What are pointe shoes for ballerinas made of. Pointe shoes

He literally "hacked" the then European system of ballet values. Noverre himself stated that

"smashed ugly masks, set fire to ridiculous wigs, called for elegant taste in place of routine."

It was the date of his birth that UNESCO took into account when, in the 80s of the last century, April 29 was declared International Dance Day.

It is invited to celebrate it to everyone who wishes. The method can be chosen at your discretion. You can, for example, study the history of the birth of one of the symbols of ballet - pointe shoes. Let's do that.

This satin slipper is over 200 years old. And although pointe shoes owe their name to the French language, they appeared in Italy.

Fingertip dancing has changed ballet. And Maria Taglioni, who was the first to dance in them, went down in history forever.

About 100 years ago, sylphs, goddesses and fairies danced in pointe shoes. Now - any parties. The round cork at the base of the sock has been replaced with starch glue, which soaks into the inner layers of the shoe, which is shaped like a glass. The rigid sock fixes a foot of the ballerina. The dance on the patch, 4 to 7 centimeters long, is the most elegant ballet trick.

It seems that dancing on the fingers is easy, but grace comes at a cost. Broken fingers in the blood, worn calluses, injuries, exhausting many hours of exercises. For pointe shoes, a special technique has been developed that forms the foot.

It is impossible to look away from the legs of French ballerinas. The most elegant and sensual. Etoile "Opera Garnier" Elisabeth Platel studied in French and danced in English pointe shoes. It does not count as treason, c'est la vie.

“Pointe shoes impress the viewer, and they give the ballerina a chance to grow, add ten centimeters and become weightless. We all grew up on engravings of Maria Taglioni and Charlotte Grisi standing with their fingertips on a flower.”

- says the director of the ballet school of the Paris Opera, Elisabeth Platel.

Pointe shoes are not the most durable shoes. Oksana Kardash, prima ballerina of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater, leaves thirty pairs a year. At the performance takes at least four. It is impossible to predict how capricious shoes will lead on stage.

The manufacturing process is long and laborious. In pointe shoes - 54 elements. Satin upper, lined with interlining fabric. Rigid sole made of genuine leather.

Place for fingers in the form of a glass. This is the most important detail, which is located above the heel. It is made from six layers of glued burlap. Glued into the toe of a pointe shoe, which consists of several layers of satin.

The main thing here is not to stain the satin top of the shoe with glue. With a special hammer, put on the block, they give the shape of a sock. Dry for 15 hours at a temperature of 55 degrees. The top is covered with a shiny or matte satin.

Pointe shoes make the ballerina's leg graceful and strong. They make you keep your balance and dance all these incredible attitudes, arabesques, and fouettes. It is clear that in ballet everything depends on the skill and talent of the dancer.

But she herself largely depends on weightless shoes - pointe shoes. Translated from French, it is also a period. In which the tension, fragility and precision of the dance converge.

Pointe shoes are professional shoes. She appeared not so long ago and greatly facilitated the life of ballerinas. The term "on pointe" means a position when the ballerina leans only on the tips of her fingers, and not on the foot. In this position, the fingers experience a lot of stress without support, and improper execution can lead to injury. After the advent of special shoes, rehearsing and performing has become much easier than barefoot. Pointe shoes are considered the forerunners of ballet flats, which have gained popularity in recent years. But they themselves remain highly specialized shoes, which are sewn by craftsmen by hand, and each model is adjusted to the ballerina's foot.

What are pointe shoes and how are they made?

Pointe shoes consist of a box, a sole, and bands that securely fasten the shoe to the foot. The manufacture of each part requires skill and care, so shoes are often created by hand.

The main thing in pointe shoes is a fairly solid box. It protects the fingers from curvature and helps to better distribute the load. For its manufacture, 5-6 layers of fabric or burlap are required, which are well glued before hardening. In machine production, plastic inserts are used, but more often natural glue is used, which securely holds the layers of fabric together, creating a hard crust. After that, the shoes are stitched and beaten off with a special hammer to remove protruding seams.

The other important element is the outsole. It consists of three parts: a leather sole, a plastic flexible insert and an insole. The leather prevents slipping on smooth floors and helps you maintain your balance without weighing down your shoes. And the plastic insert allows you to better perform strokes and makes it easier to get on your toes - it keeps the foot in a vertical position. They produce pointe shoes with varying degrees of rigidity of the insole.

Outside, pointe shoes are sheathed with beige satin or calico. Both types of fabric are breathable and easily take the shape of the foot, without restricting movement. Beige satin does not glare, merges with skin color - this allows the ballerina to look lighter and more airy, lengthens her legs. Pointe shoes are attached to the leg with ribbons, which, according to tradition, the ballerina sews herself. Natural glue and a textile base allow the shoe to easily take the shape of a dancer's foot, and the absence of protruding seams reduces the risk of injury. But these are short-lived shoes. One pair is not enough even for one full-fledged performance - they quickly wear out, especially with intense dancing.

Hand sewing does not allow the production of a large number of pointe shoes, so high-quality ballet shoes are highly valued in the world market. The shape of the model is often used by modern designers to create extravagant shoes. In such shoes, the front part resembles a pointe shoe in shape, and the sole is equipped with a high heel that raises the foot almost vertically.

History of pointe shoes

Before the invention of pointe shoes, ballerinas performed barefoot or in special light sandals with laces, but they could only lean on a full foot, and it was impossible to stand on your toes. The first ballet that demanded pointe shoes was the play Zephyr and Flora, but then Maria Danilova stood on her toes without special shoes. After that, about 20 years passed and in 1830 the first shoes with a hard toe appeared. And the first ballerina who performed in them was Maria Taglioni. It was her father who was the creator of dancing shoes.

After that, pointe shoes began to appear around the world, materials and designs changed. At first, a cork was placed under the fingers in order to achieve the desired rigidity, but this was soon abandoned, since the ballerinas' legs were badly injured. Then soft materials were put into pointe shoes: felted wool, fabric. But they didn't hold their shape and wore out quickly. Despite the inconvenience, the shoes achieved their goal. Ballerinas got up on their fingers more easily, and the dance seemed airy and light. Pointe shoes were transformed, new box shapes appeared, additional inserts and insoles. For some time, gypsum was used instead of glue. It was firm enough, but did not take the form of a dancer's foot.

The current production of pointe shoes is still manual - craftsmen sew and glue models. Mechanical sewing has not justified itself, although some professional ballerinas use such pointe shoes. The most famous manufacturers are the Russian Grishko, specializing in hand sewing, and the American company Gaynor Minden, which produces machine-made pointe shoes.

Video on how pointe shoes are made by hand:

Video tips on how to choose pointe shoes for a child:

Anastasia Volkova

Fashion is the most powerful of the arts. It is movement, style and architecture in one.

Content

It is difficult to imagine a ballerina on stage without pointe shoes. These special shoes help to achieve perfection in finger technique - the main section of the study of classical female dance. Ballet shoes have become an indispensable attribute that allows the viewer to perceive the action on stage as something unearthly, sublime, unusual for an ordinary person.

What are pointe shoes

Pointe shoes are highly specialized professional shoes that have made life easier for ballerinas. Translated from French, this term means “point”, “fingertips”. Other product names are pegs, helmets, toe shoes. Ballet slippers should fit perfectly on the foot, as dancers spend most of their professional lives in them. Beginning prims can use chamois or ballerinas made of cotton fabric with a reinforced insole and heel counter. These are inexpensive shoe options for daily workouts.

Story

The French expression sur les pointes means "to dance with your fingertips". At one time, ballerinas went on stage barefoot or performed a dance, standing on the tops of their fingers. As a result, the foot was subjected to excessive stress, which led to injuries, sprains, and dislocations. This method was replaced by the idea of ​​​​creating special support shoes.

The first ballerina to appear on stage in pointe shoes was Maria Taglioni. Trial copies of products were invented by her father Philip Taglioni at the beginning of the 19th century in Italy. Then dance shoes began to be modified, modified, experimenting with the material. For rigidity, a cork was placed in the toe of ordinary shoes, but this method injured the legs even more. Then they began to use nested soft fabric or wool, which reduced the load on the foot. Such shoes did not keep their shape, quickly fell into disrepair, but helped the ballerina to get on pointe shoes more easily.

Manufacturers continued to come up with new designs, inserts, additional insoles. We tried to use plaster instead of glue, but it was difficult to knead such shoes. Then leather sandals with straps attached to the foot came into use. Now pointe shoes for ballerinas are made manually or mechanically. Well-known manufacturers: Grishko (Russian company) and Gaynor Minden (American company).

What do they consist of

Making pointe shoes is an art. Ballet shoes are made up of 54 elements, connected and perfectly fitted to the foot. The upper is made of calico or flesh-colored satin, which creates the illusion of unity of the foot and shoe. Atlas does not form glare from spotlights. The calico preserves the health of the ballerina's legs, absorbing moisture and preventing the formation of fungus: after performances and training, the dancers' legs become completely wet.

The structure of ballet shoes:

• box (glass) - a hard case inside the shoe, consisting of 6 layers of textiles and burlap, glued together according to the papier-mâché principle;
• wings;
• tie ribbons are an obligatory part of pointe shoes, which, according to tradition, the ballerina sews on herself;
• vamp - a V-shaped upper part, to which two backs are sewn;
• folds;
• sole made of genuine leather (suede), which helps the ballerina not to slip;
• back and middle seam;
• nickel - a rigid front part of ballet slippers, helping the dancer to stand on pointe shoes;
• insoles made of hard cardboard with the addition of plastic of varying degrees of hardness: S (soft), M (medium), H (hard), SS (super soft), SH (super hard).

How pointe shoes are made

Making ballet shoes is the most complex technology in shoe production. Here, everything should be thought out to the smallest detail and selected individually: the degree of openness, rigidity, fullness, rise. In Russia, ballerina shoes are made only by hand, in Europe - mechanically. Professionals collect up to 12 pairs of pointe shoes per shift. A plastic block is used in the work (it used to be wooden).

Production technology of ballet shoes:

1. The top consists of 3 layers of satin cut with a mechanical punch.
2. A lining is made from natural cotton for every detail, which protects the ballerina's legs from irritation.
3. Two satin backs are sewn to the upper part (sleeve), reinforcing the seam with a ribbon made of artificial material.
4. To get the edging, the tape is folded in half around the lace using a typewriter.
5. It is sewn around the perimeter of the pointe, which helps to tightly tighten the shoes on the leg.
6. To check the size, the satin top is put on a pre-prepared block (made individually for each ballerina). Vamp height deviation is allowed no more than 3 mm, otherwise the shoes will crash into the foot.
7. A lining is glued to the inner insole.
8. A piece of resin-coated cloth is soaked and placed on top of the "glass" to form a box.
9. Pieces of matting are glued and placed on a cotton layer. Glue is made on a rubber-plastic basis from water, flour, starch, resin. This composition provides the necessary flexibility.
10. Another layer of natural cotton is glued onto the resulting box.
11. The structure is wrapped in cellophane, pressed against the marble (so that the penny becomes even and flat) and left to dry.
12. The lining is glued to the "glass", cut off the excess.
13. Satin is glued onto the lining, creating small folds.
14. The inner insole on the back and the sole are covered with vinyl glue, left to dry for a day.
15. The parts are heated in the oven to a certain temperature, as a result of which the dried glue is activated.
16. The sole is fixed and the shoe is placed under the press for 15 seconds (for strong gluing).

Use of pointe shoes

How long the ballet slippers will be used depends on the intensity of the load. During one performance, a dancer can change several pairs, while a certain performance technique requires the use of different shoes. Before the performance, the ballerina does all sorts of manipulations to prepare her ballet shoes:

• kneads a hard box with a hammer;
• cuts off a patch and overcasts it with threads, crocheting it or lining it with a piece of fabric;
• inside, from the side of the heel, it makes a constriction loop that tightly presses the shoes to the leg;
• breaks in shoes;
• cuts the insole with a knife or grater;
• sews elastic bands;
• rubs the snout and the sole of pointe shoes with rosin.

How much do pointe shoes cost

Ballerina shoes are selected individually. At the same time, the beauty and originality of the design are not the most important parameters. First, pay attention to the rigidity of the insole, box, closeness, fullness, heel size, cutout. The most popular models are produced by Sansha, Grishko, Russian Ballet, R-class, Bloch. If you are interested in where to buy pointe shoes, contact the official stores of manufacturers or order online from dealers. The cost of some models in Moscow.

Ow, pl. (singular pointe, a, m.). points pl. 1. Solid toe ballet shoes. ALS 1. ♦ Dance, pointe stop; stand on pointe shoes. BAS 1. || The ability of a dancer to stand on pointe shoes. I'm so worried, she exclaimed, my fingers don't jump, u... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

Pointe shoes- Pointe shoes. Pointe shoes (French pointe point, tip), shoes used in the performance of female classical dance, have a hard toe. Pointe dance is a dance performed on the tips of the fingers with the leg extended. First used by M. Taglioni. … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (from the French pointe point tip) (more precisely, dance on pointe shoes), dance on the fingertips with an outstretched leg lift; one of the means of expressiveness of classical dance. It is performed in special pointe shoes with a hard toe ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Pointe shoes, s, units pointe, ah, husband. Ballet shoes with a hard toe. Stand on pointe shoes, dance on pointe shoes (leaning only on the toes of such shoes). Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

Ov; pl. (singular pointe, a; m.). [from French. point] The hard toes of ballet shoes. Stand on pointe shoes, dance (in ballet: on the tips of the fingers, on the fingers). * * * Pointe shoes (from French pointe point, tip) (more precisely, dance on pointe shoes), ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (French pointe lit. point, onchik) hard socks of ballet shoes; in ballet: stand, walk on pointe, stand, walk on the tips of your fingers; dance on pointe dance on the tips of the fingers with an extended leg lift. New dictionary of foreign words. by… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

More precisely, a dance on pointe shoes (from the French pointe point, tip), a dance on the fingertips with an outstretched leg lift; one of the main elements of classical female dance, requiring special ballet shoes with a hard toe. As a means... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Mn. Solid toe ballet shoes. Explanatory Dictionary of Ephraim. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Efremova

pointe shoes- pointe ants, ov, unit. h. pointe ant, and ... Russian spelling dictionary

pointe shoes- pl., R. points / ntov; units pua/nt (2 m) … Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language

Books

• The big book about ballet All on pointe, Godard D. After reading the “Big book about ballet”, illustrated by the wonderful French artist Colonel Moutard, the little ballerina will learn the basics of classical ballet and receive a lot of advice ...
• Pink pointe shoes, Days H. Ruby and Harry always look forward to the rain. After all, every time, together with the puppy Splash, they go on a magical journey full of mysteries and adventures! In addition to an exciting story, young ...

Fluttering on the tips of their pointe shoes. However, few people thought about the history of this elegant shoe. About how pointe shoes appeared and what a ballerina's shoes are, and will be discussed in this article.

Beginning of ballet shoes

Usually when the word "pointe shoes" most people think of stiff satin shoes with narrow ribbons tied tightly around. However, it would be logical to assume that ballerinas did not always wear such shoes.

Naturally, at the very beginning of the birth of ballet, there could be no question of professional pointe shoes. Many people know the name of the ballerina's shoes, but few know where this concept came from. The very name of this specific thing comes from the French word sur les pointes, which means "to dance with your fingertips." And indeed, initially the ballerinas danced exclusively barefoot, standing on the tops of their fingers. However, this method was extremely traumatic, since the foot had a huge load, which led to constant dislocations, sprains and other injuries of the joints and muscles. So the idea was born to create special support shoes.

First copies

What were the first pointe shoes? A photo of such specimens is below. For the first time this type of footwear was created at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Italy became famous for their invention. As the initial pointe shoes, ordinary shoes were used, in which soft fabric was inserted. This approach helped to avoid injury and excessive load on the foot.

Later, hard leather sandals began to be worn, which were fastened to the foot with sewn-on straps.

modern pointe shoes

For the first time, the ballerina's shoes, similar to real pointe shoes, were put on in 1830 by the dancer Maria Taglioni. This granddaughter of hereditary dancers, famous for her ancient surname, first appeared on stage during a performance called Zephyr and Flora. Fulfilling her assigned female role, Maria barely touched the ground with her tiny silk slippers. This release made a splash. Not endowed by nature with special female beauty, the dancer completely amazed the audience with her dancing abilities and, most importantly, in a thoughtful way. She chose for the performance exactly those hard shoes with a special seal in the toe area, which subsequently had such a success in the ballet world. These were the same pointe shoes. Anyone can see a photo of their owner.

However, this type of footwear was made no less popular by another famous person - the wife of the commander Napoleon Josephine. She preferred to wear ballet flats that looked like dance shoes. They were small slippers made of satin fabric, which were attached to the foot with ribbons. In the era of romanticism, such casual and light shoes were in great demand among fashionistas and socialite divas. Among art historians, it is believed that it was these shoes that later became the prototype of pointe shoes known to us.

On the territory of Russia, the first ballerina who began to dance in these shoes was now ballet, pointe shoes and dancers performing in them are integral concepts.

Creation of pointe shoes

Ballet shoes seem to be extremely simple and easy to make shoes, but this is not true.

Modern pointe shoes consist of 54 elements. Each pair of such shoes must strictly fit the dancer's foot, which avoids unnecessary injury and stress. The selection of shoes is also carried out individually.

Each shoe consists of three components. This is the upper of the pointe, which consists of several layers of satin and is covered on the inside with a lining fabric, as well as a rigid, inflexible sole made of natural leather and a place where the fingers are placed. This part is shaped like a box of several tightly glued layers of fabric.
It is precisely the high requirements for dance pointe shoes that explain the fact that, despite the high level of production automation, most of the assembly of these shoes is done by hand. As a rule, wet glued pointe shoes are left on a specially adapted block, after which they are processed with tools and sewn together with a strong thread soaked in a paraffin solution. To harden, ballerina shoes are left to dry overnight at a temperature of forty to fifty degrees.

All shoes differ in shape, strength, duration of wearing and are selected for each dancer individually.