hopeforpointe

Beckyl, I also tried aspiration and couldn't get on with them. They were too square in the box and I could never get them to fit snugly to my arches. Fingers crossed for you that you do find your right shoe!

Beckyl have you tried a Bloch European balance. I have narrow heels and wide feet and so far so good (it's th 4th pointe shoe style I've tried now.) that obviously doesn't mean it will necessarily work for you. It does have the elusive elastic drawstring however.

Great post and glad you feel more confident! Josh is fab isn't he

I feel from watching this afar that the only real loss here will be to you Michelle. I find ballet to be one of the most elegant and gracious art forms, and a gracious open-minded attitude to accompany it does, I strongly believe, allow a dancer to really gain the best out of their experiences. I only hope that when you arrive at KNT this week, you will treat the school and its students with the respect they deserve. I've danced there for some time now and it is a school alive with passion and love for dance, and embraces people from all backgrounds and walks of life. It is a place filled with joy and I for one am thrilled to be a part of that love for ballet. It's a real shame that you appear to have already made up your mind about KNT before you have even experienced the school - however this is your loss and yours alone. You get out what you put in, and several of us have read this thread aghast really at the quick judgements and lack of grace with which you speak of people and a place you have yet to experience. I know we will all be having a great time this week. The intensive has been put on as a response to the demand and request from us, the regulars of the school. If you choose to put your preconceptions aside you'll be made very welcome by some of the warmest and kindest, most passionate dancers I've had the pleasure of meeting. With regard to the clothing selection - I personally know that I and many others could not afford to attend class and intensives requiring expensive outgoings on top of the fees. I think it's fantastic that this intensive is as accessible as it can be for the majority. It sounds like dancing without costume may make you feel uncomfortable - you imply costume helps you get into the role which can be a great help. Maybe you could try seeing it as a challenge for you and your dancing to have to convey the role fully through your movements and expressions, without the costume. I really feel you will get from this experience what you are prepared to put into it, and turning up with a negative attitude having already decided it won't be good won't really allow you to try and enjoy it to the full. I find much of dance is about opening yourself up to experiencing things fully even if it's not how you would like it to be, or how you think it should be. Maybe this challenge will further your dance skills. To all the KNT regulars and new faces – have a darn good week too! Terpsichore having looked at your pic I have definitely bumped into you in class before, I’ll say hi when I see you next.

I'm not a teacher. That said, I know of dance shops who are very uppity. One of my dance teachers - ex BRB and Anaheim professional, went to pick up some pointe shoes in town and they refused to sell her any as they 'didn't believe she was really taking pointe class'. She'd trained at RBS and danced professionally for heaven's sake!! We were all aghast. Additionally, I have myself gone to planet dance with some shoes which I was concerned about (fitted originally elsewhere), and they said they were fine. Another of my dance teachers couldn't believe that they had checked these shoes and felt they were acceptable. The woman made a few comments about it being me and not the shoes. It was the shoes. When I got refitted again in a third shop, we found a great fit, and I've gotten on really well since then. Maybe the two nuggets will make you feel a little better. I think some pointe shoe fitters can be far too 'big for their own boots'!!! eta: I just need to say - how dare they treat your student and you in such an unprofessional fashion! I'd be pretty angry too. It sounds like you gave this decision a good deal of time and consideration, with very careful planning. At the end of the day, they aren't the dance teacher, you are. And if she went in with her shoes as well...it just strikes me as a bit powertrippy on their part.

You should be getting fitted for your shoes when you buy them at the pointe shoe shop! If you aren't being taught pointe properly or fitted properly you could seriously injure yourself. I don't know if by 'amateur' you mean you are practicing at home, or if you are in formal ballet classes, but pointe work really isn't something you can teach yourself at home. Sorry if I've completely misunderstood you and your experience though - perhaps clarify a bit more?

To me it seems perfectly reasonable to want to seek out an extra class elsewhere if it can't be found at the home school. Sometimes it can be helpful to take a class delivered by another teacher, particularly if there's something your DD is struggling with - for me I've found a different teacher can sometimes explain things in a new way that suddenly makes sense. The only real problem I can see is deciding which school will be entering her for the exam if they have both taught her, though I don't know if this would be a big problem - I think it depends on the attitudes of individuals teachers sometimes.

I've seen them being sold on etsy to be used as house decorations, because they have the 'real, used' look, and unfortunately there is also the foot fetish thing, which is quite creepy. I've heard they can sell for as much as you originally paid for the pair, sometimes more, so depending how you feel about people's reasons for buying them, it could quite easily help you pay for new shoes! I've been thinking about selling my old ones, but was a little worried about getting such messages, and then I thought, well if it pays for the pair I recently bought that came in at £65, does it matter? I'm still making my decision.