Developing the Pointe Shoe

A dancer named Marie Taglioni gets credit for being the first to dance on her toes using pointe shoes. There are many other people that people will argue for being the first, but no matter who did it, Taglioni is definitely the one who pioneered and developed the shoe. Before Taglioni, dancing on pointe was more of a circus act than a way of dancing. When Taglioni stepped in, it became a type of expression and a technical feature in ballet dancing. Pointe shoes were invented because ballerina's had the dream of being graceful and elegant. The picture perfect ballerina was one who looked like she was heavenly and could do anything she dreamed of. Pointe shoes showed their strength, as well as put them higher off the ground, which helped them create the illusion of floating like an angel. The first pointe shoes were only made of leather with darning on the sides. They did not have much support and felt as if the ballerina was dancing barefoot. Now pointe shoes have a bloched tip and a stiff sole with serious arch support. Pointe shoes have developed in ways to benefit the dancer so much since they first had their debut and will surely grow more in the years to come.