Cutting the shank.........

[Jewels_08]

My daughter's arch has improved tremendously over the past few months and she mentioned to one of her instructors that the shank no longer touches the bottom of her foot (her arch) when she is dancing en pointe. They bent it and it helped some and temporarily, but the instructor suggested cutting it out to about a half shank. They did this and my daughter loves the way it feels and her feet look even more beautiful. The instructor making the suggestion was a former professional dancer and did the same to her own shoes. What is the benefit of cutting the shank? Are there any negatives to doing this? Is it something routinely done?

[Clara 76]

Professional and advanced dancers usually cut down the shanks!! Many times, they just don't need the full shank as their feet and legs are very strong.

 

As you are posting in Parents of Dancers under 13, I do have some concerns; perhaps the teacher is forgetting how young your dd is, and the fact that typically, one doesn't cut that much out of a shank until they have reached the advanced level of training. However, as I haven't seen your dd I cannot truly say for sure whether in my opinion, she should be dancing on a half shank or not.