New pointe shoes!

I've been dragging my feet (ha!) about getting back en pointe after starting ballet in my adult life, even though numerous teachers have suggested that it's time. (Ha! Isn't it usually the other way around, where students itch to go en pointe even though they're not ready?) I'm not 100% sure why I'd been so reluctant about it: it's not that I don't want to do pointe, but more so with all my injury setbacks, I just kept being scared that I wasn't strong enough. A few months ago, I did go and get fitted in some Grishko 2007, but could never manage to get over the box properly... and everyone kept telling me it was a strength issue, so I finally just gave up and decided to work on flat for the time being.

Finally this summer in Edinburgh, Peter insisted that I get back to pointe, and sent me to The Dance Shop here to get properly fitted. AND OH MY GOD. Having a proper fitting experience, where you actually find a shoe that *doesn't* fight you is a revelation. Turns out, it's never been a strength problem (as Peter said: "I've seen you get properly right to your releve on flat!"), but a fit problem. (okay okay, everyone can always use some strengthening--lord knows my ankles are hopelessly weak, but still). Put in the right shoes make things feel so much more comfortable. I didn't need any ridiculous spacers to fill out the shoes anymore, and the shoes don't fight me in getting over the box, even when they're not broken in! What!

Anyways, the fitting went so well, I ended up walking out of the store with two pairs: a pair of Russian Pointe Almaz and a pair of Gaynor Mindens. I got the Russian Pointes because they fit incredibly well, and because all my dance teachers insist that I learn on old school shoes. But then, I also got the Gaynors so that I could jump start getting up onto pointe without always feeling so apprehensive about injury, and so I could feel the right positions, because those shoes just *put* you there automatically. The woman at the shop also insisted that I switch to "proper", lightweight elastics to stop holding my ankles back and getting in the way. And she was right--these new ones feel so airy, and I manage to forget about them right away in the shoes. I love advice like this, because as adult dance students, we often don't have people telling us about the basic details. Finally, I'm feeling quite excited about getting back en pointe!



(^ The Gaynors. I'll post of a photo of the Russian Pointes when I have a chance. Excuse my terrible tape rash. ><)