First pointe shoes: a guide for parents

This post will explain what parents can expect when their daughters begin pointe for the first time, as well as a list of do’s and don’ts that will help the experience go smoothly.

First thing’s first:  DO let the teacher tell you when your daughter is ready for pointe.  DON’T make that judgment yourself (unless you are her dance teacher), and DON’T rely just on your daughter reporting to you that she is ready.  It is ok to casually ask the dance teacher at what age most students begin pointe work or if she thinks your child will be ready soon.  It is not ok to demand that your daughter be placed in a pointe class.  Although it is rare, I have seen young girls lie to their parents about being ready for pointe shoes.  If this is not information you have been expecting, confirm with the teacher that your child is really ready before purchasing shoes. 

If the teacher says she is ready, DO expect your daughter to be excited out of her mind.

The teacher may ask you to take your daughter to the doctor and/or have her feet and legs x-rayed before getting the shoes.  This is to make sure your child is healthy and strong enough for pointe.  DO schedule an appointment right away.  In about 99% of cases, doctors say that dancers are good to go.  In the unlikely case that the doctor says that pointe is a bad idea, get a second opinion.  If this doc also doesn’t like the idea of your daughter going en pointe, DON’T get pointe shoes.  DO comfort your daughter in her disappointment and help her try contemporary or another dance style that does not use pointe shoes.

DO schedule your daughter a professional pointe shoe fitting at a dancewear store.  DO invite the teacher to come along with you.  DO research pointe shoes on the internet before you have the fitting, but DON’T get carried away.  DON’T purchase pointe shoes online.

DO attend the fitting appointment with your daughter.  DO pay attention and ask questions.  DON’T take over the fitting, speak for your child, or criticize the fitter, even if you have dance expertise.   DO expect to pay $150 or more for pointe shoes, toe pads, ribbon and elastic, stitch kit, and a pointe shoe bag.  DO expect to make such purchases several times a year for the remainder of your child’s dance education.  If you can, DO celebrate your daughter’s achievement with an additional gift like a new fancy leotard or a nice dinner at a restaurant. 

DON’T talk extensively about your daughter’s pointe shoes to other dancers who are not en pointe (or their parents), and encourage your daughter to do the same.  DO answer questions you are asked, and DO show your happiness, but DON’T brag.

DO have your daughter show her pointe shoes to her teacher before sewing or wearing if the teacher didn’t attend the fitting.  DON’T sew your daughter’s pointe shoes for her.  DO check with the teacher to see if she wants students to sew their shoes at home or as a project in class.  DON’T let your daughter go en pointe at home unless the teacher has assigned specific exercises.  DO let her put her feet in her pointe shoes and practice tying her ribbons.  

DON’T be surprised if your daughter doesn’t dance en pointe for a week or so after she gets her shoes.  Many teachers spend time teaching students about pointe shoes in a more academic way.  DON’T be surprised if your daughter only dances en pointe for about 10 minutes per class.  DO know the brand, model, size, width, shank, and other specifications of your daughter’s pointe shoes in case a teacher asks you.  It is a great idea to make a note of this information in your smartphone.

DO expect your daughter to get blisters and experience discomfort in her pointe shoes.  DON’T blame the fitter or teacher for this.  No pointe shoe is “comfortable,” and with a student’s first pair of shoes, it is impossible to know what attributes will work out in the long run.  DO offer Band-Aids, toe tape, and comfort to soothe sore toes.

DON’T expect her to look very graceful en pointe for the first several weeks or pointe class.  DON’T expect your daughter to perform en pointe in a recital or ballet for at least 6 months.  DO congratulate her for reaching small milestones like doing pointework away from the barre for the first time.

DO expect your daughter to wear out or grow out of her pointe shoes within 4-6 months of her first fitting.  DON’T be surprised if the teacher or fitter tells you that she needs a totally different kind of shoe; it is very common for dancers’ feet to change as they grow and strengthen. 

Above all, DO remember to have fun with your daughter on this exciting new adventure!

What makes a dance teacher qualified?

Are you looking for a new private teacher or coach?  Here are some things to look for when finding a good teacher that can help develop a student into a professional dancer.

1.  College degree.  Degrees in dance come in many shapes and forms, and vary from school to school.  Generally a BA or MA in dance means that the teacher has experience and expertise in dance history, criticism, or choreography.  BFA or MFA in dance means that the teacher has experience in performance.  BA in dance pedagogy means that the teacher has experience and expertise in teaching dance.  A BA or MA in arts management or fine arts management (or a minor in fine arts management when paired with a degree in dance) means that the teacher has experience in dance as a business or studio management.

2.  Professional work.  Has the teacher danced professionally as a member of a company?  In a university performance group?  On Broadway or in musicals?  In film or other video work?  In what productions?  For how many years?  What parts did he or she perform? 

3.  Teaching from a syllabus.  Many ballet teachers work from established methods such as Vagonova, Cecchetti, or Balanchine.  Ballroom instructors may teach from the DVIDA syllabus.  Other styles of dance have their own methods.  In general, if a teacher is using a syllabus (correctly), students who learn that syllabus will be comparable to students at other studios also learning that syllabus.

4.  Where are former students now?  Does this teacher have former students that are now working professionally?  This is a huge predictor of how “good” a teacher is, but this information can be hard to come by.

A teacher that has a degree, professional experience, and uses a syllabus is usually a good, qualified teacher.  However, not everyone with a degree in dance pedagogy is a good dancer, and not everyone with professional experience is a good teacher.  Some wonderfully talented and successful dancers, choreographers, and teachers did not attend college.

 When “shopping” for a new teacher or private coach for yourself or an older child, browse a few local studios’ websites and find teachers with at least 2 of the following 3: a degree, experience, and/or a syllabus.  Then meet with the teachers and take class or lesson with each.  If you would like, you may ask the teacher about his or her qualifications (just remember to be pleasant and not accusatory).  After you have done your research, make a decision about who is the best teacher for you.  It is ok if your perfect teacher is different from someone else’s.

            If you are looking for a dance class for a child (or adult) beginning dancer, look more at the                studio reputation than the qualifications of the individual teachers.  Many classes for small                  children or adult beginners are taught by advanced students in high school or college.  These                teachers should do just fine as long as they are patient, kind, experienced dancers, and teaching            from a syllabus.

Happy New Year!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!  Challenge yourself by setting some new dance goals for 2016.  Do you want to take more classes this year?  Start cross training?  Dabble in a new style?  Choose a goal that takes effort from you to complete, not one that related to chance or someone else’s decision (such as being cast as a lead in a performance).  Write it down, and start working to achieve it!

Tiny Tips: Grishko shoes cheaper from grishkoshop.com

It seems like discountdance.com should have the cheapest prices for all brands of dancewear.  However, this is not always the case.  Grishkoshop.com, Grishko’s official website, sells all models of their pointe shoes (discount dance only stocks some models).  Grishkoshop’s prices are lower than discountdance’s by an average of about $5 per pair (with some as much as $14 lower on grishkoshop.com), and grishkoshop does not charge tax or shipping.  Packages from grishkoshop do ship from Russia via registered mail and take about 4 weeks to arrive in the United States.  So, if you are able to order your pointe shoes well in advance, you can save a lot by shopping at grishkoshop.com!

Why is stage makeup so heavy and bold?

Are you dreading putting winged eyeliner on your 9-year-old for her debut performance as a Christmas angel?  Or do you hate staining your lips with red lipstick at every performance?  Here are some things to consider to make you feel a little better about your stage makeup.

Why stage makeup?  The basic reason that dancers wear stage makeup is to make them look like they have facial features from a stage distance.  Have you ever noticed how members of an orchestra across the room or baseball players down on the field start to all look like faceless stick-figures?  That’s how dancers would look too if they did not wear stage makeup.

Why winged eyeliner?  Female dancers wear winged eyeliner to make their eyes look bigger and more feminine.  Male dancers (and girls playing male parts) usually wear “basic” eyeliner that defines the eyes without emphasizing a feminine shape.

Why red lipstick?  Girls and women wear red lipstick so the shapes of their mouths are visible from the audience.  Men and boys wear brown or mauve lipstick for the same reason.  If the audience cannot see the dancers’ mouths, they won’t know if the dancers are smiling.

Why contour?  Children don’t need to contour, since round faces appear cherubic and cute.  Teen and adult dancers use contour, highlight, and bronzer to make their faces look thinner and more 3-D from the audience.  A round face is cute for a Christmas angel, but the Arabian soloist generally desires a more grown up and chiseled appearance.

Why false lashes?  Female dancers use false lashes to make their eyes look feminine and defined.  Male dancers usually do not wear lashes (unless performing parts in drag), and from a stage distance, they usually look like they do not have lashes.  If you really, really hate false lashes, you can get a similar effect by applying 3 or more layers of very black lengthening and volumizing mascara.

Stage makeup may be a big pain to put on and take off, but it does a lot for you when you think about how you look from the audience’s perspective.

Help! There's a hole in my costume!

Oh no! There's a hole in your costume! What should you do to take care of the problem?

If you are at dress rehearsal or in the studio, tell a teacher, artistic director, or the costumer. That person will direct you to the proper person to get the hole fixed before the performance. Don't pin or sew your costume unless a director tells you to do so. 

If it's the day of the performance with an hour or more before you go on stage, tell a teacher, director, or costumer. If other dancers are on stage, do not leave the general area where you are to find someone to tell (for example, do not leave the backstage area or green room). Someone should be able to help you fix it in time. 

If it's less than half an hour to showtime, try to find a teacher, director, costumer, or any adult (if you are young). Tell them the problem, and see what can be done. If you are good at sewing and have a stitch kit, it is ok to sew the costume yourself unless a director (or adult) tells you not to. It is better to sew the hole than pin it at this point, so if you don't have a stitch kit or don't know how to sew, ask another dancer to help. 

If it is 10 minutes or less until the time you have to be on stage, pin the costume with a safety pin. You do not have enough time to sew the hole and put the costume back on. If you are partnering, advise your partner that there is a pin in the costume before you go on stage. After you finish dancing in that costume, tell a director or costumer that the costume needs to be fixed soon to be ready for the next performance.