Abstract

Though recent research investigated the ballet dancer’s pointe shoe with a focus on comfort and injury prevention, what the professional dancer expects her pointe shoes to bring to her performance, and how she assures that her shoes will meet those expectations, remains to be established. The pointe shoe contributes to a performance aesthetic that is deeply rooted in tradition: visually elongating the leg of a dancer, as well as allowing her to balance, turn, and jump. This research takes a user centered case study approach to establish a qualitative understanding from the dancer’s perspective of what the shoe brings to the performance and its aesthetic. Specifically, the investigators explore expectations of professional ballet dancers regarding their pointe shoes, considerations, features and attributes related to their pointe shoe selections, and dancers’ preparation and use of pointe shoes. Results of this study will provide a context for understanding the role of the shoe in the ballet performance that will be useful to researchers and practitioners.