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Question: I am about to get my first pointe shoe!.!.!.!.!.HELP!!!!
I was so happy when my teacher said i was ready, but now i am nervous that i won't be able to go up in front of my teacher when i get fitted!. Is that normal!?!?!?!? also how bad does pointe shoes hurt!?!?!? i am so excited to get them but scared at the same time!?!!?!!?!!?!!? any advice for first time pointe work!?!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Congratulations! You must be a strong and really good dancer to be dancing on pointe!

It's totally normal to get nervous the first time you get fitted for them!. Especially in front of your teacher!. Try not to be though!. People realize that you're going to be nervous and that you're new at it!. There's nothing to be afraid of!.

To be honest!.!.!.they hurt a lot for the first year or so until you develop callouses, etc!. The more you dance, the more easy and less painful it will become!. Maybe try some gaynor minden pointe shoes!.!.!.my first pair were capezios but I actually ended up liking gaynor's much more!. Way more comfortable!.

Do lots of releves at home!. When you're brushing your teeth or something like that!. Whenever you find the time to do them!.!.!.do them!.!.it will help strenghthen your ankles even more!. : )

Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Congrats!! I remember how exciting it was getting my first pair!. I recommend not using any padding at first to toughen up your skin!. This is going to hurt a lot but it gets better!. after a while if you find that you have problem areas address them acordingly (ie big toe cushion, bandaids) Www@QuestionHome@Com

It takes a lot of practice to be able to balance en pointe without a barre!. Don't worry about that, it will come!. =)
The level of pain depends on what brand of shoe you have and if you use any extra cushion!. I'd recommend using Ouch Pouch toe pads and a little lamb's wool if necessary!. Just place the wool in the end of your shoe or the end of your toe pad!. However, it's not always necessary and make sure that your shoe still fits right!. Some people also need gel spacers to place between their toes if they overlap!.
Make sure that you keep your toe nails clipped!. They can create terrible pressure points if they're too long and that it really painful!. On the other hand, don't clip them too short or that is quite painful as well!. Try to keep them so that there's no white, or about to where you nail connects with your skin!. This is vital because you don't want to end up with ingrown toenails either!.
You should talk to the other dancers at your studio who are already en pointe and see what they do!. Part of it is also learning through trial and error!. If one thing isn't quite working try another!.
And some tips: Always go up onto pointe with a straight knee!. That is very important because it looks clumsy and messy otherwise!.
also, try to get over your shoe as much as possible!. Don't over do it and strain any muscles but try to make sure that you're on top of the platform!.
Most importantly, have fun! Don't get discouraged because you're not as good as you'd like to be yet!. It takes time to build the extra strength and balance and to learn about pointe in a way that can only be done through experience!. It's okay to be nervous, pointe can be scary sometimes, but you'll get used to it and love it!

Have fun and good luck! =)Www@QuestionHome@Com