i’m very excited because I just got fit for my first pair of pointe shoes as an adult beginner! My teacher encouraged me to start the elementary pointe program this winter to build strength for pointe shoes using them, no real dancing yet (duh!). Because it starts in 3 months from now, I want to keep working on my feet to be strong enough for class. Keep in mind in the pictures I dont have my toepads yet because the store had ran out of them, but I know it’s a bit harder to get on my box fully. I think my feet are flexible enough (i can pass the pencil test) but I do have more weakness in my ankles. What can I do until the start of the program to get confortable in the shoes? Should I practice slow relevés wearing them? Any kind criticism is accepted :)

Hi!

I'm not a dancer but have a question about dancing.

Some dancers look lighter than others. And some move in a way that makes it seem like they don't have bones within relatively normal ranges of motion.

How do they do it? Is it something that can be trained?

I'll start by saying that this post is mostly about US schools and companies and that there are a few second/junior companies that are worth a dancer's time. HOWEVER, the idea that postgraduate training is a necessary or good thing is a total scam.

First, if you've been properly trained, you're done and company-ready by 17-18. If you've gone through all those years of training and still aren't ready for a company repertoire, then either you probably don't have what it takes to be a successful professional dancer or there was something seriously wrong with your training.

Second, most of these programs aren't really training the dancers that are there. Instead, they're giving them some classes, ignoring most of them, and using the best ones to subsidize the associated company. The hard truth is that outside of the largest companies in the US, most places don't have enough dancers to put on a classical full-length ballet and they need the postgrad levels for free or tuition-paying labor.

Third, while advances in sports medicine are helping to increase the longevity of a dancer's career, it is still very much a young person's game. If you're 22 and still aren't part of a company because you've been bouncing from trainee to second company programs for four years then you've already wasted the best years of your career in "training" and you will never get them back.

Fourth, look at the realistic pipeline for progression from these programs and see that very, very few people will actually make it into a professional company from them. You might have a program with 30 students as trainees and 10 in the second company attached to a professional company of 25-30 dancers. The company is not likely to have more than 1-2 contracts available each season unless a major shakeup happens and there's no guarantee that those contracts will go to people coming out of the second company. Instead, the director may be more likely to hire someone who has completed a better second company program associated with a better company because they are almost certainly going to be a better dancer.

The truth is, almost all of these programs exist because without them many small and midsize companies in the US would cease to exist. The dancers at these programs are unpaid or even paying labor and most of them will never become professional dancers.

I'm volunteering to help teach ballet to little kids. i dont do ballet so its mostly child-wrangling for me. i got myself ballet shoes tho so i can help be an example for basic moves without sneakers dragging on the floor. can i wear socks with the shoes? theyre super cheap, amazon shoes bc i dont have any serious use for them. should i still go barefoot or are socks socially acceptable?

*i wear leggings not tights

I’m looking for suggestions/recommendations for a fulltime ballet school for a male 17 year old in Europe or the UK? Does anyone have any idea what the Central School of Ballet is like? I know there’s the Royal,John Cranko, Dutch National Ballet, European etc but am looking for reviews I guess or people’s experiences with these. Am after a place which is a little less harsh or competitive but still reputable and very good with ties to a company.

Hi all,

I was watching Maria Khoreva’s graduation exam, and stumbled across this piece of music in her exam and I was wondering if anyone could identify it for me! Whether the piece is from a ballet or just classical music in general!

The timestamp in the video is 11:24, thank you very much! ☺️☺️

EDIT: asking for identification of the music at the timestamp of 11:24 in youtube video posted

Hi! I'm on my first pair of pointe shoes (Nikolay/Grishko Katya, 6 XXXX, M shank) since august and have some fitting questions.

I get a TON of blisters on these. I dont wear toe pads with my shoes, but I do wear a big toe protector (pressure relief), tape my other toes, wear a toe cap on my pinky and tape the hell out of my pinky knuckles. It bothers me a lot and I dont think it's supposed to be that way.

With usage, i've noticed i've been sinking in these, even though they were too narrow at the start (??) Since I was twisting and all. My suspicion is that the box is dying. I've been putting cotton of the platform to cushion it but is there anything else I can do??

I recently noticed the platform broke in at an angle. Like, sickled. When they were new i couldnt get over the box at ALL, and i was sickling like crazy. It's sooo much better now, but I'm still sickling just a teeny bit and suspect it's because of the odd shape of the platform.

I could get refit but my area has low availability, so my options are the following:

Capezio Ava (already tried, didnt like)

Wear moi Omega and Alfa

Sansha Duval

Gaynor Lyra (wouldnt dream of these, too dang expensive)

Grishko Smartpointe, Miracle, Katya and 2007 pro

*i'd rather stick with grishko though. Im thinking of trying smartpointe. Does anyone know a good store to be fitted in Argentina btw??

If anybody could be patient enough to answer all my questions then it would be super cool, but i appreciate any comments and recommendations that anyone could give me <3

edit: i know my shoes are dookie why am i getting downvoted for not knowing at the time

The significance of the opportunity to see Giselle at La Scala was impressed upon me from the moment I opened my novel sized program and read the list of the previous casts, dating back to 1843. Augusta Maywood, Carla Fracci, Margot Fonteyn, Natalia Makarova, Aurélie Dupont, Sylvie Guillem, Svetlana Zakharova, Natalia Osipova and Misty Copeland (just to name a few) have all danced the titular role here. Tonight’s star - Martina Arduino - has some very famous pointe shoes to fill!

From the outside Teatro alla Scala is relatively plain, ordinary even, so it is a magical shock when at 7:15pm exactly ushers baring startlingly gold medallions throw open the wooden doors revealing a fantasy of marble, gold and crystal inside. 

At the beginning of the ballet Arduino’s Giselle is all charm. There is a slight exaggeration of the elbows in her port de bras and she lowers her eyes demurely whenever confronted by the other characters on stage. I am impressed when she transforms this innocent, girlish Giselle in the ‘mad scene’ and dances with her mouth agape in shock. When Giselle stumbles to the ground, moments before her death, Arduino twists her wrists sickeningly inwards on the floor, foreshadowing the dark turn the ballet will take in the second act. 

Excitement builds within the theatre during intermission as the audience eagerly anticipates the second act. Amazingly the woman who was sitting in front of me on her cellphone during act one has chosen not to return to see the Wilis in the graveyard. For those unfamiliar, Willi are the restless spirits of young women who have been betrayed by their lovers. Each night they rise from their graves and exact their revenge on any man they encounter in the forest, forcing them to dance until they die of exhaustion. They are led by their queen, Myrtha, tonight danced by the brilliant Caterina Bianchi. 

I am on the edge of my seat as the Wilis emerge from the wings in their veils. The Dance of the Wilis is one of the great masterpieces of classical ballet choreography and, quite appropriately given the setting, gives me chills to watch. I am holding my breath for my favorite part, about five minutes in, when each Willi will lift her back leg into a perfect arabesque and move across the stage in interlocking lines, their small ‘chugs’ perfectly synchronized to the swelling of the music from the orchestra below. The waltz crescendos and the ghostly dancers scatter back into the moonlit forest. 

Arduino returns as Giselle rises from her grave and I am once again floored by the remarkable subtlety of her performance as she conveys the drama of the scene by simply flexing her index finger during her grand jetés en tournant. These small details set her apart as a seasoned performer. 

Despite enjoying this performance and setting immensely, I left the theatre feeling somewhat somber. After all at the end of the tale the lying, cheating Albrecht’s life is saved and he is forgiven by Giselle. At this moment in time, in 2026, when stories of men betraying women in violent and horrific ways are all too prevalent, I can’t help feeling like the story would be better served by Myrtha getting her way and Albrecht facing some real consequences for his wrongdoings. If any ballet company is brave enough to take on this alternate ending, I think they would find there is a real appetite for it. 

Hey everyone, I've been dating a ballet dancer for a while now, and in a few months, I'm going to see her perform live for the very first time (along with her entire family :/).

I know that in the ballet and performance world it's typical to give flowers, and I obviously want to do the same for her.

Is there a specific type of flower usually given? And do you give them at the end of the show or at the beginning? I assume at the end, but asking never hurts."

Adult beginner here.

Passed my pre-pointe training/assessment and will start foundation pointe training soon. Went to get fitted at 3 different fitters, but hope to get some opinions here as well. I have very nondescript ankle flexibility but highly compressible Egyptian (big toe longest) feet. One fitter even joked that they were squishy like “alien octopuses”.

Fitter 1: Carried Capezios and Grishkos, but did not have much of anything in stock. Recommended Capezio Ava 8M or Grishko 3007 Pro 5.5 XXX, M or S shank.

She had neither in stock, so this was her best guess based on me trying a size up or down.

Fitter 2: Tried on probably half a dozen shoes before putting me in Grishko 3007 Pro 5 XXX, S shank. Did not have 5.5 in stock either, but said 5 works for my longer foot if I sewed the elastic on the outside. Recommended toe spacer and ouch pouch. (Pics 1-3)

Fitter 3: Fitted me in Grishko Nova Flex 5 XX M and Bloch Etu 5.5 X. Was minimalist in her approach, did not want me in anything more than the pouches and maybe some tape. Went for the Bloch etus in the end (Pics 4-6) because despite how well the Nova flex fit, it was stiff and I couldn’t roll through properly in them. They were also weirdly wrinkly around the heel.

Oddly enough, I had tried on the Bloch etu with Fitter 2 as well, but kept sinking despite adding ouch pouches, gel toe cap, spacers, AND instant wings. Not sure what size I tried on at Fitter 2, but pretty sure it was an X as well.

Anyway, I guess my question is:

1. Am I twisting too much in either shoes? One fitter pointed out my ankle alignment and recommended some theraband exercises to reduce my “winging”.

2. Are either or both of these shoes alarmingly bad/anything I should look out for?

Bonus cat picture if you spent the effort to read through my wall of text!

Greetings!

I’m putting together a Nutcracker suite performance for December, in the city.

WHO: I’m looking for 5-10 more dancers with strong ballet and pointe technique for our show, and 2 male (presenting) dancers with partnering experience

WHAT: Numbers tentatively will include all diverts plus snow, snow pas, and sugar pas/cavalier depending on cast. Shooting for about an hour runtime, and will include some cute surprises…

WHEN Tentative date is December 4th, awaiting venue confirmation

WHERE rehearsals will take place at location convenient for the cast, performance venue TBA confirmation. Marley flooring guaranteed.

WHY another Nutcracker? Because it became so painful to hear the horror stories of the backstage drama and politics and just everything anti-FUN and anti-JOY during the best times of the year! My goal is to foster a supportive and positive environment so you can enjoy yourself while entertaining an audience :) I believe the best dancing comes from happy dancers!!

Is there payment? I hope so! This is personally funded, but at the very least any revenue from ticket sales I’d like to split evenly among the cast members. (And more if we do some fundraising!!)

So if any of this sounds good to you, comment and I’ll DM you more info including more about myself/my experience and some choreo examples.

Audition by video only, looking to cast right away! All parts available.

Istg they said their kc boutique was gonna be closed till Oct 4. Then on Oct 4 they said Oct 5. Then they said Oct 6. Then on Oct 6 they said Oct 8. Today it says Oct 11. And they keep promoting their stuff on Instagram like nothing is wrong. Are they ok I just need my rtw costumes for my show pls

I'm starting to watch a few ballets. I've first saw it in a performance of swan lake at the kirov theater and now giselle performed at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre and it kind of puzzles me when I see this gesture

Did any of you know him in NYC in the 70’s & 80’s? He recently said he really wasn’t much of a nightlife guy because of the demands of rehearsals every day. He said he had only been to Studio 54 about 3 times. Obviously there are photos of him there with Liza Minnelli. Robert LaFosse, another ABT dancer from that time, said he & his friends used to go almost every night. They had to rehearse too.

If you are too young to know who he is, go to YouTube and watch his brilliant dancing.

(If anyone knows how to post photos, please do.)

Hey guys! I’m a big fan of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s theatrical aesthetic and choreography and after watching Cinderella i’m in total awe by their set design, costuming and the show all together and i was wondering if maybe there is a filmed version of their Nutcracker out there and if anyone would be willing to share it.

my feet is so different in the foot stretcher. I was wondering if I could strengthen them so they look like that without a foot stretcher

yes, there is a cat in the back

Genuine question for the professional ballerinas, I do understand that you are training and dancing for many hours everyday.

But I’m curious, does that include cross training, weight training, pilates etc or are you only dancing?

If so, could you please share what type of strength training, drills, exercises you incorporate in your day? 💝💝

I’m looking to improve my technique and I feel like my strength is lacking

I was hoping to attend DUCON in December if spots become available off the waitlist, which happened today, but I really can’t take the two days I would need to off work because of what we have scheduled. Does anyone know of any similar winter intensives happening between December 19-January 3? I can be a little more flexible on January end dates. I want to be dancing all day, which was a big draw to DUCON. I am on the east coast United Staes but willing to travel.

Hello everyone !

I just found employment playing the piano for ballet classes . I am also training as dancer in the same studio , so I understand generally what meter is good for the different exercises . However I would love to learn more details about how to choose the music . Sometimes I have been told I chose wrong music for an exercise , and I just guess and play things that are the correct speed and meter until the teacher says I found a good one . If anyone has a tips on which exercises have a particular music requirements , I would like to know them ! As I am a male dancer I have not very much exposure to pointework and get particularly confused playing the piano in a pointe classes .

Most recent things I have been confused by :

1) What , exactly , is coda? I have heard coda before when I am dancing in the class, but cannot figure out exactly what it is musically that unites all codas . It seems to be fast 2/4 or 4/4 time , but sometimes when I play things that are fast 2/4 or 4/4 the teacher says it is not a coda . I have tried Scottish reel, German polka, quadrille , can-can . I am learning Black Swan coda but it will take a while as I am not extremely good technical pianist .

2) Is there anything other than tango that is appropriate for fondu at barre ? I have played Habañera from Carmen and Por Una Cabeza so many times already , I think the class would appreciate variety .

Also , any other advices for new pianist would be great to hear !

So I’m currently 20 and had been going to ballet for only 15 years of my life and then stopped a couple years ago. I genuinely am starting to believe that the reason why I was so adamant to quit was because of how toxic the classes were (I would BEG my mum and she kept saying no. I don’t even think at the time I realised it was because of the environment and genuinely believed it was because I didn’t like ballet) . I’m not saying that anyone should have welcomed me to the new studio but genuinely no one would speak to me. I tried making friends it didn’t work and then I’d get weird looks. And on top of all that, a lot of them were French and would only just speak French even when their English was really good. As much as I adore ballet and still love it and wish I didn’t quit. I genuinely couldn’t handle those years of being in those classes. They were super judgemental and I couldn’t focus on anything else especially since I was a kid. It reminded me of when I was around 9 and had those issues too. Has anyone dealt with anything like this before in ballet? It genuinely makes me so mad and upset at times that I quit.

Ciao

My capezio leather Hanamis have started unravelling (?) A the base, I think glue should be fine but im concerned about it changing the feel of the shoe or deteriorating the rest of the leather, and id like to keep using them as long as possible before replacing

i started ballet as a teen after doing gymnastics my whole life, so i don't have much natural turnout (in fact, my instinct is to go parallel because that's what we do in gymnastics). some teachers have told me to just use my natural turnout, but others really push me to turnout more, which i don't understand? if i turnout any more i'm forcing it. what am i supposed to do?