Dancers should learn to sew

Sewing may not seem like a skill that goes hand in hand with dance, but it is actually very important. All dancers who take ballet should know the basics of hand sewing. In the "olden days" (approx. year 2000 and earlier), all ballet shoes (pointe and flat) were purchased unsewn. There were no elastics sewn on the shoes, and some didn't come with elastics either. Dancers had to purchase them separately and sew them on their dance shoes. Today, many flat ballet shoes come pre-sewn with either one or two elastic straps. However, not all do, and sometimes the pre-sewn straps are too tight, too loose, or not in the right place. It is a very useful skill to be able to sew on or alter a shoe's elastics for enhanced looks or comfort.

All dancers who dance en pointe must know the basics of hand sewing in order to sew the ribbons and elastics on their pointe shoes. Sansha pointe shoes come with elastic pre-sewn on one side, but all other brands require dancers to acquire and attach their own ribbon and elastic. It is lazy and irresponsible to expect another person to sew your pointe shoes for you. It is totally acceptable for a mom or other family member to help a young dancer with her first pair or two of pointe shoes, but the dancer should try to do most of the stitching herself. 

Remember that you do not need to learn fancy stitches or do anything other than the bare minimum. Learning this simple skill can really help you be prepared and responsible with well-fitting dance shoes.