ADVICE FOR BUYING NEW POINTE SHOES

It is very important to make sure the fitting of a student’s first pointe shoes is done correctly. There are two ways you can go: a hard shoe for support or a softer shoe that will help develop the supporting ankle and leg muscles. Make sure you let your students know which one is your preference. If the softer shoes are your preference make sure you start the student with very simple strengthening exercises at the barre to avoid injury. Having a good relationship with staff at the local dance store will help lessen the chance of having a badly fitted pointe shoe. Some dance schools like to have a staff member from one of the local stores come in to do multiple fittings on the one night. This way the teacher can keep an eye on the fit and suitability of the shoe. They will, of course, only do this if it is worth their while in a monetary sense.

The manner in which each dancer breaks in their pointe shoes is entirely up to the individual but you could discuss a few ideas with the student who is a newbie. Some people use the heel of their hand to flatten the box a little and then give the shank a little bend to loosen it up at the instep area. Others use water to slightly soften the box at the points where bunions commonly develop. Some use a spray bottle of water while students gently work the shoe. This is a nice way of making them conform to the dancer’s foot. However, the danger is that shoes may become too soft and therefore become unsafe for the novice pointe dancer.

The sewing of the ribbons obviously help to keep the shoe on but also offer support for the dancer’s ankles. The most common instruction for the location of the ribbons is to fold down the heel of the shoe towards the front. The ribbons should then be sewn on the sides of the shoe in line with where the heel section has reached. Some dancers also sew in an elastic loop from the centre back seam (the heel) that goes around the ankle. This offers extra support and stops the heel of the shoe slipping off especially when on demi pointe. Make sure the thread is sufficiently strong because the ribbons will be under a lot of pressure.

Protecting the toes and feet from blisters, bunions and skin being torn away is again a personal choice. Some of the more traditional methods are: wrapping lambs-wool around the toe area for protection; taping the toes with masking and other types of tape; spacers between the toes to stabilize the foot in the shoe; and some people used to apply methylated spirits to their toes at home to ‘toughen up’ the skin on the toes. Yikes! It seems now that there is no shortage of hi tech toe pads available on the market – some of the foam type and some are special gel ones. Suitability is going to differ from dancer to dancer so it may be a case of experimenting to see which works the best for each dancer.

I could discuss this area for a lot longer but I have tried to summarise most points (no pun intended!). Pointe work can be a little painful at first, but with a little care and gradual development it should be one of the most inspiring parts of learning to dance.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A DANCE STUDIO OWNER: 1

For many a young dancer it is a life long ambition to open their very own dance studio. Many will have idolised their own teachers and held onto the dream of becoming the best teacher they can be. But to be a dance studio owner – now that’s another thing!

Should I be a dance studio owner? Being the owner of a dance studio encompasses a whole lot more than just teaching dance. Are you willing to put in a lot of time into the administration side of the business? This may be required especially in a new business. Do you have any small business skills? So many dancers have great technique and dance knowledge only to have to close the doors of their studio due to mismanagement. Good business sense will take you a long way.
Are you willing to give up your time? Running a business can be a 24/7 affair. Are you prepared to have a shift in your work/life balance? It may not be a consideration right now but many dance studio owners find it difficult juggling work and family commitments. When your kids and partner are getting home, your classes are just getting started. Is your spouse/partner willing to cook, feed the kids and put them to bed? No kids? Then is your boyfriend/girlfriend or partner willing to be alone at home or amuse themselves every night you are teaching?
Do you have good people skills? Picture this: the students absolutely love your energetic classes and you are a hit with the kids. Outside the classroom, however, is another story. You seem to clash with many parents and now some of them are forming alliances against you. Slowly your students start to drop out….. The children may love you but it is the parents that have to bring them and pay for classes. If they don’t like you they’ll look elsewhere. You need to be both diplomatic and firm and have the parents on side.

All these questions are designed to prepare you for your choice of career. I’m not trying to turn you off but rather make you think of the considerations you should make before getting into this business. I have been in this industry for 30 years and can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing. Except maybe a lotto winner laying on a beach with a pina colada. We all know that’s not going to happen – right? If you still decide to go ahead – I wish you the best of luck.

In my next post I will be discussing finding a space for your dance studio.

Keep dancing!

TDT