springing up or rolling through?

[BalletPointe87]

Ok, I wasn't sure if this should have gone in the pointe shoe topics forum...but I thought since it isn't specifically about pointe shoes it should go here. Anyway, I was looking at grishko and russian pointe website and saw their different shanks for springing onto pointe and rolling through. Could somebody explain the diffence? I'm not sure what my studio does- when releving anytime we pull our toes back to where the middle of our foot was when we were flat.

[Victoria Leigh]

You are using the springing up action. In my opinion a dancer needs to be able to work with both the rolling up and the springing up. I prefer the spring in terms of relevés on one foot at the barre and in center, as that is needed for pirouettes, and especially fouettés or any series of relevé that need to stay in one place. However, there are certainly many times when one needs the rolling up action, and everyone must be able to roll down through the foot. Therefore, shoes which are better for one way more than another do not make sense to me.

[BalletPointe87]

Ya, we do both- though more springing up. I think I'll go with those(springing up kind)..or maybe it wouldn't make much of a difference.

[Danzatriz]

In the begginers class in my studio we are incouraged do pass through demi when going on and off full pointe (I guess this would de rolling), but in the more advanced class, apparently something like the spinging up method you mention is quite used. However, when buying different pointe shoes, has anyone experienced the difference? Is it really hard to roll thru a spinging up model?

[vrsfanatic]

When one dances on stage one needs to be able to do it all. Pointe shoes made specifically for one thing versus another could present a problem on stage. My suggestion would be to wear shoes that enable you to dance your best.

[Mel Johnson]

That's more of a shoe question than it is a technique question. Some "spring-up" shoes are flexible enough right out of the box to do the roll-through, and others need a lot of breaking in. And of course, the less experienced the dancer, the more they will need a shoe that cooperates with the way they are being taught to relevé.

[shulie]

I have danced in both the Vaganova (which is a Grishko pop up shank model) and the Maya II (which is the matching roll through shank model but 3/4 shanked).

I was taught roll through technique according to R.A.D.

I did not experience much difference in the shoes so I could roll through the pop up shanks as well though they were not designed for it. Pop up which I used in releves on one foot and with pirouettes was never a problem in both of them.

The only thing I noticed is that the pop up shanks tend to die quicker when used with roll through technique- I guess that is due to the used shank material. The shank of the Grishko pop up shoes is made of some cardboard- leather thing whereas their roll through shanks are made with some bendable plastic insert.

Naturally the cardboard leather combo does break and wear out easier when being used going through demi pointe every time you releve. Since the plastic is a much more flexible material it is not that easy to break it.

I liked both shoes and could work with them but the roll through shanked shoes did usually last me longer.

 

Oh and the roll through shanks did never make any squeaking noise. The pop up shanks did when they were broken in properly.

 

Hope that helps :-)

Shulie

[mohnurka]

Shulie, thanks for writing that . It was quite interesting to read, since I've worn Grishko Ulanova IIs, now a pair of Maya IIs, and going to try Vaganovas soon.

[Danzatriz]

I was just reading the point book 2nd edition (Santa was good thes year) ans it has a pretty good description on the difference and good and bad aspects of both techniques, perhaps you could get your hands on it for an un-biased explination of both. Nice book, really! (... maybe this post could be in a different board come to think of it )