Hello everyone and welcome to The Dancewear Corner’s new blog. My name is Rosemary and I am a dance teacher, performer, and retail store owner. I would like to share my expertise with you as we journey through some different topics. Please feel free to contact me directly via my email
Rosemary@dancewearcorner.com .
The first topic we will be discussing is
pointe shoe fittings. There are three different things, actually there are many but we are going to talk about three, that are most important when fitting
pointe shoe. The first is to examine the foot with nothing on it, second is choosing and judging how the shoe works for the foot in a flat position, and last but not least how the shoe works for the foot when going through demi pointe and on to full pointe. This blog is a three part series so keep checking back for each segment.
This first segment is about the dancer’s barefoot and how we judge the selection of
pointe shoe based on the shape and needs of the foot. When fitting a shoe we think about only the foot, but that is a very different thing when fitting a
pointe shoe. We have to involve the ankle, knee, and hip. The foot combines mechanical complexity and structural strength but it is the ankle which serves as the foundation and shock absorber. The foot and ankle are made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These components work together to provide the body with support, balance and mobility. It is important to look at all of these things when deciding which shoe will work best for the dancer.
Check back to see segment two on choosing and judging how the
pointe shoe works for the foot in a flat position.
