Get to the Pointe — ballet

by: Sophia Ortega Happy Q&A Friday! Our first Ambassador in this new series is Holley Johnson. Besides ballet, 18-year-old Johnson is passionate about pursuing her college degree and engaging in issues surrounding social justice. Read below to find out more about this talented ballerina.   Where are you from? I am from Whidbey Island. It is a little island outside of Seattle, Washington. What pointe shoe do you wear and why? I wear Russian Pointe Rubins because I feel very supported. Also, the tip of Rubins are nice and flat which helps me with turns and balance. Who is your...

Ever wonder how principals deal with bothersome blisters? Oklahoma City Ballet Principal, Amy Potter, shows us her personal tips and tricks.

Pointe shoes are still a mystery to most. As a professional pointe shoe fitter, I found there are a lot of myths that float around in the dance world. Here are 5 of the most common pointe shoe myths: Stronger feet need harder shoes: The strength of the shoe is not always determined by the strength of the feet. If that were true, professionals wouldn’t wear super soft shoes, yet a lot of them do. The hardness of the shank can be determined by many different reasons: flexibility, stability, skill level, strength and longevity. It all depends on the individual...

You should get professionally fitted for every pair for your first few years en pointe. (You can find what to do before a pointe shoe fitting in this article) This is the time when you need to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Even after you find your “perfect pair,” you should still get fitted fairly regularly. Even professional ballerinas have to get refitted every 6 months or so because their feet change. So, here are 5 reasons why you should get a professional pointe shoe fitting: You avoid injuries: This is the biggie. Ill-fitting shoes can lead to...