Question about a picture

[Skittl1321]

Please delete if this is inappropriate- I don't mean to critique the dancer or the photo only ask a question.

 

In this picture http://geneschiavone.com/display.cfm?id=487 toward the back left of the frame there is one shoe that sticks out, almost as if the dancer is resting on the top of her foot instead of the toe.

 

Is there a name for this? Is this what happens when you go "to far over"? Is it just a illusion due to the type of shoe? if you follow the color of her tights, it appears that her front foot is properly positioned.

 

As a beginning pointe student, the photo intrigued me when this foot really stuck out, but it seems like it is a painful position to be in.

[spinbug]

Unless she is intentionally trying to stretch the arch of that foot then I think it is not a proper position of the back foot while in fourth position on pointe. If you look at the front foot it appears that she has flexible ankles and very developed arches that allow her to "go over" the pointes of her feet. In a crossed fourth position it is more difficult to control that tendency since the weight is ballanced between legs that are stretched away from each other and are not as easily "pulled up". If her fourth was a little closer together she would probably have a nicer balance on her feet. Also, if you look very closely, the platform on her shoes is very flat and not rounded which makes it a little more difficult to find that nice midpoint in fourth. It causes your foot to be either straight up and down or over too far since it's very difficult to keep your foot on that corner edge. Bringing her fourth in a little would probably align that back foot better. Look at the girl second from the front, notice that her alignment is good, even though her back foot is not vertical. The platform on her shoes is a little more rounded which allows her to balance on it nicely even though the leg and foot come away from the floor at an angle.

 

My shoes have very flat platforms so I sometimes have trouble in fourth, otherwise, I like them because they feel so secure.

 

I'm no expert so if anyone has a better explanation feel free to correct me.

[Guest LadyRosa]

I think I heard that this position is called a "winged" pointe.

[Mel Johnson]

No, winging is different, sort of sickling out. This is going over onto the vamp of the shoe. I can't see what's going on "upstairs" in this photo, but it sure looks like she's got her weight WAY forward onto the front leg.

[spingirl]

I wondered if the camera just happened to capture her as she was moving her foot from another position. Don't know--just a possibility.

 

Speaking of strange photos, my new Dance Magazine came today. The Rock School has a fold-out ad in it. Please tell me that the children on the front of the ad aren't really pointe students!!! The one on the far right can't be any older than seven!! Even if those are soft pointe shoes they're wearing, aren't all of those girls way too young? I've thought about emailing the school to ask about it, but I probably won't get around to it. I just wonder what they are thinking by using that photo in an advertisement for what appears to be a quality school.

[duckie9876]

wow -- that is too far over I can't figure out how or why someone would do that. Looks like that dancer should use a harder shank or a shoe w/ a longer vamp.

 

It's a nice picture, though!

[Skittl1321]

Thanks for all the replies. So that is what "to far over" is. I could never really picture it before.

 

(Although the captured while moving explanation might be right, I don't see how exactly to move through that position. It seems like the foot would be leaning the other way.)

[dancing_dentist]

Weeeww.. those type of feet is.. well, all i can say is.. costly.

Can you imagine how often does she have to buy a new pair of pointe shoes? Sometimes when I look at my feet, my arches, and my insteps.. I sigh .. But when I look at them from my wallet's point of view, I also thank God that my Gaynor pointes can still provide support for a couple of months!

[ekeetaxi]

My dd auditioned for the Rock school a few years ago and was appalled at the age of children en pointe. They were instructed "not to do anything they hadn't tried before". She was very scared for some of the young girls, because many of them attempted everything. One girl fell and only then was asked to remove her pointes. She has never wanted to audition for that company again due to what she saw at her first experience.

[JonsCowgirl]

I saw the ad for the Rock School and was wondering the same thing. they look waaaay too young to be wearing pointes. Poor kids.

Alexandra

[Skittl1321]

The picture in question on this thread is of the JKO school, and by the size of the legs in it, i would say these girls are all way above a beginning age for pointe.

[sylphide]

You are right Skittle, but I believe the pic some others were refering to are actually in the new Dance Magazine. I have seen that add also in Dec-Jan Pointe Magazine. It is actually a bit scary how young those girls look.

[Guest SweetSorrow004]

I've seen the ad too, recently. Who edits the advertising? its sending the wrong message to a lot of yong girls. I thinks its ridicoulusly innapropriate to show such young girls in pointe shoe, because they really do look like they are around 8 or 9 years old.

[ballet_anna]

http://www.therockschool.org/TRS/RSWeb/gal...olo|twoboy1.jpg

 

Is this the picture you're talking about? Surely the girls in this are too young to be on pointe??

[sylphide]

I belive it is.