Freeds have long been my favorite pointe shoes. This classic British brand has been making traditional top-notch pointes forever, or so it seems. But for the past few years, New York's Gaynor Minden has been designing hi-tech shoes using new materials such as elastomer, with built-in padding - how is it that no one thought of doing that before??? They are now worn by the likes of Gillian Murphy from ABT and the Royal Ballet's divine Alina Cojocaru.
So while I will still be using Freeds sometimes, I bought a pair of Gaynor Mindens. I can't wait to try them in my pointe class next Sunday...
Emily Dickinson
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30 comments:
What a lovely blog!
oh..i am excited for you!! how wonderful that you dance ballet...
;) nancy
With inbuilt padding... such brilliance. These photos of yours fill me with nostalgia. I recall tending to my blisters after class, a small price to pay for being allowed to reach such heights.
ooo...so pretty! so ballerina-ey!
ILONA - thanks!
GRACIA - yes I totally agree, the pain is totally worth it. The sensation and experience of being on pointe is so magical that nothing else matters!
I love ballet flats!!!
Lovely post. Now dancing is something I know nothing about. Wonderful soft pix!
OMG you were a ballet dancer, how great!!!
I love ballet, wish I could have learn something.
Take care
xoxo
dance...our shared passion
Pointes look so beautiful (your shots are great) ... but they must be terribly uncomfortable to wear!
Have you bought the ribbons?
mary-laure you are so multitalented and inspiring. i love the pictures of the shoes. ¿ y Benjy qué hace en su tiempo libre? Norm is currently reading Tartuffe! Bueno, yo se lo leo a él :)
WILLOW - if you know nothing about dance, let my blog be your guide... You can also see some amazing clips on YouTube, just type in names of famous dancers like Rudolf Nureyev or Sylvie Guillem in the search box.
THE SEEKER - well I'm by no means a pro, just a little amateur.
TRAVELER'S SOUL - dance brought us together.
WORLD IN A PAN - yes, I bought ribbons and elastics. I still have to sew them on...
SEALAURA - en su tiempo libre, Benjy juega al futbol, pasea por la playa, lee mucho... Le mandamos un gran beso a Norman...
These pictures are so familiar and strange go me in the same time. Like them.
Love those! And I do wish I'd had padded shoes when doing ballet, it used to hurt like heck those first few months lol.
How dreamy. You are living a fantasy of mine. Tell us more about the pointe shoes.
TRAVELER'S SOUL - familiar because you are a dancer and strange because you don't dance on pointe, you're a boy!
DAPPER KID - how COOL that you did ballet, ballet rules!
TANGOBABY - I'll tell you more in another post about pointes... Stay tuned.
Awww, I wanted to have a ballet shoes!!
Another beautiful moment with you! Just when you thought nothing else could be invented...pointe shoes with self-padding...(and, what about wheels on suitcases)?
Toe shoes...wow...memories of when I was 14 taking ballet class and using toe shoes for the first time. They hurt my feet, and ballet did make my toes go inwards a bit....but I just loved it.
SPANGLER CUMMINGS - LOL
RAINING SHEEP - I didn't know you were a dancer!
Yes, the pain is totally worth it, because the beauty of it is just so amazing. I just love it.
wow, you are a real ballerina, and ballet shoes must be so important, how long have you danced?
what a lovely thing to be able to dance.
have a good day,
Solange
wow, I love it!
fantastic photos!
I wonder if you keep all your ballet shoes like relics...
oh they are just fabulous!
SOLANGE - well, I don't know about being a REAL ballerina, I'm just an amateur and truth be told, I'm not very good!
I took some really not serious classes when I was little, and fell in LOVE with all things ballet. A few years ago in Paris I decided to go back to ballet. I've been taking several classes a week ever since.
ARTYCHO - you know, I can't BEAR to throw them away even though when they're used they're useless. I have a big bag at my parents' place, filled with old pointe shoes! It's just ridiculous.
Though I no longer dance, I will always have a weakness for beautiful ballet shoes from my childhood! Padding, how ingenious! Have a wonderful weekend.
ANNECHOVIE - it's to bad you no longer dance... I think that when one has danced as a child, one holds ballet dear for ever.
Beautiful! Don't know much about pointes or ballet yet, but my daughter just started lessons, and I just love to watch them dancing.. so cute.
Lovely photos of your ballet shoes!
I love the photo in your sidebar too... I have it saved... plan is to paint it one of these days!
Hope your new shoes work out!!!
ENJOY!
Fifi
STARDUST - how old is your daughter? It's very important not to let her start pointe before the age of 12, which they do in some schools, because the foot bones are still soft and it can DESTROY the foot.
FIFI - Oh I just so love it when you paint my pictures! Such an honor.
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