One Ballerina’s Love Affair With Pointe Shoes, Part III.
When I first began wearing pointe shoes, we wore them twice a week for 15 minutes at the end of class, so one pair of shoes would last many months. By the time I was an upper-division dancer at the School of American Ballet I would go through several pairs in a week. At $60 a pop this was prohibitively expensive. (Today’s prices are even more so; a recent visit to the Freed of London website showed a current price of $94 per pair, and Capezio shoes ranged from $63-79 per pair).
Luckily the School of American Ballet provided a solution: the infamous shoe room. The shoe room was filled with shelf after shelf of New York City Ballet company cast-offs, those shoes deemed unacceptable by various company members for various reasons. Some were obvious, like a lumpy box on a pair of pointe shoes but most were serviceable. School of American Ballet students were able to avail themselves of the shoe room and purchase shoes for the incredibly low price of $15. It was a bargain that was too good to pass up.
However, using the shoe room came with a different price: an inordinate amount of time spent waiting. The shoe room was only open a few hours per week for two hours at a time and we were only allowed in to browse one at a time. (Why this was the case remains an unexplained mystery). However, we never questioned the rules and learned to wait patiently outside the door until Miss Finn, school secretary and steadfast gatekeeper of the shoe room announced our turn.
The shoe room was a tiny little room adjacent to the girls’ dressing room. Okay, it was a closet… but a luxuriously large closet as closets go – any janitor would have been overjoyed to call it headquarters… But this humble closet was a hot spot, the stuff of legend to any newcomer who had not yet ventured inside – it was the difference between affording a new pair of pointe shoes or trying to revive an old pair by pouring polyeurethane in the boxes and baking them in the oven.
Once inside, a decision had to be made as quickly as possible, since time was always running short and a line of other dancers waited just on the other side of the door. Anyone who took too long was sure to hear about it from the others. One boy took so long choosing his (leather) ballet slippers that the entire line of waiting dancers grumbled. “What are you doing in there?” someone finally asked. His muffled reply through door: “Killing the cow.”
Most New York City Ballet dancers wore pointe shoes from Freed of London. The leather soles of the shoes had symbols stamped into them, indicating the “maker” of the shoe. If you already knew which dancer’s shoes (and maker) you preferred, it was easy to grab a few pairs and try them on to see which ones felt best. When the selection(s) were made, you exited and paid Miss Finn and it was the next person’s turn.
It always felt satisfying to leave the shoe room with a pile of shoes. But then again, it also meant a whole lot of sewing since each pair needed ribbons and elastic. Even so, an armload of pink satin is a beautiful thing.
How pointe shoes are made… A clue to why they are so expensive…
Ashley Bouder, NYCB:
Though she’s not sure how many pairs she wears in a season, Bouder typically uses one pair per performance, but if she’s dancing a full-length ballet such as Swan Lake, she’ll use at least two pairs in one night.
Gaylor Minden’s guidelines:
The average life of a pointe shoe is somewhere between 4-12 HOURS of dancing. If your daughter is en pointe 15 minutes per class twice per week, her shoes may last 8-20 weeks. If your daughter is en pointe for a 1 . hour class followed by 2 hours of rehearsal 3 times per week, she may be lucky to get 3-4 weeks of use out of a pair of shoes.
Soloist Callie Manning, Miami City Ballet on preparing shoes:
Every dancer prepares their shoes differently. It can take years of trial and error to find what works best for you. Some of my tricks include: using super glue to make my pointe shoes EXTRA hard and last longer; stitching around the tips (this is called “darning”) to make a nice flat platform; and I also sew an inch of elastic into each ribbon to give them a little stretch. When we are performing I can go through roughly 2-4 pairs per week (even after adding 8 tubes of super glue per pair). It can sometimes take me up to 45 minutes from start to finish to prepare my shoes.
“Bunheads” by Sophie Flack, Discussed by Another Ballerina
I just finished reading Sophie Flack’s “Bunheads”, a gritty, true-to-life story about Hannah Ward, a nineteen-year-old ballet dancer who has been happily devoting herself to the rigors of ballet life with the prestigious Manhattan Ballet: classes, rehearsals, performances and complicated backstage relationships. When she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, her life changes, and she is forced to decide what she really wants her future to look like.
I have to admit that I felt a little bit ill reading some of the descriptions of Hannah’s life. It all brought me back to my own experiences as a ballet dancer. What many people don’t realize is that the life of a ballet dancer isn’t always pretty; it requires an inhumane level of work and dedication without offering much in the way of fair compensation. Ballet is an all-or-nothing proposition – there’s really no time for much of anything else.
While the practice of ballet has much to offer an individual (like balance, coordination, musicality, spatial awareness and discipline) the lifestyle does not. The dream of becoming a professional ballerina is quite alluring to many who remain ignorant of the cold, hard realities of a dancer’s life. “Bunheads” puts it all in the spotlight.
For instance, many ballet companies require dancers to work six days a week, with Mondays off. That’s more work days than most typical jobs in the country. It’s a well-known fact that a dancer’s pay is not very high, but most people probably don’t know that dancers go on unemployment every year for part of the year since most contracts don’t offer a full year’s worth of work. This is true even for dancers with New York City Ballet, one of the most well-known (and well-financed) ballet companies in the US.
Just as Hannah Ward’s character demonstrates, a dancer’s day starts early (around 9am, when they get ready for the obligatory morning ballet class) and ends late (often after 11 pm, after an evening performance). For most, it isn’t enough to simply show up for classes, rehearsals and performances. The ongoing pursuit of perfection (through extra dance rehearsals, pilates, yoga, and strength training classes) is an integral part of a ballerina’s job description. There’s just enough time to fall into bed exhausted, only to wake up the next day and start all over again.
Let’s not forget the added pressure of maintaining an ultra-slim physique, which is no easy feat to begin with and often involves developing some unhealthy eating habits. Smoking and binge eating are some of the techniques that the characters in “Bunheads” employ to stay thin. One of the principal dancers only eats white foods (and it comes as no surprise when she collapses and ends up in the hospital).
Then, too, there are the people who are in charge of running the whole show. In “Bunheads”, the artistic director constantly pits dancers against on another by giving them the same role, which forces them to compete with one another, upping the ante. There is never a word of kindness or encouragement uttered during the entire length of the book, despite the brutal workload – even after stellar reviews in the newspaper. The environment of the ballet company is highly competitive and completely lacking in positive reinforcement.
Over the years I’ve had several parents ask about how to help their daughters start ballet careers and I’ve advised them to really educate themselves about the realities before making that decision. “Bunheads” might be the perfect required reading.
Interview With Zippora Karz, Author and Ex-Soloist With New York City Ballet
Zippora Karz is a former soloist ballerina with the New York City Ballet where she performed from 1983 through 1999. She was featured in a variety of roles choreographed by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins (The Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker being one of her favorites) as well as works choreographed for her by such choreographers as Peter Martins and Lynne Taylor Corbett. Diagnosed with juvenile diabetes in 1987, just as she was being featured in solo roles, she found a way to continue to live her dream despite her illness. She now serves as a teacher and repetiteur for the George Balanchine Trust, rehearsing and staging Balanchine’s choreography for a host of national and international dance companies. She is also a diabetes spokesperson and educator who regularly addresses major diabetes conferences and organizations worldwide. In addition to her memoir, The Sugarless Plum, published in 2009, Zippora writes a regular column for the Huffington Post. She lives in Los Angeles, California.
photo by Mark Harmel
Which tools have been the most helpful during your most challenging moments?
I have always been passionate about health, physically and emotionally, long before I was diagnosed with diabetes. So when I was diagnosed I set out to learn everything I could about how to take care of my body. But equally important was learning to accept the things I could not control, as my life took an unexpected turn and I felt my dreams slipping away. It was a very long process, one I am still on, desiring to fulfill my personal potential, but having to redefine what that potential might encompass. For example, my potential as a ballerina before diabetes was different than my potential after my diagnosis. I had to learn to let go of the perfectionist voice in my head and heart that wanted to be the best I could be as I was before my diabetes, even though everything was now different. My new best would have to be good enough.
Describe the happiest moment(s) of your dance career.
I’m not one to get ecstatic over certain experiences. A sense of peace came about when I accepted my situation and found myself able to maintain my life as a soloist with NYCB, and as an insulin dependent diabetic.
But I will say that those youthful “happy” moments, if I looked for them, I would have to be before I joined the company, my school years at SAB (official school of NYCB). George Balanchine was still alive, as were many of the great teachers on faculty, like Stanley Williams, Suki Schorer (still there today) and Alexandra Danilova. Every day, in class, I felt inspired. The future held unlimited possibilities. It was a magical time in the ballet world. As that generation of greatness passed away, I felt personally less inspired.
How has your background as a dancer helped you with the work you are doing today?
The life of a dancer is full of discipline and rewards for hours of practice and focus. Dance teaches us that it is the process that is important. That the transition from one step to the next, not just how high you jump or how many turns you do are important. And so in life, it is the moments in between, not just the big events that hold great meaning.
How did you find the strength and willpower to continue dancing while you were struggling with diabetes?
My struggle was for many years. In part denial fueled my strength, and in part my passion for dance kept me going. In the beginning years I had absolutely no idea what I had ahead of me. Once I accepted my diabetes and realized how difficult it was to try to perform and dance all day on shots of insulin, even though I often wanted to quit, I just couldn’t. I had to try everything I could before saying I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to regret chances not taken. To dance was to live.
What are some of the key points that you share with people during your public speaking engagements?
I talk about my denial and the ways it put me in harms way, mis- judging how to manage my diabetes. How my denial affected my ability to properly discuss my struggles with my doctor. How vitally important it is for us to tend to our physical and emotional health. And of course how important dreams and passion are in life, and that by taking care of our health we can better achieve those goals.
Do you use dance when you work with people who have diabetes? If so, how do you use it?
Not always, but sometimes I do little routines, simple exercise that get people up and moving. I like to remind them how fun it can be to move, exercise does not have to be something you have to do, and are in trouble with your physician if you don’t. It can be fun and a joy! Of course the kids love to move, so with them I like to challenge their balance and also push them with some fun yet difficult moves.
How did you deal with feelings of fear when you received your diagnosis? How were you able to move past those fears?
I was in such denial I didn’t really feel fear in the beginning. And when the denial wore off I didn’t feel well, so I’d say I felt more defeated and overwhelmed than fearful. It was daunting to imagine how I’d ever get back to feeling strong enough to dance the schedule demanded of me. Of course that changed as I learned to manage my diabetes and get my health in some semblance of control. Once I was on track the fear was in the form of a low level of worry, could I maintain this life as an insulin dependent diabetic? Everyday I wondered that.
And then, when I had a low blood sugar attack while performing the fear was much more immediate, throwing fast acting sugar in my mouth between entrances hoping I would not pass out on stage.
In your opinion, what are the most effective ways of dealing with diabetes?
Anyone with diabetes must check their blood sugar levels, take their medication (insulin or pills), eat a healthy diet, and tend to their emotional health. I find people have trouble sticking to a program, often due to emotional issues. The clearer we can be with what is in our hearts, the more we will be able to follow what our brain knows is the right path. But keeping close to normal blood sugar levels is important to avoid the devastating complications related to diabetes.
How and why did you decide to write the Sugarless Plum? How long did it take you to write the book?
I’d been sharing my story for about 10 years, and been told so many times I should write a book, that I had it in my mind to do one day. But it was only after my mother was diagnosed with Cancer that I sat down and began writing. Watching her go through many of the same issues, the denial, the mis-diagnosis, all the conflicting information, and the emotional confusion, I realized my story is not just a diabetic one, that the issues involved are universal.
Finding an agent who believed I had a story took 2 years. Actually I wanted to write a diet and exercise book, but could not find an agent. When I met my agent, she said she could not sell another self help book, but she could sell it as a memoir. The actual writing process took about 1 ½ years.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Finding a passion in life, something that makes us feel connected, that has meaning and value is important for us all. And we must take care of our physical bodies to be able to experience that magic that life can offer.
To find out more about Zippora or her book, The Sugarless Plum, click here.
Preparing For Performance- Terpsichore Diaries Part IV
If you’ve ever wondered what goes into getting prepared for a dance performance…
suffice to say it’s a lot. We have less than three weeks of countdown until our first performances as a company. Although we have been rehearsing for the past few months, we are still refining the beginning and closing segments of choreography. They must be fine-tuned because Trails and Vistas is not your typical performance venue; the show will occur outside along a trail, with the audience standing and no clearly delineated performance space.
Right now we are working out the following…
• Crowd management: we plan to use props (large decorated staffs) to indicate the border of our performance area.
• Our characters: the archetypes we will embody during performance.
• Moving around during the opening and closing chants instead of standing still, as originally planned.
• Clearly indicating the end of a dance that has no music. If we stand still long enough, will it be obvious?
We both have quite a bit going on in our personal lives…
busy work lives, household changes of casts of characters, injured children, anniversaries… it’s interesting juggling it all. While we may not always have full-blown energy by the time we arrive at rehearsals, we always arrive and we always accomplish something. The piece moves forward. We move forward as performers. Our relationship as fellow dance company members continues to grow.
We will need to be in tip-top condition for the show…
since we will end up doing this piece at least twenty times over the course of two days… at over 6,000 feet altitude. I devote time each day to improving my (cardiovascular) level of fitness- the dog and I run up the trail behind my daughter’s school. Here’s how I’m getting fit:
• a million sit-ups (which I hate, in my heart of hearts, and can only do if I put on inspiring music)
• push-ups
• free weights for arm strength
• core-strengthening exercises like plank pose
• plies, plies and more plies
And dancing as often as possible, of course. The most exciting part of the whole venture is that these performances are merely a beginning of things to come in the future. Even as we prepare for the end results on September 17th and 18th, we are already planning the next performances… and the next.
The other day as I was perusing an article about New York City Ballet, I was shocked to see that one of my ex-colleagues is still dancing with them. And then I realized that I am doing the same thing… only I’m doing it on my terms. I’ve got to admit it feels good.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Becoming a Professional Dancer: The Fine Points
Becoming a professional dancer requires one to have certain characteristics and abilities. How do you know if you’ve got what it takes? According to the U.S. Department of Labor, they are:
• self-discipline, patience, perseverance, and a devotion to dance
• good problem-solving skills
• an ability to work well with others and function as part of a team
• good health and physical stamina
• flexibility, agility, coordination, and grace
• a sense of rhythm and feeling for music
• creative ability to express themselves through movement
• finally, be highly motivated and prepared to face the anxiety of intermittent employment and rejections when looking for work.
It can be argued that this list is incomplete because it fails to mention one last key ingredient: body type.
In 2001, eight-year-old Fredrika Keefer auditioned for the San Francisco Ballet School and was told she did not have the “physical attributes that the school looks for”, namely “a well-proportioned, slender body.” Fredrika’s mother filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging size-biased discrimination. The lawsuit created a heated debate among feminists and advocates of affirmative action, as well as professional dancers. Toni Bentley, a former dancer with the New York City Ballet, asked rhetorically, “Should music students be admitted to the Juilliard School who are tone deaf and to medical schools with C and D grade averages? Should short guys be hired by the NBA? Should round little girls be admitted to professional ballet schools, thereby being subjected to a competitive discipline for which they are at a disadvantage?”
Ballet companies are particularly notorious for being particular about issues of weight and size, particularly after the introduction of the Balanchine ballerina, a willowy, long-limbed, long-necked creature that has become the industry standard in the decades. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of dancers fit the bill.
The professional dance world looks for slender dancers and there is no escaping that reality. As dance students mature and look for employment in dance companies, the demand for perfection and physical prowess becomes all the more intense. Weight management is expected – and discussed any time a dancer’s weight fluctuates enough to tip the scale of disapproval.
In other words, weight is a constant issue for dancers. In essence, the San Francisco Ballet School did Fredrika Keefer a favor by preventing her from entering an arena where she could not hope to compete. If an eight-year-old dance student already has weight issues, chances are there will never be a place for her in the professional ballet world.
Why not examine other options? If a child loves ballet, then she can take classes at a different ballet school that is not so highly competitive. Ballet classes hold obvious merits for all types of dancers and athletes, and learning to move gracefully is a lifelong gift for anyone. A firm foundation in ballet technique will serve any dancer well as they pursue other forms of dance that may not be quite so strict about body type. Modern dance, theatrical dance and traditional or folkloric dance companies are a few examples to consider.
In the end, dancers choose to dance because of their love for it. While an individual may not be cut out for a spot in a leading professional dance company, there are countless other stages and opportunities available if one is willing to look for them.
For info about a dancer’s diet, click here.
ballet goes graphic
May 24, 2010 by admin
Filed under must-haves
Title: to dance: a ballerina’s graphic novel
Author: Siena Cherson Siegel, Illustrator: Mark Siegel
Ages:8-12
Publisher: Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 2006
ISBN: 978-0689867477
The world of a young ballerina springs to life on the pages of this colorful, gripping tale. Each page details the daily routines, thoughts, and dreams of a dancer as she moves to New York City to study at the School of American Ballet.
A fantastic read for anyone who loves ballet and wonders what the life of a dancer is like, the graphic novel format makes the story all the more real. George Balanchine, partnering class, pointe shoes, schoolwork, and the hum of New York are only part of the picture. In the end, the love of dance is what shines through.
