Pointe Shoe Appeal

Pointe shoes are designed to make the dancing look magical and give a sense that the ballerina is floating on air across the stage. The pointe shoe is a seamless extension of a ballerina’s body

No. A dancer goes through a process of “breaking the pointe shoe in” and each dancer has her own special approach to breaking in their pointes.

Some typical ways that dancers prepare their pointes to wear include:

• Darning the point of the shoe, known as the “platform of the box”, This is done to provide traction and prevent the satin from fraying.
• Pounding the box of the pointe shoe with a hammer to soften it.
• Roughing up of the sole with a file to increase grip.
• Lining the inside of the shoe with floor wax or shellac which helps to mould the shoe and last longer.
• Sewing on ribbons and elastics.

A pointe shoe does not last long- sometimes only for one major performance, depending on the ballet. A dancer may rotate up to 6 pointe shoes in a performance.

One pair of pointe shoes costs our Company around $60, with a pair of flats costing around $30, depending on the manufacturer. With each of our 60 dancers going through 1 – 2 pairs per week, plus ribbons, elastics, dyes, and other art-finishing materials added in, the cost of shoes to Queensland Ballet is significant.

You may like to consider one of these donation amounts if you’d like to support our appeal:

• $60 – pointe shoes for one dancer
• $120 – 1 pair of flats for 4 dancers
• $180 – pointe shoes for 3 dancers
• $360 – one month supply of pointe shoes for one dancer
• $740 – two month supply of flats for two dancers
• $900 – one pair of flats for each of our 30 male dancers
• $1800 – one pair of pointes shoes for each of our 30 ballerinas
• $2700 - one pair of pointes or flats for each of our 60 dancers