Video

What’s a ballet shoe?

Ballerinas have to learn to dance on the tips of their toes. Thankfully, they have special shoes to help them along

December 18, 2018

Ballet has rituals and a science of its own: From a young age, ballerinas train tirelessly to one day have the honor of wearing pointe shoes. It is a difficult task because dancing on pointe requires placing the entire weight of your body on your toes.

Mary Carpenter, a ballet instructor and professional pointe shoe fitter, talks about the special shoes that make the dance possible.
Clara Monk, a student at Columbia University, a dancer and choreographer at the Columbia University Ballet Ensemble, shares her own experience of getting the shoes for the first time.

About the Author

Polina Porotsky

Polina is a New York based nerd, interested in nutrition, consciousness, and fashion. Originally from Russia and Latvia, she moved to the US to get a degree in neuroscience from Columbia and live out her Carrie Bradshaw fantasy (which turned out to be just that, a fantasy).

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