Hello Everybody!<BR>I was wondering if anbody had any usefull methods for breaking in pointe shoes. I don't have the best arches but i was wondering if there were any methods that can help break in your shoe. i heard bending the shank in a door works. Does it? Thanks!

<BR>I used to break in my pointe shoes by gently GENTLY working on the box and wings with my hands - to soften them a little. And then lots of relevés. Nothing extreme like slamming in doors and such.<p>[This message has been edited by Basheva (edited June 02, 2001).]

I know and have known lots of dancers who use hammers (including Gelsey Kirkland) but I don't recommend it unless you have extremely hard Russian shoes. I agree with Basheva..lots of releves..it will help strengthen your feet too! <P>------------------<BR><BR>"If it's self expression you are looking for the place for you is the analyst's couch" - Merce Cunningham

What are releves again? Are they the ones where you go up onto demi pointe or pointe in the position without beding your knees?

Yes, you're right, that's a relevé

hm, i thought relevés were the ones in which you bent your knees to go on demi-pointe/pointe. rises are the ones which you go up without bending your knees?

Let's see.....as I was taught it and as I taught it...relevés are with the plié and elevé without the plié. However, this seems to be very individual with different teachers.<P>Anyway - lots of relevé, and elevé for breaking in pointe shoes. And just walking around in them will help too.

releves have a plie, then either a spring or roll up to pointe, depending on the school of technique. the rise is actually an eleve. in an eleve you don't plie, instead you roll up from stright legs. hope i helped.

Hey!<BR>Well No offense but my original question was breaking in pointe shoes and not on releves and rises so if anybody else has methods that work please reply! Thanks a lot!<BR>*Courtney*

You might want to read this thread Courtney:<P><BR><A HREF=../../../ubb/Forum19/HTML/000002.html><B>HOW DO YOU PREPARE YOUR POINTE SHOES AND PROTECT YOUR FEET</B></A><P>There is a lot of good information on that thread. <P><p>[This message has been edited by Basheva (edited June 02, 2001).]

Sorry i went off track, Courtney

It's ok, Pearl.....

hey Court! <BR>I did break my pointe shoes in using a door, and it worked pretty well, just make sure that it is in the right spot for your arches!!

Hello Andy - it is a pleasure to see you - glad you have joined us!!<P><BR>I saw someone do that once and the entire door jamb broke. It was at ballet class and the teacher WAS NOT HAPPY about that. The student had to pay for a carpenter to come in and fix the door jamb. That meant that the parents of the student WERE NOT HAPPY either. LOL<P>I really do think it is better to work the shoes in your hands, or you can take a mallet (the round head side of a hammer) and place a piece of cloth over your shoes and GENTLY hit them with the mallet.<P>Just think if you put your shoes in a door jamb - and you get the wrong spot on your shoe shank and they break - really break - you are out quite a bit of money.

Very true! I just did it gently, and at my own house, to soften up the toe block.