Pointe Shoes

We all dream of wearing the magical shoes one day, but how're they made? Whats their history? Who was the first person to ever wear them? If you're anything like me you're obsessed with ballet, and if you're a lot like me, you're obsessed with history.

So who was the first person to dance on pointe? Well, Marie Taglioni often gets the credit and the blame for being the first to dance on pointe. But no one really knows for sure. It is established that in 1832 Marie Taglioni danced in the full length La Sylphide on pointe. But almost certainly there were dancers before her who rose onto the tops of their toes. It's even possible that Mme. Camargo had done so one hundred years before. There are references in newspaper accounts of various ballerinas with "fantastic toes" or "falling of her toes. " Taglioni herself most likely danced on pointe before La Sylphide.

You also have to take into consideration that ballet was a lot different back then. Men had most of the glory back in those days, and women had to face a lot of social criticism for being performers at all. The Eighteenth Century saw an increased prominence of the female dancer and the expansion of the ballet vocabulary to include more jumps and turns. Among the other stars of the era were Mlle. Lyonnais, famed for her gargoulliades, and Fraulein Heinel, who dazzled Europe with her multiple pirouettes--but on demi-pointe.

Taglioni wore soft satin slippers that fit like kid gloves. They had a leather sole and some darning on the sides and under, but not on the tip. That's all. It must have been a lot like standing barefoot. The blocked pointe shoe with a stiff sole as we know it today did not evolve until much later.

By the end of the century the ballerina faced new challenges. In Russia, in St. Petersburg, Marius Petipa was creating what would become the classics: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, Don Quixote, and many more. At this time there were two main--and rival-- schools of ballet in Europe: the French School, which Petipa brought to Russia, and the Italian school of which Cecchetti is a famous example. When the two of the great ballerinas of the Italian School, Virginia Zucchi and Pierina Legnani, came to St. Petersburg, their visit has a profound effect on the history of ballet.

Whereas the French school emphasized refinement, the Italian school was more athletic; its dancers developed powerful calves and thighs. The Italian school pushed technique to the limit in order to achieve dazzling feats. The Italians had a secret weapon, a closely guarded trade secret, for turning multiple pirouettes: spotting. They also had better shoes.

Pointe shoes have evolved so much since then too. Take this video for example, I highly doubt they made them like this back in those days! The modern day pointe shoe is a work of modern ingenuity and classic refinement. Gaynor Minden makes what I like to call "sci-fi pointe shoes." Instead of using the traditional paste and cardboard, they use plexiglass and come pre-padded. No toe pads required!

The wait for going onto pointe is a long one. It feels like its taking forever and your teacher just won't budge! To be ready for pointe, you must have had at least four years of classical ballet training (And I mean bare minimum by at least) and be old enough and strong enough to handle the pressures of pointe work. Its hard to make yourself look oh so lovely, when you've barely had time to cultivate your own sense of style.

Pointe shoes are a beautiful part of your ballet training and one you'll love for years to come. What would you like to hear about next? Comment or send me a facebook message! -Ms Ivy

(Resources for this post include: The Ballet Companion and Pointe History)