Instead of the traditional glass slipper, this weekend’s Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre production of Cinderella involves a glass ballet shoe. This notion made us wonder--how important is the perfect fit for a professional ballerina? Pittsburgh Ballet Principal dancers Alexandra Kochis and Julia Erickson give us a peek at the world of a dancer and her toe shoes.
Professional Ballerinas Speaking On Pointe
1 of
New and broken in pointe shoes
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
2 of
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Alexandra Kochis
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
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Alexandra darning a new shoe
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
4 of
Alexandra Sewing Elastic Ribbons
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
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Alexandra cutting the shank with her Home Depot scissors
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
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Alexandra flattening the box on a new pair of pointe shoes
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
7 of
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Julia Erickson
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
8 of
Julia uses pointe shoes made from a different material than most
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
9 of
Julia uses drawstring and elastic in her shoes
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
10 of
Keeping a constant rotation of pointe shoes for various uses
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
