Toe Shoes: A Special Report

The following is a report that I just completed for school. I hope you'll enjoy it.

The graceful music carries a pretty dancer out on to the stage. She is wearing a pink tutu, and floats in on toe shoes, balancing on the tip of her toe. It seems impossible. But what are those pointy shoes? Where did they come from? How do they make them?

Toe shoes are ballet shoes with a hard piece so you can stand on pointed toe. They are made of satin and look delicate, but they are actually really sturdy. When a dancer first starts on toe shoes, usually around age 11, she feels like there is a rock in her shoe, but she'll get used to it with practice.

I used to think that toe shoes were made like regular ballet shoes with bricks at the bottom. Actually, they are like regular ballet shoes, but there is a hard piece of cardboard in the toe. Toe shoes have been the made the same way for about 150 years. The method hasn't changed much since the Middle Ages.

Ballet did not start out with toe shoes. In the 1500's, ballet was the dance of the court. At first, only men were allowed to be in the performances. No fair! Soon women began to surprise audiences by putting on tights and joining in. Maria Taglioni was the first known dancer to put on toe shoes. People were amazed that she seemed to float in on the tips of her toes. That's when ballet really began to take off.

I've been especially interested in toe shoes, since I'm practicing for a part in the Nutcracker. I'm only seven, so for now I'm in regular pink ballet shoes. When I see the older ballerinas standing on point, I can't wait for my turn to float onto the stage on tippy toe, too.

Nutcracker News

I know it might seem early to be thinking about the Christmas Ballet, the Nutcracker, but here in my town this weekend was audition time. I was really nervous about auditioning. The night before I almost changed my mind about trying. I felt tears come into my eyes when I was even thinking about it. I wanted to, but I didn't want to either. I was afraid of being with strangers and going to a different studio, and scared that I might get asked to a dance step that I didn't know how to do. On Friday afternoon, we went down to the studio and I got in a very long line to get measured and assigned a number according to my height. I was number 58. There were about 60 girls my size that were trying out, but only 16 parts. Little girls my size can audition to be one of Mother Ginger's little bon bons. If you have ever seen the Nutcracker, then you know that the littlest girls hide underneath the mother's gigantic humongous skirt, like in this picture. I had fun auditioning and I really wasn't that scared. I tried to smile the whole time, but I really didn't think I would get a part since there were so many other little ballerinas there. Well a couple of days later, we checked on the website, and I did get a part! I really did! I felt so overjoyed-except that I was really sick with the stomach flu. Thank goodness that I wasn't sick on the day of the audition. Now, I have to perform six times in December, and I'll have lots of practices before then, too. I feel very lucky that I was chosen and I'll try my very best to be a good little bon bon.

Coming Soon:

A Delicious Homemade Crunchy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Candy Bar

Ballet Positions

Bon Jour! I am Madame Sailor. Welcome to your first ballet lesson. Today we will be learning the five positions of classical ballet. Hold your head high, stomach and bottom tucked in tight and we will begin. Une, deux, trois!
First Position from the front and back: Second Position:Third Position:Third Position close up on the feet:

Fourth Position:

From the Side: Fifth Position:

That is all for this class. Tres bien, mes amies. A bientot!