if something didn't really make sense).
All I have to say is: keep doing what you’re doing! You seem to have the right attitude, so just keep going!! Misty Copeland also started relatively old, look at her now. I had a similar story to yours but got discouraged and quit when I got to high school, and it’s one of my biggest regrets. Just stick with it, and remind yourself of why you’re doing it - hopefully it’s because you love it. I wish all the best for you.
I hope things are going well for you! I don’t know much about ballet as I am merely a fan not a participant. I do, however, know a lot about English. When I was reading your comment, I was kind of wondering if an adult had written it because it is more grammatically correct than a native English speaker would write casually in a comment section. You definitely seem to be an overachiever, ambitious, and driven. it’s frankly quite amazing that a 14-year-old can write so well in a second language because it would be very difficult to find a 14-year-old native English speaker who can write as well in another language. We are not known for being good at learning languages. That’s probably because English is the dominant language in the world so the necessity isn’t there for most of us. I wish you lots of luck on your ballet journey! In case your situation has changed, I wish you luck in life in general! 😍💐
Give an adult ballet class a try! I’m 68 and although I taught for several years post-young adult years, daily classes were in the distant past. I decided to give it a go and never looked back. Currently doing online classes but have attended artEmotion, adult classes in person for several years . Just had to resign to myself that 68 is not 28! I know how to adapt and just do the best I can with what I’ve got. Josephine fit me for a pair of pointe shoes in Salt Lake a few years ago. Still do an occasional pointe barre but keep everything on two feet. I also have taught many ballet classes which ranged from 18-81 years old! One of my greatest pleasures!IGreat video! Love that you enjoy the adult dance community so much
As a 50+ year old who had never been en pointe as a child, when I was first fitted for pointe shoes I had NO idea what felt right or wrong or how to describe what I was feeling. Two shops told me they had nothing to fit me. The third sold me shoes that were just wrong for a total beginner and then mucked up my reorder. I think I have now finally got shoes that fit better and who knows I might progress beyond rises at the barre now.
Wonderful! I really appreciate the more in-depth videos. I'm having flashbacks to that one time I dared tell a teacher my feet hurt-never again! But I also remember that the choice of shoes back in the day (45 years ago) was basically three models, only one of which sort fit my wide feet, and you took what you got. So happy that dancers today have this amount of expertise available to them. Thank you!!
I’ve watched this video so many times, and I feel the same way when I teach adult students how to play piano! There are so many similar stories - they never got to do the things they wanted as kids, or they went hard with it and burned themselves out and quit and come to me when they want a gentle reintroduction to a thing they loved so much. Thanks for sharing this video - love to look for the similarities between artistic disciplines!!
omg, yes re: traumatized....we had a tough time growing up and it stays with us. so great that you guys are bringing light to this and fitting adults in a constructive/non-traumatic way!!!
Not a dancer but, I'm so glad to see someone else with toes that are "spread out"! I have space between my toes too! I always assumed it was because I walked around barefoot a lot as a child. People would tell me I had Flintstone feet 😫, and I thought I was a freak
I am in no way a dancer but I love all these videos. Josephine, my feet kind of look like yours. Long, flat and low profile. It's so nice to hear about all the different feet out there. I always thought I had crazy messed up feet. Pain all the time that no one seems to understand. As a kid I took ice skating and had pain. That was literally back in the ice age and teachers just expected you to suck it up and deal with it. Thanks for showing all the differences in feet. My feet still hurt but I know I'm not a weirdo.
I wonder if doing what I've seen a lot of my orthos (I'll never dance beyond the few years as a child, riddled with OA since age 12) might be helpful for younger and adult dancers... lots of my orthos have purposefully increased their body part models and specifically with ones that move so patients can manipulate the model and then point to exactly where the pain is, especially since even adults don't always have the right terminology. Foot pain is so often referred to as ankle pain... or they get that its foot pain, but its specifically heel pain that has nothing to do with the heel but actually the lower back... etc. It just really struck me when Josephine said how she didn't have the words when she was younger, even for something as simple as associating the pain in her foot as pain emanating from her big toe.
This is such a great video! I love all the information. As an adult dancer, it was really helpful and gave me hope that one day I might make it on to pointe. :)
Wow! I can count on maybe two fingers the number of fitters that have actually touched my feet. Great video. This is invaluable information for adult dancers!!
Thanks, you guys are a riot! If the demi-pointe is used to judge pointe range, how does that translate to people (like me) who have limited big toe joint mobility? I understand that that's not the only criteria but I am curious about how much demi-pointe is used to gauge readiness?
So salty sugar plum did a video about preparing for full pointe. Once you have a high relevé, then your toes push your feet up to full pointe. So toe flexibility and strength is necessary
I'm traumatised from ballet as an adult. When I went up on pointe, I wasn't quite ready (my technique was not the best, I'd get distracted and I'd get terminology wrong (which I now know stems from being autistic and potential ADHD)) and my feet aren't the easiest to fit. Vast majority of pointe shoes on the market have a medium length box, which don't work for me. One shoe was rock hard for me (Aspiration), the other was too big (and potentially too wide, Hannah) and constantly bled, wouldn't dray on my heel and snapped the elastic drawstring trying to fit it to my feet (GM Classic fit European) and the common theme with all of the ones I had was the horrendous amount of pain. It's like my toes were set on fire or stabbed with a massive knife. Being forced to do the pointe dance when I could barely roll through my shoes onto pointe was torture. I was in tears after classes because I was struggling so much some my pals were attempting pirouettes, feuettes, and other advanced stuff. I felt horrendously embarrassed by being the weak link in the class (of teenagers, I was 20, just before leaving for uni). It haunts me. I don't want to go back to classes because a
I’m so sorry you went through that 😢 The ill-fitting shoes sound horrific! I used to learn (and even taught) a classical instrument but I had to quit because of undiagnosed adhd so I relate to you in that regard. I have both too but it was the adhd hyperactivity that I couldn’t compensate for. After about grade 6 I struggled more and more with staying still-ish long enough to get the increasing practice time in. I only just scraped through grade 8 and always felt they let me pass out of pity... I wish I’d known so I didn’t hate myself for “lacking discipline”. I felt so ashamed because I disappointed my teacher too. Until then I’d always done well technically and it’s pretty rare for someone to get as far as I had and then go downhill and worse, quit. So it was shocking to everyone and I knew it even though my teacher and classmates tried to be kind. There were also a few people in orchestra with superiority complexes who enjoyed watching people fail. Even though their smugness didn’t affect me long term (I never really valued their opinions or approached music competitively) it stung at the time
My ballet journey ended when I was 13. I had a diagnosis of scoliosis; turns to the left just couldn't happen. Still, I wanted to dance. My fitter never asked for plie, tendu, releve, nothing! He never touched my feet and never mentioned toe pads. He only asked me to go en pointe. How horrible! I have a family history of bunions, and was already heading that way. i'm way past the point where I could ever dance, but maybe... ::sigh:: I hope dancers today have much better fortune with fitters!
Fab video! There's one other type of footwear which shares some similarity with pointe shoes and that's ski boots. If your boot's too wide, your foot will slide too far forward and your toes will hurt.
I'm not in the ballet world but love watching your videos. And if I do get to a point (unintended pun) where I take it up and can go en pointe, I'd love to have you fit me. The fact that I'm in the UK and there's an ocean and a continent between us is a minor detail, I'm sure we can overlook that!
Josephine - I think we have similar feet. One foot longer than the other - almost a half size apart. Nearly 9.5. Narrow but compressible. I also feel I’m similar to Alison Debona Tilton. My Bloch JetStreams are being discontinued. I’m using PerfectFit inserts and it’s solving some of my spacer avoidance issues.
As someone who did not stop for too long before going back to classes as an adult, the scariest part of it was that my muscle memory no longer align with my strength, flexibility or control. And I haven't seen this being mentioned in the comment section yet, but I have fairly high arch. It was not a problem when I was younger because I have been doing ballet consistently and had way more strength and alignment was amost second nature. But after the break I really found out how flexible ankle and feet made it so scary to go en pointe.
Back in the day there were so few options. I had my feet measured and then the adults discussed what shoe would be best, but they hurt from the beginning. Padding was lamb's wool. There were no other choices. Dancing in them was painful and pointe was torture. The crying! As our feet got used to the shoe, it hurt less but the pain is what I remember the most.
I'm not a dancer but I roomed with dancers in high school. I remember seeing the mess their feet were in! A friend showed me how she prepped her feet so that when (not if, but when) they bled, she didn't run her shoes! Every time she wore them! The 80s and 90s, man... How far we've come!
One of the issues it seems to me for (especially older) adults on pointe is that we may be a bit heftier - i.e. we are moving a greater weight over those pointes. How does this affect the fitting - and dancing - process?
This reminds me of my last year in ballet we were doing exercises in point because our classes the next year would be in point. When I went to get point shoes the fitter told me my feet were terrible for point and the other girl getting fitted had great feet for point. That stuck with me along with the fact that I don’t remember doing half the things in this video while trying out point shoes. I was always hurting after we did our point exercise and couldn’t wait to be done with them. I just wished I would have had someone who cared more when trying on point shoes because that effected me throughout the rest of the year and made me not want to continue ballet.
Yes it does :) not in usually in a bad way, though. Some people attach their elastics to their pointe shoes in ways that make them feel more supported in their shoe. Like for me, I tend to overstep on the edge of my box and so I need the elastics to help my ankles feel supported and not like I am going to fall out of my shoes. Ribbons also help the fit of dancers feet in that it keeps the heel of the shoe up, adds extra support, and may help with excess bagginess at the heel of the shoe.
my point shoe fitter gave me toe pads told me to put them on asked what size ballet shoe I was and gave me shoes to try on I think its because my dad told the lady that I have the same feet like my sister and the fitter fitted my sister 8 times before
Really interesting video.But please do go back to adult ballet classes if you want to.It,s so different as an adult and you should focus on having fun, keeping fit and healthy and don't care if you're not as amazing as you were.
Omg, GG used to fit me for my point shoes, she’s amazing 🥹 I actually quit ballet because I felt bullied by my teachers instead of being corrected. I have a learning disability that I didn’t know at that time but it hurt me so much at the moment. Ballet can be traumatizing 🫠 sometimes I do think about going back again
6:45 I totally understand that. I also came back to Ballet at the age of 39, after quitting at like 15. It was a shock, especially seeing myself in the mirror, I really had to get used to this, bc of course my body has changed. And a part of me still fancies the idea of doing Pointe again but I’m so afraid of not being happy with the result that I keep telling everyone I’m not going to do it anymore…. 🫣 Anyways for some reason I’m not able to shake the idea off….
Did you do it? I’m the same age and quit at 16. Sometimes I think it be fun but then I remember ballet was never really fun, it was about pretending to like it to please my parents while never being good enough, being yelled at and belittled while simultaneously being told to be appreciative of the attention it meant my instructor thought there was potential and see how he didn’t even bother correcting that other student? You’re not good enough but she’s even less than not enough. Why would I even have the urge?
@@kathrynb130 Hi there, yes I actually did it. I got fitted for a pair of pointe shoes like 6 months ago and now I’m practicing usually 2 times per week, alone at home with YT videos, which is not ideal but there is not really another option as an adult. Additionally I take two normal ballet classes per week and my teacher checks occasionally on my progress. However I feel it goes really slow and especially in the beginning it was more like „one step forward and two steps back“. Even now that I found a training routine that works for me, I have to be very careful that I don’t do too much. As a teenager I remember it was so easy for me but now that I’m older, the body is a lot less forgiving. I hope you find out for yourself if you really want to go back to ballet/ pointe. I totally get it that there can be bad memories but as an adult, people definitely don’t do ballet because they have to please anyone. I myself for sure do it because I love to dance. And for me personally it’s the most effective workout, plus the artistry - I can basically live out my childhood dream, which always was becoming a ballerina 🩰 💕 And after all, that’s what I am 😊
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
As a flat-footed adult beginner ballet student who has recently commenced her pointe journey, I just have to say what a RELIEF it is to see someone like Josephine who is so prevalent in the online ballet community, shares the same foot problems as myself. I feel like everyday on social media I constantly see images of the “perfect” ballet feet and this can be very discouraging as yes, you can certainly do exercises to improve your feet but at a certain point (no pun intended) if you have low arch, low profile feet then that’s what you have. Thank you for this very educational and entertaining video, it’s really lovely to hear about how adult ballet students are fitted.
Don’t be discouraged! I am a former dancer who danced for 20+ years started super young - and I still had flat(er) feet, even at the peak of my dance life. While I didn’t have “perfect” feet, but they’re wide, square and made me rock solid pretty easily. I remember not having a “classic” footprint getting out of a pool - just a blob of water print. But after a few years on pointe I was shocked one day to notice I had a “normal” footprint!!
My point is that with training and time, your feet will change some - but also that it’s ok even if they don’t, because “perfect” feet are not required to enjoy dancing (thank god!).
I hope to get back on pointe now that I’m older, but broke my leg and did soft tissue damage to both ankles and feet in December so I’ve still got a lot of rehab to go before I get back to the barre. 💗🤞🏻😊
@@julesj2353 ballet definitely changes the feet! I started to dance at 17, danced for about 2 years and didn't even went on pointe. But I had the same realization! My arch strengthened and I remember being so excited to have a "normal" footprint lmao
Goodluck with the going back!
I think Josephine's feet look so pretty. I'm getting kind of tired of the extremes now - the hyperextended legs and over-arched feet. It's refreshing to see a straighter, cleaner line, for me anyway.
The reason why i started ballet as a child was because i was completely flat-footed and my doctor said that this would have helped.
Well, i don't have flat feet anymore...while i don't know if adults can fully fix it, ballet is a massive help and definitely improves
The trauma of going back to class was too much for me and I haven't been back after a few classes a few years back. Kids won't get this but I think a lot of adults do get this. My teacher definitely knew what was happening and addressed it to me. Thanks for making this point(e).
NONE of my fitters touched my feet like, EVER!!! Lol you guys are treasures to adult dancers. Thank you!
I first started dancing ballet at the age of five, I then departed and tried out figure skating. I eventually swam competitively, I somehow ended up dancing hip-hop for two years (which surprisingly I despised).
My birthday is February 18th 2008, which now makes me fourteen. When I was thirteen my mother called a decent ballet school, that's located in our vicinity. So I was signed up and began taking classes, with a bunch of 10 -11 year olds.
My teacher told my mother that she will soon transfer me to a different group, that consist of students my age and higher (of course they're all en pointe). I work hard everyday, I am noticing a lot of major improvements, my teacher is absolutely excellent. With every lesson I learn something new, to assist me in improving my technique.
As I had stated before, I train and rehearse every single day. I stretch about three times a day, even when I'm not thinking about it. Every of my stretches lasts about fifteen minutes, to an hour and a half. I also do a little bit of pilates, pretty much 4 times a week for one hour. At class I give it my all, as well as at home. I will repeat the choreography taught in class at home, I especially work on my turns (pirouettes). I try make everything look as clean as possible, my understanding of dance terminology is accumulating quickly.
One of the girls that's in the upper group (the one that I previously mentioned) at times rehearses several variations with us. I find her really inspiring, as she herself started dancing ballet at eleven (she's fourteen too, she's taking classes with pointe shoes. She told us that she works really hard to be achieving these goals.). She's now competing all around the world, winning medals and scoring critical roles.
I aspire to become a professional ballet dancer, hopefully I get there. I tend to lay out goals for myself. I dream big however, I am also being realistic. I anyone has a similar story, then I would be happy to learn about them! I will gladly take tips if there are any, thanks a lot for reading this lengthy comment of mine (English isn't my mother tongue, so I deeply apologize if I wrote something incorrectly or if something didn't really make sense).
Search Scout Forsythe who started ballet at 11 and was allowed in to ABT school at 16, and is now in the company.
All I have to say is: keep doing what you’re doing! You seem to have the right attitude, so just keep going!! Misty Copeland also started relatively old, look at her now. I had a similar story to yours but got discouraged and quit when I got to high school, and it’s one of my biggest regrets. Just stick with it, and remind yourself of why you’re doing it - hopefully it’s because you love it. I wish all the best for you.
I hope things are going well for you! I don’t know much about ballet as I am merely a fan not a participant. I do, however, know a lot about English. When I was reading your comment, I was kind of wondering if an adult had written it because it is more grammatically correct than a native English speaker would write casually in a comment section. You definitely seem to be an overachiever, ambitious, and driven. it’s frankly quite amazing that a 14-year-old can write so well in a second language because it would be very difficult to find a 14-year-old native English speaker who can write as well in another language. We are not known for being good at learning languages. That’s probably because English is the dominant language in the world so the necessity isn’t there for most of us.
I wish you lots of luck on your ballet journey! In case your situation has changed, I wish you luck in life in general! 😍💐
Your English is exceptional. I’ve never seen any 14-year-old, even a native speaker, write a comment as clear and grammatically correct as yours.
Give an adult ballet class a try! I’m 68 and although I taught for several years post-young adult years, daily classes were in the distant past. I decided to give it a go and never looked back. Currently doing online classes but have attended artEmotion, adult classes in person for several years . Just had to resign to myself that 68 is not 28! I know how to adapt and just do the best I can with what I’ve got. Josephine fit me for a pair of pointe shoes in Salt Lake a few years ago. Still do an occasional pointe barre but keep everything on two feet. I also have taught many ballet classes which ranged from 18-81 years old! One of my greatest pleasures!IGreat video! Love that you enjoy the adult dance community so much
As a 50+ year old who had never been en pointe as a child, when I was first fitted for pointe shoes I had NO idea what felt right or wrong or how to describe what I was feeling. Two shops told me they had nothing to fit me. The third sold me shoes that were just wrong for a total beginner and then mucked up my reorder. I think I have now finally got shoes that fit better and who knows I might progress beyond rises at the barre now.
Wonderful! I really appreciate the more in-depth videos. I'm having flashbacks to that one time I dared tell a teacher my feet hurt-never again! But I also remember that the choice of shoes back in the day (45 years ago) was basically three models, only one of which sort fit my wide feet, and you took what you got. So happy that dancers today have this amount of expertise available to them. Thank you!!
This is SUPER helpful! I quit ballet twice when I was younger and didn't actually get onto pointe until my thirties!
I’ve watched this video so many times, and I feel the same way when I teach adult students how to play piano! There are so many similar stories - they never got to do the things they wanted as kids, or they went hard with it and burned themselves out and quit and come to me when they want a gentle reintroduction to a thing they loved so much. Thanks for sharing this video - love to look for the similarities between artistic disciplines!!
omg, yes re: traumatized....we had a tough time growing up and it stays with us. so great that you guys are bringing light to this and fitting adults in a constructive/non-traumatic way!!!
Not a dancer but, I'm so glad to see someone else with toes that are "spread out"! I have space between my toes too! I always assumed it was because I walked around barefoot a lot as a child. People would tell me I had Flintstone feet 😫, and I thought I was a freak
I am in no way a dancer but I love all these videos. Josephine, my feet kind of look like yours. Long, flat and low profile. It's so nice to hear about all the different feet out there. I always thought I had crazy messed up feet. Pain all the time that no one seems to understand. As a kid I took ice skating and had pain. That was literally back in the ice age and teachers just expected you to suck it up and deal with it. Thanks for showing all the differences in feet. My feet still hurt but I know I'm not a weirdo.
Love this! I love your adult fittings. I’ve had such a hard time getting the right shoe as an adult dancer. It wasn’t always this hard to do pointe.
I wonder if doing what I've seen a lot of my orthos (I'll never dance beyond the few years as a child, riddled with OA since age 12) might be helpful for younger and adult dancers... lots of my orthos have purposefully increased their body part models and specifically with ones that move so patients can manipulate the model and then point to exactly where the pain is, especially since even adults don't always have the right terminology. Foot pain is so often referred to as ankle pain... or they get that its foot pain, but its specifically heel pain that has nothing to do with the heel but actually the lower back... etc. It just really struck me when Josephine said how she didn't have the words when she was younger, even for something as simple as associating the pain in her foot as pain emanating from her big toe.
This is such a great video! I love all the information. As an adult dancer, it was really helpful and gave me hope that one day I might make it on to pointe. :)
Wow! I can count on maybe two fingers the number of fitters that have actually touched my feet. Great video. This is invaluable information for adult dancers!!
No joke this is a literally the studio I got my first pointe shoes it. GG fit me. I love them they’re on my wall signed by my ballet teacher
I don’t dance but I can tell you right now there’s a huge demand for climbing shoe fitters.
Thanks, you guys are a riot! If the demi-pointe is used to judge pointe range, how does that translate to people (like me) who have limited big toe joint mobility? I understand that that's not the only criteria but I am curious about how much demi-pointe is used to gauge readiness?
So salty sugar plum did a video about preparing for full pointe. Once you have a high relevé, then your toes push your feet up to full pointe. So toe flexibility and strength is necessary
I'm traumatised from ballet as an adult. When I went up on pointe, I wasn't quite ready (my technique was not the best, I'd get distracted and I'd get terminology wrong (which I now know stems from being autistic and potential ADHD)) and my feet aren't the easiest to fit.
Vast majority of pointe shoes on the market have a medium length box, which don't work for me. One shoe was rock hard for me (Aspiration), the other was too big (and potentially too wide, Hannah) and constantly bled, wouldn't dray on my heel and snapped the elastic drawstring trying to fit it to my feet (GM Classic fit European) and the common theme with all of the ones I had was the horrendous amount of pain. It's like my toes were set on fire or stabbed with a massive knife. Being forced to do the pointe dance when I could barely roll through my shoes onto pointe was torture. I was in tears after classes because I was struggling so much some my pals were attempting pirouettes, feuettes, and other advanced stuff. I felt horrendously embarrassed by being the weak link in the class (of teenagers, I was 20, just before leaving for uni). It haunts me.
I don't want to go back to classes because a
I’m so sorry you went through that 😢 The ill-fitting shoes sound horrific! I used to learn (and even taught) a classical instrument but I had to quit because of undiagnosed adhd so I relate to you in that regard.
I have both too but it was the adhd hyperactivity that I couldn’t compensate for. After about grade 6 I struggled more and more with staying still-ish long enough to get the increasing practice time in. I only just scraped through grade 8 and always felt they let me pass out of pity... I wish I’d known so I didn’t hate myself for “lacking discipline”. I felt so ashamed because I disappointed my teacher too. Until then I’d always done well technically and it’s pretty rare for someone to get as far as I had and then go downhill and worse, quit. So it was shocking to everyone and I knew it even though my teacher and classmates tried to be kind. There were also a few people in orchestra with superiority complexes who enjoyed watching people fail. Even though their smugness didn’t affect me long term (I never really valued their opinions or approached music competitively) it stung at the time
We LOVE Gg!!!
I met Gigi back in january for my first pair or pointe shoes and she is so sweet i absolutley love her
My ballet journey ended when I was 13. I had a diagnosis of scoliosis; turns to the left just couldn't happen. Still, I wanted to dance. My fitter never asked for plie, tendu, releve, nothing! He never touched my feet and never mentioned toe pads. He only asked me to go en pointe. How horrible! I have a family history of bunions, and was already heading that way. i'm way past the point where I could ever dance, but maybe... ::sigh:: I hope dancers today have much better fortune with fitters!
I can confirm that Gg is an excellent fitter :)
Fab video! There's one other type of footwear which shares some similarity with pointe shoes and that's ski boots. If your boot's too wide, your foot will slide too far forward and your toes will hurt.
I'm not in the ballet world but love watching your videos. And if I do get to a point (unintended pun) where I take it up and can go en pointe, I'd love to have you fit me.
The fact that I'm in the UK and there's an ocean and a continent between us is a minor detail, I'm sure we can overlook that!
Josephine - I think we have similar feet. One foot longer than the other - almost a half size apart. Nearly 9.5. Narrow but compressible. I also feel I’m similar to Alison Debona Tilton. My Bloch JetStreams are being discontinued. I’m using PerfectFit inserts and it’s solving some of my spacer avoidance issues.
As someone who did not stop for too long before going back to classes as an adult, the scariest part of it was that my muscle memory no longer align with my strength, flexibility or control. And I haven't seen this being mentioned in the comment section yet, but I have fairly high arch. It was not a problem when I was younger because I have been doing ballet consistently and had way more strength and alignment was amost second nature. But after the break I really found out how flexible ankle and feet made it so scary to go en pointe.
We love Gg💜
We do too!
This was so interesting and informative.
Back in the day there were so few options. I had my feet measured and then the adults discussed what shoe would be best, but they hurt from the beginning. Padding was lamb's wool. There were no other choices. Dancing in them was painful and pointe was torture. The crying! As our feet got used to the shoe, it hurt less but the pain is what I remember the most.
I'm not a dancer but I roomed with dancers in high school. I remember seeing the mess their feet were in! A friend showed me how she prepped her feet so that when (not if, but when) they bled, she didn't run her shoes! Every time she wore them! The 80s and 90s, man... How far we've come!
No joke this is the the shop I got my first pair of pointe shoes
Best video ever!
Such an interesting video! Thanks!
One of the issues it seems to me for (especially older) adults on pointe is that we may be a bit heftier - i.e. we are moving a greater weight over those pointes. How does this affect the fitting - and dancing - process?
Your shoes may die faster, but adults tend to dance less often anyway.
This reminds me of my last year in ballet we were doing exercises in point because our classes the next year would be in point. When I went to get point shoes the fitter told me my feet were terrible for point and the other girl getting fitted had great feet for point. That stuck with me along with the fact that I don’t remember doing half the things in this video while trying out point shoes. I was always hurting after we did our point exercise and couldn’t wait to be done with them. I just wished I would have had someone who cared more when trying on point shoes because that effected me throughout the rest of the year and made me not want to continue ballet.
i love your vids😍
thanks for making me laugh, i just had an anxiety attack and i really needed this 😂😅
I'm not a dancer but was curious. Does the fit of your ballet shoe fit differently once you put the straps/ribbon on?
Yes it does :) not in usually in a bad way, though. Some people attach their elastics to their pointe shoes in ways that make them feel more supported in their shoe. Like for me, I tend to overstep on the edge of my box and so I need the elastics to help my ankles feel supported and not like I am going to fall out of my shoes. Ribbons also help the fit of dancers feet in that it keeps the heel of the shoe up, adds extra support, and may help with excess bagginess at the heel of the shoe.
I don’t do pointe I do Irish dancing and I also have a flat foot so it can be sore when I’m dancing at times lol
No Josephine! Come dance with us “oldies” at North County Classical Ballet in Carlsbad! No pressure, just loads of fun😁
Do you have any stores in Florida?
Omg Gigi is my point shoe fitter for yuma
I need spacers bc bunions for life!!
Josephine❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😄
I hope you do go back to class. You will be amazed at how much is still in your body. I am 63 and still take class:)
Wow she looks so much like Maddie Ziegler 😮
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
I’m sorry but the beginning- LOL
But love your vids! 💗
This was very interesting. I don't dance ballet but I would like to. But just basic, I'm not interested in doing pointe.
I didn’t realise that this was the dansemedica channel, i thought it was the pointe shop one
my point shoe fitter gave me toe pads told me to put them on asked what size ballet shoe I was and gave me shoes to try on I think its because my dad told the lady that I have the same feet like my sister and the fitter fitted my sister 8 times before
How is Josephine moving her toes !!!!!!
wait you're not supposed to be in pain while in pointe shoes??? xD I wish i knew that a long time ago hahah
remember tiktok 1-
Really interesting video.But please do go back to adult ballet classes if you want to.It,s so different as an adult and you should focus on having fun, keeping fit and healthy and don't care if you're not as amazing as you were.
Your feet are beautiful!!!
Maybe u have bunion pain ...because u dont have a 15 year old body anymore ...by the time u are 40 alot of people show signs of arthritis ....
Omg, GG used to fit me for my point shoes, she’s amazing 🥹
I actually quit ballet because I felt bullied by my teachers instead of being corrected. I have a learning disability that I didn’t know at that time but it hurt me so much at the moment. Ballet can be traumatizing 🫠 sometimes I do think about going back again
6:45 I totally understand that. I also came back to Ballet at the age of 39, after quitting at like 15. It was a shock, especially seeing myself in the mirror, I really had to get used to this, bc of course my body has changed. And a part of me still fancies the idea of doing Pointe again but I’m so afraid of not being happy with the result that I keep telling everyone I’m not going to do it anymore…. 🫣 Anyways for some reason I’m not able to shake the idea off….
Did you do it? I’m the same age and quit at 16. Sometimes I think it be fun but then I remember ballet was never really fun, it was about pretending to like it to please my parents while never being good enough, being yelled at and belittled while simultaneously being told to be appreciative of the attention it meant my instructor thought there was potential and see how he didn’t even bother correcting that other student? You’re not good enough but she’s even less than not enough. Why would I even have the urge?
@@kathrynb130 Hi there, yes I actually did it.
I got fitted for a pair of pointe shoes like 6 months ago and now I’m practicing usually 2 times per week, alone at home with YT videos, which is not ideal but there is not really another option as an adult. Additionally I take two normal ballet classes per week and my teacher checks occasionally on my progress. However I feel it goes really slow and especially in the beginning it was more like „one step forward and two steps back“. Even now that I found a training routine that works for me, I have to be very careful that I don’t do too much. As a teenager I remember it was so easy for me but now that I’m older, the body is a lot less forgiving.
I hope you find out for yourself if you really want to go back to ballet/ pointe. I totally get it that there can be bad memories but as an adult, people definitely don’t do ballet because they have to please anyone. I myself for sure do it because I love to dance. And for me personally it’s the most effective workout, plus the artistry - I can basically live out my childhood dream, which always was becoming a ballerina 🩰 💕 And after all, that’s what I am 😊
@@Dances_in_the_kitchen amazing! All the best!