pointes

[danceboyfrance]

Hello,

 

This is the first time I post, so I'm not quite sure how it works...

 

Today my ballet teacher suggested the boys of our class to do pointes. So now I have to buy a pair of pointe shoes and have no idea what to get. I remember I did pointes for a bit when I was a kid, but the only thing I remember is that they were black (it would be good to get black ones instead of pink ).

 

how do I chose?

 

Thanks a lot

[Mel Johnson]

Hi danceboyfrance, and welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers.

 

Since it's your school that's adopting this policy of pointe for men, I'll spare you my usual rant and rave about men having enough to learn without having to worry about pointe in addition. Let's just say that I would suggest your finding another school.

 

In the meantime, it depends on what color tights you wear. If you wear black, and normally wear black ballet shoes, then any other shoes should be coördinated with that color scheme. If you wear white socks, white shoes, then white; if you wear white socks, black shoes, you should make the ribbons and elastic white.

 

But I can tell you from experience that any benefit a man gets from pointe can be had better and more reliably by doing proper tendus, dégagés, frappés and a really good position sur le cou de pied.

[Mel Johnson]

Helpful input from Doubleturn:

 

Is there any long term goal in this pointework? I agree with Major Mel that technically it doesn't add anything, but are there plans for a role where it might be needed? Ashton used pointework for men in two of his ballets - as character pieces. The role of Bottom in Midsummer Night's Dream and Pigling Bland in Tales of Beatrix Potter .

 

Nijinska had a role for a fop in "Les Facheux" and Lichine had a character in "Fair at Sorochinsk" who danced on pointe, but these ballets have, to the best of my knowledge, been lost. Now, Georgian/Circassian male character dances have male dancers who dance on pointe, but it's a different kind of pointework, very dependent on the shoe, and actually danced on the knuckles of the toes (ouch). These dancers, however, are soloists, and I don't think I've ever seen a horde of Cossacks doing it en masse.

[davidg]

To answer your question: you need to choose a pair that fits your feet. Different brands are better suited for different shaped feet. Pointe shoe fitters at a ballet store can help you out with that, to sort through the zillions of models to find one that works for you. Depending on your shoe size and what's available in Strasbourg, you might have to go through a long process of special-ordering a bunch of shoes, trying them on, and then sending back the ones that don't fit. If you can make it easily to a major city (eg Paris, London, Frankfurt, etc) then that might be an easier option, since they'll more likely have more styles and sizes in stock.

 

Color is definitely secondary. If you can find a pair that fits in a color you want, that's great. But any color other than pink is even harder to get, and could require a special order (meaning that you have to commit to buying the shoe even before you get to try it on in the store). At least your skin is (approximately) pink.

[danceboyfrance]

Hey!

 

Thanks a lot for the replies!

 

I think I might go to Paris and try some shoes around the shops there since the only dance shop in Strasbourg is quite small and I'm scared of ordering something online that won't work in the end. I know I'm being a bit superficial about the colour so I suppose I'll have to accept the pink (though my tights are black)...

 

Regarding the pointe work in "school"... I respect your position about it but I think I'll try it out before just changing school. I'm preparing my degree in dance at the Conservatoire here, and my teachers haven't disappointed me so far. I don't even know if this pointes for boys is a French thing or just my technique teacher this year, but I think I should at least give it a try it before ditching it ;)

 

cheers!

[davidg]

Pink shoes on black footed tights might look tacky. But you might find that pink shoes underneath footless black tights can look pretty good. And once you find a style that works for you, you could special-order it later in whatever color you like.

 

Bonne chance!

[MJ]

Georgian "sasakasvilli?" dancers wear soft boots and dance on their knuckles. It is a very masculine dance, as opposed to pointework.

 

I see no reason for men to take pointe.

[grandjeté]

Bonjour I think you should go to a ballet store in Paris i.e Sansha for a proper fitting for your pointe shoes. The sales assistants are used to fitting pointe shoes!! Don't forget the toe padding for our shoes. I woud also advise you to wear thin ballet tights for the fitting.