Maybe it's a remnant from my childhood (*ahem* current) fascination with pointe shoes, both in terms of aesthetics and technique, but I frequently wonder about the shoe choices of successful female dancers. I was going through ABT's photo galleries earlier today - because clearly, I have nothing better to do at work - and I stopped at a photo of Julie Kent and thought to myself, "Hmm. I wonder what shoes she wears."
Anyone else find themselves doing this? I don't know why but I'm fascinated!
Dancers' Preferred Pointe Shoes
Started by
blaise
, Aug 15 2007 02:56 PM
93 replies to this topic
#1
blaise
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Posted 15 August 2007 - 02:56 PM
#2
SugarPlumFairy1
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Posted 15 August 2007 - 05:16 PM
I do that all the time when I look at pointe magazine. Its fun, kind of like a guessing game. Sometimes if the photo is big enough you can tell by the construction of the pointe shoe of which brand it is. For example on pointe magazine with alessandra ferri on the cover I could tell she was wearing Freeds because of that stitching that is about a cm bellow the drawstring on the vamp.
College Student still dancing in my free time.
#3
Clara 76
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Posted 15 August 2007 - 07:30 PM
I do that constantly...... and I can usually tell what they're wearing too. I need to get a life, huh? 
"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor"- (Currently poking Poseidon in the netherworld with his trident)
"Christian Louboutins are uncomfortable, but I screamed the first time I put on a pointe shoe." Mila Kunis
#4
Tiffany
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Posted 15 August 2007 - 09:53 PM
Me too, totally fascinated! 
I love those articles in Pointe magazine where the pro's talk about their shoes; how they special order or how they break them in. I'm a total nerd!!! 
I love those articles in Pointe magazine where the pro's talk about their shoes; how they special order or how they break them in. I'm a total nerd!!!
"Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation ... it is life itself." - Havelock Ellis
#5
Clara 76
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Posted 15 August 2007 - 10:14 PM
Captain of Dork Planet here!!
"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor"- (Currently poking Poseidon in the netherworld with his trident)
"Christian Louboutins are uncomfortable, but I screamed the first time I put on a pointe shoe." Mila Kunis
#6
missvjc420
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 02:04 AM
Guilty- and not only do I know what they are wearing, when a catalogue model is wearing a shoe that doesn't look right to me, I say to myself "she should really try __________ shoe". If Clara is the Cap'n I'm the parrot on her shoulder!
#7
blaise
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 09:01 AM
If you do, I certainly need to.
So, kids, I think I know what Julie Kent wears, but does anyone know for sure?
#8
Clara 76
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 09:46 AM
SQUAWK! missvjc420 want a cracker????!!!!! 
I haven't seen enough pics of Julie Kent to really tell what she's wearing. Got one in particular you're referring to?
I haven't seen enough pics of Julie Kent to really tell what she's wearing. Got one in particular you're referring to?
"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor"- (Currently poking Poseidon in the netherworld with his trident)
"Christian Louboutins are uncomfortable, but I screamed the first time I put on a pointe shoe." Mila Kunis
#9
blaise
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 10:16 AM
Here are a few pictures of the fabulous Ms. Kent:
http://img.photobuck...tcorella1ms.jpg
http://img.photobuck.../julie_kent.jpg
http://img.photobuck...tcarreno1gs.jpg
They're not the best, but it's pretty difficult to find quality close-ups of her pointe shoes.
http://img.photobuck...tcorella1ms.jpg
http://img.photobuck.../julie_kent.jpg
http://img.photobuck...tcarreno1gs.jpg
They're not the best, but it's pretty difficult to find quality close-ups of her pointe shoes.
Edited by blaise, 16 August 2007 - 10:17 AM.
#10
balletbum74
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 11:08 AM
I think that she wears Freed Classiscs.
#11
blaise
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 11:13 AM
Yeah, that's what I thought. Freeds are, after all, the official shoe of the American Ballet Theatre. 
#12
Clara 76
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 01:09 PM
It would appear that those are Freed customs in those 3 pics.
"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor"- (Currently poking Poseidon in the netherworld with his trident)
"Christian Louboutins are uncomfortable, but I screamed the first time I put on a pointe shoe." Mila Kunis
#13
SugarPlumFairy1
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 02:33 PM
College Student still dancing in my free time.
#14
missvjc420
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 03:39 PM
Yep Freeds. In the Black Swan pic I think I can see a shaded area of the dancer that used to be on the soles of Freeds when they only had one shoe. I've been trying to find better pics of her feet.
#15
Liz Power
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Posted 17 August 2007 - 04:24 PM
Guilty! I'm not very good at it, though—the only ones I immediately recognize are Gaynors because they look so darn funny. How funny? Last time I saw ABT, I was way up in nosebleed land and I could still pick out the corps members who were wearing them.
