Pointe shoes are the pink satin shoes you see female dancers wearing. They allow you to go up on the tip of your big toe to give the appearance that you're floating. The end of the shoe is called the box, it is made of cardboard and cloth hardened by glue, it is completely flat on the end so that you can stand straight up.
Pointe was invented in 1832 when a dancer wore leather ballet slipper with reinforced sides so that she could go up on her toes for just a few seconds. Now two hour long ballets will be done completely on pointe. As you can imagine it is very painful, so to ease some pressure dancers will but wool and gel toe pads in to prevent blisters. But some girls who go on pointe to young can end up damaging their feet permanently.
Now even men are starting to wear pointe shoes. They have been around for 200 years and are part of an extremely traditional art form. Ballet will always be around.
Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteI never knew something as spunky as hip hop could originate from such a graceful dance like ballet! I am a retired rhythmic gymnast, and we wear something similar to the ever so sophisticated shoe that is the pointe shoe; toe shoes! From my experience with toe shoes, they are very comfortable! I can tell you are passionate about ballet from your beautiful and detailed writing! Great blog post rainbow dumptruck!
Hope the blisters don't sting too much,
-Flexi
Hi Flexi,
DeleteI was a gymnast when I was younger and then I switched dance but I always wanted to be a rhythmic gymnast. I never knew that you had to wear toe shoes, i would love to know more. Like did you have to turn in them?
- Rainbow
This is so informative about point shoes. I never knew that ballet was around even in the 15 century!. How can a person even stand on there tip of there toe?. Wow that seems vey painful!. Have you been on point?. Great post by the way. You definitely have a passion about ballet and very nice and detailed writing.
ReplyDelete-Lion
Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog, and I thought it was very interesting how ballet is thought to be the core of all dance. I was wondering what is the longest ballet show you have had to do on pointe?
Rainbow,
ReplyDeleteI admire how you shed some light on a topic that's pretty unfamiliar or uninteresting to most, and turned it into a fully complete article. It's insane, and really blows my mind to think that almost all modern dance had originated from ballet. I would also like to know more about your personal experiences, do you play ballet?
Hi Rainbow,
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that ballet was so hardcore! I think that you did a really good job clearly spreading awareness about this topic. Do you do ballet? If so, do you know firsthand that pointe hurts a lot.
Nice job,
Tennis MS CGS
Hi Rainbow,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog post extremely interesting, especially the part on how young girls/boys can permanently damage their feet form dancing on pointe. I didn't know that ballet could be so brutal! Have you ever done a 2 hour long performance on pointe? Great job!
- Izzy
Hey Rainbow,
ReplyDeleteI found this blog post very interesting! I would have never known that hip hop could come from ballet. It was also cool about the transformation of point shoes. How did the person who created them think of using leather sides to go up for a few seconds?
-Sushi is the best
Hello Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteI have never really thought about how dance was invented and I think that it's really cool that it all started with Ballet! What is the longest performance you've done on pointe?
-nws
Hello Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteThis was a really cool and engaging article I learned a lot about dance. I didn't know how ballet was invented.
Dear Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteDo you do ballet? If so, does the damage on your feet affect the way you walk?
Thanks!
-Slughater
Hi Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this amazing blog! I love how you talk about how ballet is the original form of all dances and I love all of your descriptions about pointe and how people ease the pain. Does pointe only hurt after a long time, or does it start hurting immediately?
Amazing blog,
-ILoveBasketball
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ReplyDeleteHi Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteYour writing really surprised me, I never knew that ballet could be such a dangerous sport. I especially liked how you named ballet shoes the "pink satan". Have you ever got yourself injured during ballet.
-MagicalFluffySparkleyUnicorn
Hello Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I was wondering do are you on pointe?
Thanks!
-bumpsetspike
Hi Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting how so many dance forms have originated from ballet. In your experience, what do you think about pointe? I've heard that is supposed to give the illusion that the dancer is floating. Have you gotten any injuries from being on pointe yet?
-palace43
Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteThis post was fascinating to me! I am a dancer, and on pointe, and I never knew this much about pointe shoes. What is your favorite part of being on pointe? What kinds of new works have been done on pointe?
Thanks,
Angel Cat
Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteThis post is super cool! Are you a dancer? If so, what's your least favorite part about being on pointe? Good job!!
Thank you,
be happy
Be Happy,
DeleteI am a dancer and i've been on pointe for about a year and my least favorite part is doing jumps on pointe :( But it is still really fun and I love doing it.
- Rainbow
Hey rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteI love the way you talk about the history of pointe. My grandma used to teach dance, so I know what you are talking about. Are you on pointe now?
Thanks-Peanutbutter
Hi Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteWow! This is great! As a dancer, I definetly know how grueling it can really be. Do you like going on Pointe? Did you do any other dance besides ballet when you were younger?
Great Job,
GroovyGirl, or MC
Nice! I think it must be very painful to do pointe! Does the pointe shoe help stop the pain or can you still get hurt with it?
ReplyDeleteVery interesting,
-AC
Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteYou seem very interested in this topic and in ballet, it seems that you enjoy ballet and have researched this a lot. This is a cool topic because you are writing about something you like that is an art form. How painful are pointe shoes on a scale of 1-10?
-SR
Dear Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteIt is so interesting that the point shoes where made to make dancers look like they were floating. Do you have a favorite ballet dancer?
-Horse Fan
Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting blog post, and without reading this, I would never know so much about ballet and point. What do you think inspires you to dance, and what is your favorite type?
-PolerBear23
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ReplyDeleteDear Rainbow,
ReplyDeleteSo much goes into being a dancer. Whether it's coordination, rhythm, or enduring this pointe pain, it all has to go together, which is what is great about your post. It high lights a part of dance many people don't know much about. Are you a big ballet dancer yourself, or just an enthusiast?
DerpBoy
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteRainbow Dumptruck,
DeleteI learned so much from this post. I did not know that a point could be so painful. Do you like ballet more with this position or without?
-AverageOnion
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting blog post! I like how you talked about ballet shoes and what they do to your feet. Do you think wearing pointe shoes is painful?
-Isa
Dear Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteHow can it damage your feet permanently, and why does this mostly happen to younger Ballet performers? I liked how you described what were in the shoe, and how it can support the dancer.
-David C.
Hi David C,
DeletePointe shoes are very hard at the ends almost like wood. When girls start practicing pointe at a young age and their feet still haven't fully developed yet their feet can stop growing or have bone out of place that might even require surgery.
- Rainbow
Hey, Rainbow Dumptruck!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post! I would never have guessed that modern forms of dance, like hip hop and tap, originated from ballet. I guess though ballet dancers may have a reputation as being "dainty" and "pretty" they're actually hardcore! You say in this post that ballet will always be around. Why do you think this?
Thanks for the awesome post! :~)
- Fri
Dear Rainbow Dumptruck,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post because I did ballet when I was little and I do not rememebr much but you brought back some memories. What in Ballet has helped you in you everyday life?
Sincerely,
LoveAndGelato