Anne's Pointe Shoe Expertise

35+ Years of Teaching and Knowledge

About This Collection

Anne Polajenko was a renowned specialist in pointe shoe fitting and education, with over 35 years of experience in ballet and pointe technique. Together with her husband Nicholas, she maintained the website www.ballet-feetfirst.com, which served as an educational resource for dancers, parents, and teachers.

Anne conducted seminars on pointe technique and shoe fitting across the United States and Canada for dance schools, stores, and conferences.

The following represents Anne's teachings compiled from her articles, newsletters, and educational materials.

Part I: When to Start Pointe

The Age Debate

Anne identified two main schools of thought on the appropriate age to begin pointe work:

School 1: The "Age 11" Approach (Most Common)

"Most teachers believe the appropriate age is 11, when the growth spaces between the bones close sufficiently to allow the extraordinary effort required of the feet. As bones grow closer together, there is less opportunity for injury or actual distortion. 11 also loosely corresponds to an age when the physical frame gets stronger."

Anne's Concern with This Approach:

"What troubles me here is that too many teachers rely on age and do not necessarily take into account all other factors such as number of years in ballet (3 minimum), how many times per week during those 3 years and regularity of attendance. Example: a child taking one hour per week for 3 years is not a candidate for Pointe work."

School 2: Preparation Over Age

"Other teachers do not consider the age factor as that important, the issue being one of preparation as opposed to actual age. Some highly reputable schools put girls as young as nine on Pointe but these girls have been in ballet exclusively, almost every day for 1½ hours, for several years."

Key Safeguards in This Approach:

Anne's Recommended Prerequisites

Anne outlined essential physical requirements before attempting pointe work, regardless of age:

Physical Checklist:

"To me, any one of the above raises a red flag and is something to improve upon before attempting Pointe work."

Training Requirements

Anne specified minimum training requirements:

"When the child starts ballet at age 7 or 8, by the time she is 11 or 12 years old, she would have had about 480 ballet classes during a 4 year period. All classes missed are very hard to make up."

Growth Plates: The Medical Reason

Anne explained the anatomical basis for age recommendations:

"The 'growth plates' in the toes are beginning to close and the joints are getting stronger to support the weight of the body while on pointe."

Growth plates are spaces between bones that allow bones to grow. As the child matures, bones get longer and harder while growth plates shrink. Age 11 is generally accepted as when it is safe to apply the pressure of pointe work on the feet without damage.

Part II: Evaluating the Teacher

Anne emphasized the importance of qualified instruction:

"You want to look at the teacher herself. She should not be a student but a fully qualified professional. She should have several years teaching experience (a great dancer does not necessarily make a great teacher)."

Warning Signs of Inadequate Teaching:

"These are indications of too much too soon."

A Good Teacher Will:

Part III: Understanding the Pointe Shoe

History

"The first pointe shoe was developed by an Italian ballet master named Filippo Taglioni, father of the great 19th century ballerina Maria Taglioni."

"Marie Taglioni often gets the credit and the blame for being the first to dance on pointe. It was Taglioni who pioneered and developed the technique and who revolutionized ballet as a result."

Construction Materials

Pointe shoes are made from:

"There is neither wood nor steel in a Pointe shoe. Most shoes are made by hand, in an assembly line fashion."

Parts of the Shoe

The Box

The entire front portion covering the toes. The most important feature.

"It is hard but softens with use. It is meant to support the forefront of the foot so the dancer will stand straight on her toes and not roll forward over the shoe thus injuring herself."

Box Features:

The Platform

The flat tip on which the dancer stands when on pointe.

The Shank

The leather insole supporting the arch.

"A good shank also allows enough flexibility that the dancer may roll up or down from Pointe with relative ease—an absolute must in class."

Shank Types:

Warning: Shanks do break. Never stand on toes and press down with all weight until the shank cracks. A broken shank cannot be repaired.

Strings and String Casing

"Once tightened and tied in a bow tie, they prevent the shoe from gaping on the sides when the dancer is on the half toe. Pointe shoes should fit snug to the foot at all times. Strings should never be pulled out of the casing as they cannot be re-inserted."

Part IV: Foot Types

Anne taught dancers to understand their own foot construction:

Three Basic Foot Shapes

  1. Greek Foot: Second toe longer than big toe
  2. Egyptian Foot: Toes slant diagonally down
  3. Square (Peasant) Foot: Squared off toes

Additional Variations

"Because of these variables, it is essential to work with a good fitter."

Part V: Getting Fitted

Why Professional Fitting Matters

"Your child must be fit by an experienced person whose store offers a wide variety of brands and styles. You cannot do this on the Internet. It is dangerous to your child's feet."

Finding a Good Fitter

Look for stores where:

What to Bring to the Store

Anne recommended:

The Fitting Process

  1. Fitter examines both bare feet (they could be different sizes)
  2. Notes street size, width, shape of toes, arch, heel size, and any particulars
  3. Asks about experience level and teacher preferences
  4. Brings out different brands, styles, and sizes
  5. Watches dancer perform specific movements to test fit
  6. May change size, width, style, or brand until right shoe is found

"Do not sew the ribbons and elastics until the teacher has seen and approved the shoe. Pointe shoes are not returnable if they have the slightest wear."

Six Elements of Good Fit

  1. Box Shape - Should fit comfortably, neither tight nor loose
  2. Vamp Length - Should cover all toes completely
  3. Profile Height - Must cover the arch entirely
  4. Shank Size - Three-quarter or full length based on fit
  5. Shoe Strength - Light, medium, or heavy based on arch and foot
  6. Overall Fit - Snug but not tight

Part VI: Breaking In New Shoes

Why Breaking In Is Necessary

"Initially, Pointe shoes come as hard as bricks. This is the glue inside them. They are so hard that the dancer will have extreme difficulty and pain when rolling through her half-pointe."

Safe Breaking-In Methods

For the Shank:

"Grasp the shank at the middle with two hands and gently work it up and down until it gets softer. Do not overdo it because you may break the shank in two, making the shoe useless."

For the Box:

"Using your hands, gently work the Box backwards and forwards until you feel it begins to soften. You can also set the shoe on the floor and step on the Box once or twice with your bare heel."

Using Rubbing Alcohol:

"Put the shoes on and pour a little rubbing alcohol on the box. The dampness will soften the shoe faster. Use alcohol rather than water. It dries quickly and leaves no stains on the satin."

Methods to AVOID

"DO NOT break in shoes by slamming them on concrete or doing the 'door jamb smash' as some folk will tell you. That destroys shoes."

Part VII: Care and Maintenance

Daily Care

"Your feet should be dry at all times, so it is important before and after you take your pointe shoes off to towel dry your feet, as blisters commonly occur on wet, moist skin."

Extending Shoe Life

When the box starts to soften, Anne recommended:

"Use Jet-glue (following their directions) or clear Shellac (no color) from a hardware store. Using a small paint brush, paint the inside of the Box with the Shellac. Let it dry out completely before putting your feet into the shoes. It may take a few days for the Shellac to dry."

Important Reminder

"A Pointe shoe is an instrument and should be treated as such. Would you take a violin and dump it at the bottom of your bag with books on top? Then, don't do that with your Pointe shoes."

"You should have at least a minimum of two pairs of pointe shoes."

Part VIII: Handling Blisters

Prevention

Treatment

"Whatever you do, do not pop the blister. It is best to leave blisters alone so they may heal properly. Apply an antibiotic on them and cover with a soft bandage."

Using Moleskin:

"Cut the moleskin to the appropriate size with a hole for the blister and place it on your skin and cover with a bandage."

Understanding Blisters

"Blisters develop where a new area of the foot is getting rubbed all of a sudden—perhaps the back of the heel where the drawstring catches, or where the vamp hits the metatarsal heads of the toes."

"Most often, recurrent blister sites toughen benignly into calluses and that's the end of it."

Part IX: Nutrition for Dancers

Anne emphasized the connection between nutrition and dance performance:

"Dancers are the best athletes compared to other forms of physical activity. Why? Because they are ALWAYS IN TRAINING from the day they begin their ballet classes until they decide to hang up their pointe shoes. That may be anywhere from 20 to 30 years."

Energy Needs

"The average person needs only 1940-2500 calories per day, but the ACTIVE dancer may need 3-4000 calories per day!"

Water Is Critical

"WATER is a critical nutrient for ACTIVE dancers! It is necessary for the digestion of food, for the transport of food to the tissues, for the elimination of body wastes, for the circulation of body fluids, and for regulating body temperature."

"Research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers."

"Thirst is your best indicator. If you lose 1% to 2% of body water, you will know if you are thirsty. Dehydration can cause muscle cramping and fatigue."

Part X: Career Guidance

Auditioning for Companies

Anne provided guidance for dancers pursuing professional careers:

Questions to Research Before Auditions:

The College Decision

"The biggest dilemma for a future career as a ballet dancer is 'do I go to college or do I take the audition and hope I get into the company?' Answer: Finish High School and go for the career in dance. Take a correspondence course to get your college degree."

"If you decide to audition after college you will be about 20, 21, or 23 years old. Your technique may be weaker than when you were at your peak at 16 or 17."

Part XI: The Joy of Dance

Anne often wrote about the emotional rewards of dance:

"Being in a professional ballet company at an early age is a feeling of pure magic and fantasy as well as joy of accomplishment. Not too far from the time when you were a child and saw your first ballet performance."

"Your reward is only by the amount of applause from the audience you hear as the curtain closes. You may even hear BRAVO! That can be considered as the ultimate reward giving you praise for your ACCOMPLISHMENTS."

"Enjoy your dancing whether it be in a studio or on stage. The MAGIC is there and there is nothing like a live audience applauding your dancing."

"Don't forget to take care of your Pointe Shoes. They are your magic shoes, just like the famous movie called THE RED SHOES."

Anne's Qualifications

"Anne Polajenko is a teacher with 35 years experience in Pointe and Ballet Technique. Currently she teaches in Florida and is the Children's Ballet Mistress for Miami City Ballet's 'Nutcracker'."

"The French-born ballerina received her training at the National Academy of Dance and at the famed La Scala Opera of Milano, Italy. Upon graduation, she joined the Geneva Grand Theater Ballet, where she performed as Soloist or Principal Dancer in every ballet of the classical repertory."

See also: Anne Polajenko | Family Recipes