A WORD ON POINTE SHOES....and a couple other things.

                                                   
              For those of you who have no idea what pointe shoes are; in the most basic sense, they are ballet shoes. They are the ones that you see in fancy ballet productions that allow the dancers to appear to be breaking their feet, legs, body, etc. by standing, dancing and jumping on their toes.  I happen to be a dancer and I happen to be trained en pointe. What I would like to do today is rid people of their ignorance of the profession of dance.  If you're like my father, when you think of dancers, you probably mockingly press a fingertip to the top of your head and twirl around like a deranged ostrich.  If it is your desire to continue looking like an idiot and believeing that dancing is lame, then do not read this.  Otherwise, stay.  I'd like to educate you.

              Something you should realize is that pointe shoes are not kind, loving contraptions.  They are beautiful and, by definition, are therefore also painful.  The suffering that they inflict, however, is greatly exaggerated.  From the outside of a pointe shoe, a dancer appears to be standing literally on her toes (yes, hers. Male dancers do not have the appropriate proportions to support themselves on the shoes), when in fact, all of the pressure and weight from her body is actually directed through the knuckles of the feet.  This is why so many dancers are known for having unpleasantly hideous feet due to the bugnons that they eventually develop.  Delicious, right?

              A few nights ago my brother criticized me for complaining that my muscles were sore after four hours of dance class.   He said that I shouldn't be such a baby because dance class couldn't possibly be a real workout.  He claimed that Karate class is far more intense and that I was just exaggerating for attention.  That was when I tore his soul out.  Try making it through even an hour of dance class, never mind four.  Not only is it necessary to have extreme stamina, but you must also possess unbeliebable flexibility.  Add pointe shoes to that, and you've got yourself a thrill!  In case you happen to think that dancing, particularly ballet, is inferior to team sports played in large stadiums and arenas, consider this: ballet is actually often used as a foundation for sports such as hockey.  It teaches and engrains balance and poise, as well as amazing strength in muscles not normally used in everyday life.  These are all necessary ingredients in a good athlete. 

              A common issue today, as always, is the lack of male dancers.  There is a popular stigma that comes with a man who chooses this profession: that they are inevitably homosexual.  This is, of course, nothing but a stereotype.  It is false as often as it is accurate.  Unfortunately (and because men all seem to have an underlying masculinity complex), a lot of guys seem to think that by dancing, they are diminishing their so-called 'manhood'.  ...Honestly?? Let us analyze the male mind for a moment.  Men love women.  A man can prove how 'manly' he is to other men (apparently) by the number of girls he can...ahem...catch.  For all you guys out there; I'll let you in on a little secret.  Dance class is a magical place where masses of sweaty girls work out in skimpy clothing.  Need I say more?

             Anyways, in case any of you are interested, this is an absolutely amazing choreography by Wade Robson, performed by Cirque du Soleil on So You Think You Can Dance. A friend of mine actually showed it to me. Enjoy!



   http://youtu.be/PNSw9bRP5n4