The Dancer and her Shoe Maker Thursday 26 May 11:30 am Radio 4

[JohnS]

I see there’s a Radio 4 documentary featuring Francesca Hayward and Bob Martin, her pointe shoe maker, which gets a very good write up in Radio Times. Apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere.

[alison]

In 5 minutes or so.  And presumably on BBC Sounds afterwards.

 

Edit: Drat.  A major delivery I had to take care of arrived virtually bang on 11.30, so I missed the whole thing

[Peanut68]

Double drat...I'd meant to tune in too & had exactly the same distraction Alison! Will try find it on catch up at the weekend.....

[JohnS]

Well worth a listen - fascinating insight into the relationship between ballet dancer and pointe shoe maker and their mutual admiration for each other’s artistry, beautifully captured by Francesca Hayward and Bob Martin. The programme is repeated on Monday 30 May 4:00 pm and is on BBC Sounds (the programme seems to start very abruptly and I don’t know if the very start has been cut).

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017k94

 

 

[bridiem]

No, that's how it started live (I began listening to it and then got interrupted so I've just listened to the rest of it). I'm glad it emphasized how important the ballet shoe maker is for dancers, but I didn't think it was quite as illuminating as it could have been about the actual process of making a shoe. And it does worry me a bit that FH (and indeed the RB) is so dependent on someone who has after all retired! But long may Bob Martin continue to work his shoe magic.

 

I do sometimes wonder why shoes can't be made so that they need less bashing around by dancers (which clearly always happens) before they can be used. Could the soles not be made thinner to start with?! And the blocks sewn? (If that's wanted - I don't really like seeing that, but then I don't have to dance on pointe!). I can see though that the positioning of elastic and ribbons is very personal. Anyway I'm glad this was on prime time radio even if I would have preferred a slightly more structured programme.