Tag: ballet spotlight

Letting Go of the Barre: How to Keep from Falling Apart in Center

She just retired as a principal with Pacific Northwest Ballet, but as a teenager, Maria Chapman struggled to gain control of her flexibility. “I looked pretty good at the barre,” she says, “but I was relying on it way too much, and focusing exclusively on what my legs and feet were doing.” Without the barre’s […]

Shank Strategies

Super-hard shanks can make new pointe shoes feel like bricks on your feet. That’s why dancers have come up with tons of clever ways to bend, cut, score and tape their shanks—adjustments that can significantly improve a shoe’s performance. It’s a highly personalized process, and often a complete game-changer. Here are a few of the […]