Transcripts
1. Welcome to the course!: Preparing your point shoes
properly is crucial when it comes to giving yourself
enough support on points, as well as allowing yourself to dance to
your full potential, feeling secure in
your print sheets. In this course, we're going
to look at the terminology, the different parts
of a point sheet. We're then going
to look at how to sew ribbons and the last sticks. Our next lesson, we'll look at darkening the tips
of the pointe shoes. And we'll finish with how to tie your point shoes securely
around your ankle. Then have a class projects, and you'll find this
in the project and resources section of this page. I'm Kate. I'm a
professional ballet dancer, teacher and director
of my ballet couch. This course is designed for dancers who are maybe
just about to start point work or who are
new to point work and haven't learned yet how to sew their ribbons
and plastics, done the box or the
platform of their shoe. Or who haven't learned
properly how to tie the ribbons of their
shoes around the ankles. Good luck and I look forward
to seeing your results.
2. Things to know before we start: So to start, let's
have a look at what the different parts of a
plant you are cool off. Let's start with the
biggest part of the shoe, and this is the box. The box covers the entire
lower part of the shoe, so where the toes and
the metatarsals go. Then at the bottom of the box, you'll find the platform. This is where the dancers
stands when they go on point, we'll be looking at the platform later when we start donning. If you go from the platform
to the drawstring, this is called the vamp. And then along the
sides of the shoes, this is called the wing. There are a few
different themes, but we need to know
the heels seem because later when we're sewing one of our plastics on the
heel of the shoe, we're going to use
the heel seem as a visual reference for
where to. So the elastic. Now let's have a look at
a few different types of stitches that
you'll need to know for both sewing and Danny. Starting with a running stitch, this is probably one of the
easiest stitches you can do. It's very simple as the needle simply presses in
through the material, pull it back out again
at the length of one stitch and then
you just repeat this. A backstitch involves starting off a bit like a running stitch, but then you're going
to go back on yourself. Press the needle
through the material, push the needle back
out again at the length of one stitch, and repeat this. So every time you bring the
needle out of the material, you're going to go
back on yourself. This makes the stitch a lot more resilient than a
standard running stitch. Now, a stem stitch is kind of the opposite
of a backstitch. Or rather if you were
to turn your material over and look on the inside of the
material of a backstitch, you would find a stem stitch. You're going to start
pressing your needle through, going in the opposite direction. Pull it out. And then you're going to go
back over yourself, but in the direction
that you want to. So n, we're just going to
repeat this over and over. Next we have a blanket stitch. Now I'm going to put
a little asterisks next to this because we're not going to do a
typical blanket stitch with our darkening. We're actually going to do
a slightly modified version where we leave the tail end of our thread or dawning string along the line of
where we want to down. Again, this is
going to reinforce the stage so that we have a much stronger, thicker platform. I'll blanket stitch starts
by pressing the needle going in the opposite direction
of where we want to Dan, so that you leave the tail
end of your thread behind. Then you're going
to press the needle underneath this
remaining thread, pull it through until
you have a loop. Then going to catch the
loop with your needle and pull so that you end up with something that
looks a bit like this. You're then going to repeat
this all the way along whilst keeping the tail end of
the thread nice and taut. So you should end up with something that looks
a bit like this. We're now going to look at
one more type of stitch. This is going to
be a chain stitch. Now, I'm not actually
going to demonstrate a chain stitch during
the donning lessons, but I want you to have an additional option
to a blanket stitch. So a chain stitch starts
similarly to a blanket stitch in that you press
the needle going in the opposite direction of
where you'll be traveling. However, you're
not going to leave the tail end of
the thread behind. Once you pull the needle out, you're then going
to insert it back just next to where
you've pulled it out. Make sure you're not pressing the needle through
the same hole. Otherwise you'll just
undo the stitch so it's very close just
next to the exit. You're going to
leave a loop behind. Then catch that loop with
your needle and pull gently. You'll notice that this
forms the start of a chain. You're then going to
repeat this pattern and you'll end up with
a lovely chain stitch. A lot of dancers use a
chain stitch when donning. Some find that easier
than a blanket stitch, but it's worth bearing in mind that doing a blanket
stitch and the way I've just demonstrated
will give you a sturdier, thicker platform
than a chain stitch. Say they have it. Five different types of stitches
that we're going to look at in more detail over
the next few lessons. Before we get started, you'll need, of course,
your point shoes. You'll need some ribbons, whether they are
pre-cut on a roll. You need your elastic
a needle and thread. Some donning thread or string, a donning needle, sharp
pair of scissors and a pen.
3. Sewing the ribbons and elastics: Now we're going to
look at how to sew ribbons and elastic
on your pointe shoes. It's worth bearing
in mind that saying, elastic onto pointe shoes can be quite a personal decision. And not all dancers put their
elastic in the same place. I'm going to show you a few different options of
where to put your elastic and the benefits
that come with each option. So you're going to start
by taking your ribbons. Now if you have pre-cut
ribbons, then great. Otherwise you're
going to need to cut four strips of ribbons at about 60 to 65 cm long each. Then you're going to place
two of those ribbons to one side and keep the other two ready to go
on your first shoe. Then you're going to fold
over the back of the shoe. Take a pen and then either draw a line or a little.in
each corner. Then open the shoe back up. Take your first ribbon
and you're going to place that ribbon on the outside
of the line or the dot. This is because when
you have the shoe on, we want the ribbon to line up
with the arch of your foot. So it's going to hold the shoe tightly and you're
going to want to leave about an inch at the end of the ribbon hanging down
from the seam of the shoe. Choosing the type of stitch to use is completely up to you as this won't be
visible when the dancers wearing that point shoe. Now, there are dancers who
use a running stitch, e.g. but personally I wouldn't I find that a running stitch
isn't secure enough. So I would recommend you use a stronger stitch like a backstitch or a
stem stitch, e.g. start by holding the ribbon
down with one thumb, with the other hand. I would recommend tying
and not in the threat. And then passing
the needle through a loop to start off just
to be extra secure. All then stopped by
sewing across the top of the same with a back stitch. I'm going to press the
needle into the ribbon, catching the material of
this seam of the shape. And then I'm going to go
back on myself over the top, press the needle back
down and push it out a bit further along the
length of one stitch. I'm going to keep doing this
all the way across the top. Then as I go down the
side of the ribbon, because I'm going
to do is sort of rectangular shape
with my sewing. I'm just going to tack a few
stitches all the way down. Even though it's not
the most secure stitch, it's such a small piece of material and we really just want something there before we go
back down along the bottom. You could also use a running
stitch to go down the sides. Now to go along the bottom, you'll want to make
sure that you are still catching the material of the
seam of the point sheet. I would use a stem stitch
just because I'm right-handed and I feel this flows quite nicely and doesn't mean I
have to turn the shoe around. Then to go back up the sides. I'll do a few tax or
a running stitch. I'll tie a knot and then cut the threads
so it's nice and neat. You'll then want to
repeat all of this with the other ribbon on the other side of the
shoe. You don't have to. So in a rectangle around
the ribbon to keep it down, there are many dancers
who e.g. will. So a cross shape instead, essentially because no
one is going to see the stitches when the
dancers wearing the shoe. All that really matters is
that the ribbon is secure. Try not to catch too
much of the Silk on the outside layer of the
shoe as you're sewing. Because this could
be visible when the dancers wearing
the shoe just want to catch the cotton
material of the scene. And then maybe the
canvas material, which is the inside
layer of the shoe. So now you've got
your ribbons sewn. We'll look at
sewing the elastic. There are different
ways of saying elastic, so we're just going
to look at two ways. The first is going to be
at the back of the shoe. This is going to be a loop just by the heel that
goes around the ankle. This is to keep the shoe on when the dancer is
bending and stretching. You'll want to cut two pieces of plastics at around 20 to 25 cm. I've gone for about
19 Just because I know the length that
I need personally. Place one of your elastic to one side and we'll start
with our first shoe. You're going to turn
the heel inside out. Then you're going
to look for the central seem at the
heel of the shoe. And at about the
width of one finger. You're going to place the
edge of your elastic, leaving a balance an inch, just like we did with our ribbons that the
end of the elastic. Then just like with our ribbons, we're going to sew a
rectangular shape. And I like to do a
backstitch at the top, tax or a running
stitch down the side, and then a stem stitch along
the bottom before finishing off another running stitch or a few tacks on
the other side. The reason why I choose
backstitch and stem stitch along the top and the bottom
is because there are a lot more secure than
a running stitch. Running stitch is
very easy to unravel. Once that's sewn, you're then going to need to put
the shoe back on. Or if you're sewing
for someone else, you'll need the dancer
to put the shoe on. Then you'll stretch the
elastic over the top of the ankle and place it
where you will need to. So the other end, you may have too
much elastic here, so you will need
to trim the ends. Then find the central scene about one width of a finger
away from the scene, you're going to place the end of your elastic mean to say
this in the same way. And you'll end up with a loop
at the back of the shoe. And this is just going to help keeping the back of the shoe on the next kind of elastic. So we're going to learn how
to sew is for dances with extremely high
arches who find that the top of the foot often
pops out of the shoe. For this, we're going to so crisscrossed elastic over
the top of the foot. Starting by placing
the first end of your elastic just in
front of your ribbon. So that's gonna be a little
closer to your toes. And then the other end of
the elastic is going to go behind the opposite ribbon. We have a slight diagonal line going over the top of the foot. You will need the
dancer to be wearing a shoe whilst you measure this. And you might want to mark with a pen the exact measurements. Once you have inelastic
that fits nicely, we can then get on with sewing. We're going to so in
the exact same way as our ribbons and our heel elastic than once
you've seen the first and check where the second
end is going to go, make sure it's in
the right place. You may even want
the dancer to put the shoe back on again
just to be sure. And then you can get on with sewing this end of
the elastic two. Then you'll want to repeat
the same process with your second elastic criss
crossing over the top. And then you have it. The two most common ways to
say elastic on pointe shoes. It should look a bit like this when the dancers
wearing them. So one going over
the top of the ankle and the other two criss crossing over the
top of the foot. To finish off, you want
to tie the drawstring, do a nice bow and then tuck it away so it's nice and neat. The crisscrossed a plastics
are not used by all dancers. Like I said, this is just
for dancers who have hyper-mobile feet or
very high arches. You could also use
these crisscrossed elastic if you're not putting ribbons on
your pointe shoes, but you still want
some kind of support. Now, all that's
left is to repeat this process on the other
shoe, and you're done.
4. Darning the platform: Now we're going to look at
darling, your point shoes. Dani happens at the
tip of the point sheet and serves as adding an extra platform
for you to balance. You don't have to die
in your pointe shoes. But a lot of dancers
find that not only does donning prolong the life of
the tip of the points you, but it also helps them
to feel more secure and unbalance when on point. You're going to start off
by taking your point sheet. You're downing
thread or string and a donning needle plus a
sharp pair of scissors. You're donning needle will be longer and thicker than
a standard needle. This is because the string on the donning
thread is thicker. The needle I'm using is about
the length of my thumb. But the most important
thing is that the eye is thick enough for
the string you're using. You're going to take
your dining thread and you'll want enough to wrap it around the box of the points you about four times. Then you'll want to
take your pen and draw around the
platform of the shoe. You'll notice that
the platform curves slightly as it goes from the base round to the
wing of the shoe. And the line neutral wants to
be just outside this curve. This is because our
dawning is going to widen the platform
that we're standing on. So you want it to be as wide as possible while sitting flat. When the dancer is on-point. Your outline should
look a bit like this. You'll notice it's
an oval shape and the pen mark is just on
the outside of the curve, making the platform
as wide as possible. Then taking your needle. And because I'm right-handed, I'm going to start on the
right-hand side of the shoe, but feel free to start on
the left. It doesn't matter. Then I'm going to
press the needle in through the silk towards me, pull it all the way through
and make sure that I leave enough thread to wrap around the point shoe about
two or three times. Then holding down
the excess thread. This is going to be the base
of my donning platform. Then going to push
the needle underneath the excess thread
or the tail end of the thread, creating a loop. I'm then going to make
sure the needle catches the loop as you would
in a blanket stitch. The reason why we hold
down the tail end of the dining thread is to create a much thicker, stronger platform. Now, you don't have to do this, but I do recommend it
as the whole point of donning is to create this thicker platform
for the dancer. Another thing you could use instead of the tail
end of the thread is to take the drawstring from the point to you and
use that instead. You're going to repeat this
stitch a few more times, always making sure to
catch both the tail end of the thread and pass the
needle through the loop. And you'll notice this nice
blanket stitch start to form. Make sure that you
follow the pen mark on the shoe to keep
a nice smooth line. Now I've demonstrated
this blanket stitch with the loop falling towards my thumb and catching
it that way. I'm now going to show you how to catch it with
the loop falling away from my thumb and it will create exactly the same effect. So you're still going to push the needle in
towards your thumb. But this time letting the loop
fall away from your thumb, you simply catch it by
going back on yourself, finding that loop and threading the needle
through, I'm pulling. This is sometimes a
faster way to go. Once you get into a nice rhythm. You're going to
continue darkening, following the pen mark until you reach the outer
sole of the shoe. Now, some dancers
just stop here. They don't like having a platform where they
rise up onto the shoe. They just like having a platform helping them
push over the shoe. If you like, you can stop here. If you want to continue
and do a full oval, you want to keep going until
you reach your start point. Then you'll end
up with something that looks a bit like this. Nice, strong platform
going all the way around the shoe
making an oval shape. You can stop here if you like. But personally, I
like this platform to be even stronger and thicker. So I'll go over
this dawning with another wrap-around of the
tail end of the thread. But this time I'm not going
to use the dawning stitch. I'm actually just going to
thread the needle in and out to just reinforce
the platform I've made. So I'll start by passing the needle underneath
the platform, catching a bit of
the silk as well, pulling through and then
wrapping around and repeating. This doesn't have to
be neat and tidy. And you can do this
fairly quickly. You want to go all
the way around until you're back
at the start again. Then pull tightly and cut
them off quite close to the pointe shoes so you
don't have any fraying ends. And there you have it. The most common way to don
a pair of point shoes. This is going to prolong
the life of your shoe, as well as giving you a more secure platform
to balance on. Now, if you like, you
can also continue donning and fill
in the platform. This is a lot more
time-consuming, but it's going to prolong the
life of the shoe even more. You're going to start off in
the same corner as before. And make sure you
have enough thread at the end to wrap
around the platform, maybe two or three times, then holding down the
tail end of the thread. But this time on the inside of the outer platform
we've just created, you're going to create a spiral going in towards the
center of the shoe. If you like, you can
also use a chain stitch instead of the blanket stitch
I've been demonstrating. Now this doesn't have to be neat as no one's
going to see the donning because the dancers stands on the
platform of the shoe. But if you'd like, you can draw a spiral on the
inside to follow. Instead of just eyeballing it. You should have
something a bit like this after the first
ring of the spiral. So we're just going
to keep going around until you
reach the center. You might want to use
a thimble for this, as it can be quite tough
on the thumb and fingers. Once you reach the center, you'll just have a tiny
little gap to fill. So you're going to draw
the remaining string across and then just do a few tax over the
top to stick it down. Pull the thread nice and tightly because you want the platform
to be as flat as possible. You don't want any
bumps that could make the platform more
wobbly for the dancer. Cut the thread really close to the shoes so
there's no fraying. And then to make the platform as flat and smooth as possible, you can then batch
the shoe firmly on the floor or even press it
down and give it a twist. And there you have it. Your first fully down point q0. Now you just need to repeat those steps on the second shoe.
5. Tying the ribbons securely: For our last lesson, we're
going to look at how to tie the ribbons on your pointe shoes properly around your ankles. The reason we have
ribbons tied around our ankles is to provide
extra support when on point if the point she's
on type properly or if the note is placed somewhere like behind the
Achilles tendon, e.g. this can actually
be quite dangerous. It's also important to cut the ribbon at the right length. So I would advise
that you start with ribbons that are too
long to start with. Then once you've
learned how to tie them properly and you've
tied your naught. We can then look at how
to cut the right amount. You don't want to base this off for another dancer has done. Because we all need slightly
different requirements. Once you've sown
your ribbons on, you're going to start
with the inside ribbon. You're going to pass
it across the top of the foot and then wrap
it around the ankle, keeping it just above the ankle bone so you don't
want to go too high here. Remember the ribbons or
to support the ankle, going to wrap it
around so it goes past the inside ankle
and keep it flat. You don't want it
traveling up the leg on a diagonal, straight
line around. We wrap it around
the second time. And then you're going to
hold it here on the inside. Take your outside ribbon. Pass it across the
top of the foot, bring it underneath
the first ribbon, Rapids around and then
bring them together. You're going to tie a knot
on the inside and this is going to be just above
the inside ankle bone. Bring the ends of the
ribbons together. And you might want to
chop off the ends so that you have about
three or 4 " left. Then you're going
to roll them up and tuck them away either under the top ribbon or the bus and ribbon
you can choose. You don't want your ribbons
to be tied too tightly. So make sure you can flex and
point your foot with ease. You'll end up with
something like this, which is nice and neat and tidy. Again, making sure
that the ribbons are horizontal and not
crisscrossing up the shin bone. Some dances choose to tie, they're not on the
outside of the leg. However, personally, I
would recommend you turn on the inside because the tibia naturally has more of
a curve on the inside, creating more space for or not. You definitely don't
want to tie are not on the Achilles as this
can cause injury.
6. Bonus lesson: Ribbon maintenance: As a little bonus lesson, I thought I'd share
some tips on how to stop the ends of your
ribbons from fraying. Well, the way I would
recommend is to take some nude or some light
pink nail varnish. Then you're simply
going to brush a few strokes of now varnish
on the tip of the ribbon. Make sure you do both sides and you cover the
top completely. Repeats on the other ribbon. And then place them somewhere
where they can dry. If you don't have
any nail varnish, you can also burn the tips of the ribbons with a match
or with a lighter. But if you're under age, I definitely wouldn't recommend this option. And
there you have it. Long-lasting ribbons
that you can even recycle for your next
pair of point shoes.
7. Final words: You should now have
learned how to sew ribbons and Elasticsearch. How to don the platform of your shoes and how to
tie the ribbon securely. This will now hopefully
help you to dance more safely and feeling a lot more secure and confident on points. I hope you've
enjoyed this course. If you did, I would love it. If you would leave a review. If you want to stay up
to date with new videos, then please follow
my Skillshare page. More updates. You can also follow
me on social media. I am My Valley coach on
both Instagram and YouTube. If you would like to sign
up to my newsletter. You can do so by signing
up at my ballet coach.com. Don't forget to check
out the project which is in your Project and
Resources section. And I look forward to seeing
all of your pictures.
Kate Byrne, Professional ballet dancer and teacher
