A website for dancers, dance teachers and others interested in dance
Warts are a virus which infects the outer layer of the skin. They are considered opportunistic and will enter the skin via a small wound or under a callous or blister. Thick calloused tissue grows over the developing wart and is painful. The surrounding area may also feel swollen due to the immunological response of the skin, reacting to a “foreign body”. Warts may occur as a single lesion or may be clustered forming several warts.
Causes in dancers: [Read more…]
Our focus this month is on pointe shoes and today we have Shannon Bynum from Ballet San Jose with us to share her thoughts on what type of shoe she wears–and why she chose them…
At first when I was asked to describe how I break in my pointe shoes and prepare them for the stage I was perplexed. The reality is not much at all! Most ballerinas (including myself up until last year) have a very religious routine to what they do to make the shoe fit perfectly. Each individual dancer’s foot is so unique that no two dancers use the exact same process. Some glue the box and use shellac to make the shoe last longer. Others may darn the tip of the shoe for better balance, break the shank, sew the sides down… the list goes on and on.
I was one of those dancers until I was in New York one summer finding myself at a standstill with my shoes. I just couldn’t seem to find the right pointe shoe for my foot. I was discouraged and unable to find the perfect match. Many shoes may have looked beautiful yet I wasn’t able to perform in them, or they were great to dance in and just didn’t look right. Some died more quickly than I could sew a new pair, had me preparing them daily, hurt my feet, didn’t look as beautiful, or were just the wrong fit.
While in NYC a teacher had told me that I should wear either Freed or Bloch. The only problem with that was every pair of Freeds or Blochs I had ever tried just didn’t do me any justice. Nothing against Freed or Bloch as some of my favorite dancers bring so much life to the stage wearing them. They just did not work for me.
I needed a shoe that not only looked beautiful on my foot aesthetically, but was also comfortable enough to dance in forty hours a week and without dying after one class! I finally came across my match in Gaynor Minden. Some dancers don’t believe that this pointe shoe is any good. In fact, the topic between ballerinas, teachers, and coaches is very controversial.
I agree to disagree; this shoe has changed my career. Gaynor Minden pointe shoes are far from traditional. They are like Mac and PC. They do the same thing in the end but are just different technology. Both are computers and some people prefer one to the other. I happen to be a modern day American ballerina and I feel very proud to have the opportunity to grow in these particular pointe shoes.
The pointe shoe is a ballerina’s tool, and are most important item in my dance bag. I came back from FHL and ATFL surgery on my left ankle in 2010 and needed a shoe that was extremely supportive yet supple enough to help me gain back my flexibility and line. I have fallen in love with wearing Gaynor Minden’s. They offer me everything I need as a ballet dancer. They are consistent and last a long time so I can spend more time perfecting my work and artistry while spending less time worrying about my pointe shoe.
I first started out wearing a stock Gaynor Minden shoe then a few months later they started making me a custom shoe made specifically for my feet and the specs that I needed to have the best line. All I have to do now is un-wrap them, sew on my ribbons, elastic, and I am all set.
Gaynor Minden pointe shoes are not like the traditional pointe shoe. They are a completely new technology and generation of the pointe shoe. If dancers are evolving like they are, then why not the pointe shoe? That’s exactly what Gaynor Minden has done. They were tired of how painful all the pointe shoes were and how they would die so fast. On an average pointe shoe, you get to a place where it is broken in perfectly and that moment lasts for such a short time. With Gaynor Minden, it is always the same. I know what I am getting when I put that shoe on. I love that my shoe has a consistency I can rely on, especially in a career where the rep demands are so diverse.
Gaynor Minden pointe shoes are made of an elastomeric shank and box, cushioned moisture control lining, and a flat free of pleats bottom. They are also made to be extremely quiet with Poron, “an impact shock absorption system”. I cannot say enough amazing things about this shoe. What I love most about the way I prepare my pointe shoes is that it is so minimal which creates less anxiety and more time for fine tuning what matters the most, which is what we bring the the stage.
Thanks to this innovative pointe shoe, few stitches with a needle and thread and I am good to go! Simple, clean and a new take on tradition.
Today we welcome back Dr. Sinkoe with some information on something that plagues many dancers–blisters and corns between the toes–also known as “interdigital lesions”…
Corns and blisters between toes can be painful for a dancer. Pain is usually noticed with wearing all closed in shoes. In dance, the ballerina will have pain in pointe shoes, particularly when in demi-pointe. The most common location is between the 4th and 5th toes. The 5th toe usually curls and abuts against the 4th toe. The lesion may initially appear and feel soft but will harden over time. The softer lesion is usually a blister which will develop a callous. Dancers often attempt treatment with applying medicated pads which contain salicylic acid. This medication can injure the skin and result in a more painful lesion.
Treatment: [Read more…]
Cassady from Motion Unlimited Dancewear shares one more pointe shoe product with us this month…the “Ouch Pouch Jr.”…
This is by far our best selling toe pad! With a thin layer of gel inside a fabric pouch, this pad will be your best friend. They easily stretch over your toes to give you all-over padding that you need–and nothing extra to take up space in your shoes.
The Ouch Pouch Jr. comes in two different sizes so it can fit every foot. The small sizes fit small or narrow feet and the large fits larger or wider feet. You can even cut it down to make it the perfect fit. It hugs toes nicely and does not stick to the skin like most gel pads. They are easy to clean and last throughout many pairs of pointe shoes. You can even get them in three reversible color combinations!
With comfy padding like this, you won’t need much else to keep your feet happy.
Order your own Ouch Pouch Jr. (Plain/LG)
Please welcome Brenda Neville, head of the US Retail Department & NYC Boutique for Freed of London. Ms. Neville is here to talk with us today about her career as a Professional Pointe Shoe Fitter…
What is your background in dance?
I received my early dance training at the Milwaukee Ballet School and went on to graduate from Butler University in Indianapolis with a B.A. in Dance Pedegogy. After graduation, I moved to New York and then spent the next 15 years performing and touring internationally with a variety of companies, choreographer’s, and musical theatre productions in styles ranging from ballet to flamenco to Irish Step dance.
What are you doing now?
Aside from my work at Freed’s, I am the founder and Artistic Director of Neville Dance Theatre, a contemporary ballet company based in New York with annual performance seasons, and teach ballet classes and world dance workshops at The Ailey School, Steps on Broadway, and Covenant Ballet School of Brooklyn, to name a few.
How did you become a Professional Fitter?
When I wasn’t performing or touring, I supplemented my time and income in New York working with pointe shoe manufacturers as a fitter, manager and product tester. It’s now been over 15 years that I’ve been in the business.
What organizations have you worked with in terms of fitting pointe shoes? [Read more…]