Soft blocks or de-shanked pointe shoes?

[Aurora]

Yes it changed about a month ago. Inter and above still require demi-pointes but you can wear split sole demi-pointes. Inter foundation you can now wear split sole soft shoes as you can for all the grades. Each teacher and school will have their own rules though.

[JulieW]

I've just been reading the exam specifications (you can find them on the RAD website - see links)

 

http://www.rad.org.u...370&realCat=382

http://www.rad.org.u...371&realCat=383

 

They say that soft pointe shoes must be worn for vocational grades and "Soft ballet shoes or split sole shoes may not be worn"

 

For non-vocational grades "Pink soft satin, canvas or leather shoes with either elastic or ribbons. (Soft pointe shoes should not be worn, but split soles can be.)"

 

These specifications are dated January 2012 so I presume are up-to-date and I think it seems quite clear that split sole shoes may not be worn for vocational exams

Edited April 10, 2012 by JulieW
Added after reading Aurora's comment

[Anna C]

Thanks Julie; I thought that was still the case. The RAD told me that the ban on split soles in Inter Foundation was to help prepare the students' feet for working solely in soft blocks and pointe shoes from Intermediate upwards. Seems a perfectly rational policy so I would be surprised if they were to change it.

[hfbrew]

I've just been reading the exam specifications (you can find them on the RAD website - see links)

 

http://www.rad.org.u...370&realCat=382

http://www.rad.org.u...371&realCat=383

 

They say that soft pointe shoes must be worn for vocational grades and "Soft ballet shoes or split sole shoes may not be worn"

 

For non-vocational grades "Pink soft satin, canvas or leather shoes with either elastic or ribbons. (Soft pointe shoes should not be worn, but split soles can be.)"

 

These specifications are dated January 2012 so I presume are up-to-date and I think it seems quite clear that split sole shoes may not be worn for vocational exams

Well done Julie, you beat me to it!! As an RAD teacher I'm pretty hot on keeping up to date with latest information and certainly didn't remember any changes of rules concerning shoes!! However will add that men can wear split soles, DS did for Adv 2. Edited April 10, 2012 by hfbrew

[hfbrew]

Something else I'd forgotten hfbrew (I'm getting seriously worried about my memory ) - about those hard soled shoes!!

They were awful things weren't they? Think my DS "lost" tem!

[Aurora]

Well I did query the details with the RAD when I got the information and what I've said above is what I was told. It is a new policy though so I guess the word hasn't got round yet.

[Aurora]

Just found the original e-mail. It's in the Members' e-news which came on 8th March. I've copied and pasted it below:

 

The RAD Examinations Board has reviewed its policy regarding the wearing of split sole shoes for Vocational Graded Examinations. The new policy is that split sole shoes may be worn for all Vocational Graded levels at the candidate’s or teacher’s discretion. This applies to soft ballet shoes, soft pointe shoes and pointe shoes according to theSpecificationrequirements. The use of split sole ballet shoes remains permissible in all Graded Examinations, Presentation Classes and Class Awards.

 

Whilst this is a change in policy, the RAD does not advise that split sole shoes should be worn for examinations or during training, and their use remains discouraged.

 

A full announcement of the change in policy will be included in the June issue of Focus on Exams, at which point the policy will be in immediate effect.

[Aurora]

My query to the RAD was whether split sole soft shoes could now be worn for Intermediate since I had never heard of split sole demi-pointes. Here's their reply:

We are not saying that flat ballet shoes will be allowed from Intermediate and above we are saying that soft and hard pointe shoes can be worn with a split sole. Apparently you can now buy split sole soft and hard pointe shoes. You are correct in saying that at Intermediate Foundation, candidates can wear flat ballet shoes or soft pointe shoes. This has always been the case and the ruling remains the same although now they can wear split soles.

[JulieW]

Thanks for that Aurora - I think they're being a bit daft really - I don't know what was wrong with the specifications the way they were! It's up to teachers what they let their students do but you'd think the RAD could carry on recommending that full-soled shoes should be worn for exams to set a good example

[Anna C]

Well well! Thank you Aurora. :-)

 

I agree; I can't see a good reason for changing their policy. Very odd!

[hfbrew]

My query to the RAD was whether split sole soft shoes could now be worn for Intermediate since I had never heard of split sole demi-pointes. Here's their reply:

We are not saying that flat ballet shoes will be allowed from Intermediate and above we are saying that soft and hard pointe shoes can be worn with a split sole. Apparently you can now buy split sole soft and hard pointe shoes. You are correct in saying that at Intermediate Foundation, candidates can wear flat ballet shoes or soft pointe shoes. This has always been the case and the ruling remains the same although now they can wear split soles.

Thankyou so much for taking the trouble to look into this Aurora as Id missed that bit of info completely! I don't agree with the ruling but my guess is that a lot of exam candidates were turning up with these shoes anyway and the rule was probably difficult to enforce - no organiser wants to turn away a student from an exam if they haven't the correct shoes, especially if the student was told by their teacher that they were ok.

[Pas de Quatre]

I am still confused - it seems in reply to Aurora the RAD are saying that it is split sole soft blocks which may be worn - I have never seen these anywhere (and I did a google search for them just now). When I was doing the teachers course recently for the new G1-3 Grades, all the teachers there understood it to mean split sole soft shoes would be allowed.

[Anna C]

It sounds as if the RAD have seen splitsole soft blocks, but I certainly haven't. There are some split sole pointe shoes around: http://www.dancewearsolutions.com/ballet/shoes/pointe/0051.aspx

 

Very confusing!

[Aurora]

I guess if people had split sole pointe shoes and deshanked them then technically they would be split sole soft pointe shoes and could be worn in the exam.

[Anna C]

Yes, that's true.

 

I can't help thinking that it would have been easier just to stick to "no split soles in Vocational Exams" and be done with it! :-)

[rowan]

My mind has gone completely boggled reading this thread! Can anyone tell me, are soft pointes, demi pointes, soft blocks all the same thing?

[Anna C]

Yes Rowan, as far as I know they are all the same thing! :-)

[balletla]

Can anyone tell me how to de-shank Freed pointe shoes? I can't even seem to make a start, they are so tough!

[Legseleven]

My daughter's RAD international vocational examiner teacher suggested that the change in policy, allowing but certainly not recommending split soles in all exams, was due to concerns about the high cost of soft pointe shoes when the RAD is a world wide organisation and holds exam sessions in some 'third world' countries and when there is also a global recession. I was under the impression that soft split soles rather than soft pointe split soles were therefore acceptable as I don't imagine that split sole pointe shoes are any cheaper than full soles..but I could be totally wrong on that!

[Aurora]

Well that's what I was hoping it would be but the reply from the RAD doesn't seem to say that I guess it'll be clarified further in June.

[tomuchtallent]

Is there a major difference in full soled or split soled soft shoes?My dd has both and i can understand the logic about full soled soft helping to strengthen feet but when my dd wears split soled soft she works through the feet much better and seems to try much more in pointing and in releves and it also makes her more confident!

[Aurora]

You'll probably find she's trying just the same in both shoes but that her feet look much nicer in the split soles, this could also boost her confidence when wearing them!

[Anna C]

The physio's view is that full soles and especially soft blocks make the feet work harder, as there is more resistance against the foot to get the same visible degree of point. So split soles might make the feet look prettier with more of a point, but they're not actually making the foot do any extra work. For non-dancers, the best example I can give is to feel the difference between pointing your foot when only wearing a sock, and pointing it when wearing slippers - your foot has to work harder to achieve the same result.

[Pas de Quatre]

There is another school of thought which believes that it is the floor which should provide the "resistance" and so split soles help dancers to use full articulation of the feet. When the feet are compressed in the block, wearing soft blocks actually weakens the intrinsic muscles of the foot.

[Pas de Quatre]

http://www.fitfordance.de/documents/gesunde_fuesse2_danceForYou-jul-aug-2004.pdf

 

This is a link to a German article which was discussed on another board. I have German speaking (mother tongue) pupils so I will try to get a summary over the next few days.

[Anna C]

That's interesting Pas de Quatre. I can understand the floor providing resistance when the foot is actually working on or with the floor, for example in a tendu - but what about all the time that the foot is off the floor?

[Klaris]

Thank you Pas de Quatre, for that information about split soles; I have felt confused about what, if any, advantages they have over full sole flats. My dd's CAT scheme asks students to wear split soles for their ballet classes - which I have never come across with any of her other ballet teachers. In fact, her RAD ballet teacher does not allow pupils to wear split soles under any circumstances.

[Shimmer]

I have used both 'proper' soft blocks and de-shanked pointe shoes and they both soften up nicely after lots of wear. The only thing I have discovered is once you have taken away toe pads and removed the shank, pointe shoes are a bit too big, whereas with soft blocks you can buy them just the right size.

I find soft blocks much nicer than than soft shoes which is fortunate as my teacher looked at me in my old satin split soles and banned me from ever wearing them again!

[Anjuli_Bai]

If the deshanked pointe shoes are a tad too big you can always wear a pair of white socks. However, if you have put in a thin foam rubber insole (because the inside bottom of the shoe is kind of rough) they shouldn't be more than just a bit too big.

 

As for wearing a split sole versus a full sole slipper - I think it depends upon the dancer's individual foot. The teacher should be able to determine who would benefit from one or the other.

 

As for soft blocks - I understand the reason they are used - but I'm not sure I agree with it and I didn't use them.

[Anna C]

Why is that Anjuli?

[Anjuli_Bai]

Why is that Anjuli?

 

First I think that it is very tempting for a young student to miss use. But aside from that......

 

I also think that learning how to balance in a pointe shoe while flat on the ground is part of learning how to use the shoe as part of pointe work. Going up from flat to pointe and coming down again is the real problem in learning how to use the shoe and balance - and both the begining of the movement (flat to pointe) and end of the movement (pointe to flat) entails balancing in the pointe shoe while flat on the floor. Without the full sequence happening completely - the movement is not learned. I don't really see the sense in taking it in parts separated by months.

 

I'm not saying that ballet movement shouldn't be taken apart and then put together - this is certainly helpful in something like pirouettes - when it is done in a "closeness of time." But when it a sequence which always happens together is taken apart and then only put together much much later in time .....I don't think learning happens as I would want it to. I want the body/mind/balance center to learn it all together as one piece; going through the foot and into (or from) plié - balanced as one piece...one smooth movement.

 

I am also not saying that soft blocks are harmful - it is just that I would prefer to teach pointe without them.

[Anna C]

Thanks Anjuli, I see what you mean. I guess my dd's situation is slightly different then as she's not wearing them as preparation for pointe, but more to "top up" the strengthening exercises she's already doing?