Rosin

[balareena]

Hi,

I was wondering if it's possible to get rosin off pointe shoes?

I'm going to dance on wood floors so I need to use it on my pointe shoes, and then performing on marley (I've heard it's bad for the marley) Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

It can be scoured off, carefully, using a soft-bristle wire brush, or steel wool, or damp-cleaned off using turpentine on an abrasive cleaning cloth like Dragon Skin. Do NOT soak the shoe, if using turpentine.

[vrsfanatic]

A cheese grater, a razor blade and heavy duty sandpaper also works on the sole of the shoe.

[Mel Johnson]

Just don't use the cheese grater on cheese after that!

[Victoria Leigh]

Two pair of pointe shoes would be better

[balareena]

Thank you! I'm also wondering if it's more common for studios to use marley or wooden floors?

[Victoria Leigh]

Marley is used almost totally today, at least in professional schools. However, marley is laid over a sprung wooden floor. Many theatres now have it on their stages, and if they don't, then the ballet companies lay their own Marley.

[balareena]

Does it matter what kind floor you train on? or as long as you get a good training it doesn't matter what you're dancing on?

[Victoria Leigh]

The surface of th floor is not nearly as important as the construction of the floor. The floor must be sprung, which means lifted off of a cement surface, by several inches, and cushioned so that it has some "give" to it. The top surface can be very good wood, or lesser quality wood with good Marley.

 

Yes, good training is critical, but good training on a cement/tile/stone, or anything that is not constructed for dance is very dangerous and totally counterproductive even to the good training. In very old buildings, I mean REALLY old buildings, on upper floors, you will find wood floors that are not laid on cement, and those are fine. You find these places mostly in very large cities, like NY, Boston, Chicago, etc.

[balareena]

Thank you! I'm pretty sure that the floors are sprung, but I'll cheek