Ballet Today

Although ballet still uses the same positions and most of the same technique, the old ways of ballet are becoming obsolete. Ballet has changed a lot through ages from shoes, and dancewear to who dances and who doesn’t.

A long, long time ago, when dancing still took place in the royal courts, the shoes dancers wore were not designed for dance. Today, soft shoes, and pointe shoes are worn, and are designed specifically for every type of dancer. Pointe shoes are a ballet slipper hardened with glue, for support, as the dancer rolls up from the heel through the ball of their foot in order to stand on their toes. There are hundreds of different types of pointe shoes that a dancer can choose form. There are different vamps for different lengths of toes, different shanks for different strengths of arches, different wing heights for different “thickness” of a dancer’s foot, and different shapes of the overall shoe for the wide variety of shapes of the feet. In classical ballet pointe shoes are preferred for performing. They elongate the leg and make for a more elegant, beautiful recital. Pointe shoes are used during class also, in order to strengthen and prepare the feet, but soft shoes are also used. Soft shoes are little, “floppy” slippers that also come in a wide variety for the wide variety of dancer feet. For the most part, soft shoes and pointe shoes have been made the same way for hundreds of years, but recently, pointe shoe companies are coming up with new technology. For example, Bloch (pronounced “block”) has come out with something new called TMT or thermoMorphtechnology. When a dancer receives their shoes, they can heat the shank and vamp of the shoe with a hair dryer, and bend the shoe where desired break in is wanted. The shoe is then put in the refrigerator to “set” the shoe, so it stays in the shape the dancer wants. This new “technology” helps a dancer to easily customize and break in their shoes.

As far as dancewear goes, the wearing of long heavy dresses has long since terminated, and it is no longer shocking to see a dancer’s ankles. The leotard was introduced, and is now a dancing necessity. A leotard is like a one piece bathing suit, but more trendy, and easier to dance in. Bare legs have never seemed smart for a dancer, because the muscles are always wanted to keep warm, so ballerinas wear tights. Tights are like transparent nylon/supplex/spandex leggings that cover the feet. They no longer itch, become stretched out, and they move with a dancer better than they did thirty years ago. Dancewear is always fitted so a dance teacher can see exactly what the dancers joints, limbs, and muscles are doing.

Long ago, the “dance industry” exploited against women and only allowed men to twirl and skip as they liked. But now, it’s the women who shine in the ballet world. When romantic themes emerged, the women was needed more to play the lead women roles. As ballet escalated in popularity, women ballerinas became more well known then ever before. Now, the term prima ballerina, or principal dancer is used for the lady (or man) that assumes the lead role of a company ballet production. The women prima ballerina roles usually consist of difficult, delicate, and dynamic choreography. And a man’s role usually consists of very large jumps and continuing turns, while he also has the job of making the ballerina look beautiful.

There is also a constant pressure in the dance world to stay thin. A lot of dance companies won’t accept a woman who is over 110 pounds. Companies also look for the long, tall women with long graceful limbs. So, although a dancer can be very talented at what she does, she may not be accepted as “beautiful” to dance companies if she weighs over 110 pounds and is below average height. Men have similar problems with dance companies, but women have the hardest time with this.

To conclude, ballet sticks closely to its origins, and has needed a push to modernize. Many things that have not been accepted initially, are now a traditional, everyday part of a dancers life.

Works Cited
"The History of Ballet." Tip Toe Dancewear. 10 Sept. 2008 .

Ellis-Chirstensen, Tricia. "What is Ballet?" Wise Geek. 2003. 15 Sept. 2008 .