Do you ever wonder what pointe shoes your favourite professional dancers wear?
I do! So I have decided to start an original content series titled What is your point shoe secret?.
In this series, hopefully monthly, I interview professional ballerinas in a Q&A style and ask them to share their secrets about their pointe shoes. Texts are unedited, except correcting typos, punctuations, and grammatical errors if there are any.
For the historic episode one, I interviewed Emily Suzuki, who very very kindly cooperated despite her manic busy schedule.
Emily is Soloist with the English National Ballet and a rising rockstar, whom I have been keeping an eye on since she joined the company.
Emily is also an early adopter of Prima Materia and we collaborate quite often. She is from Saitama Prefecture, Japan, where I am also from by accident, which makes me wonder what I did wrong.
Enough introduction. Here is Emily’s pointe shoe secret.
1. What brand or brands of pointe shoes do you wear?
I’m wearing Freed of London
2. What model, models, maker or makers?
I’m wearing a Freed Classic pro, Castle Maker.
3. What is your size?
My shoe size is 6
4. Are they custom made? If yes, what customisation do you request?
I think the side of the shoe is a quarter inch lower and I have elastics for drawstring.
5. Do you do any customisations yourself and what are they?
I darn the platform twice with acrylic yarn to stabilise the tip of the shoes, after I darned the platform, I’ll pour jet glue over the platform.
Then I take nails out from my heel and cut the middle layer of the sole in half but keep the top layer so it won’t bother me while I’m dancing.
Sometimes I sew the front of shoes to tighten it, it helps to fit the shoes better. I do it when I have to perform the role which requires quick footworks.
6. How long does it take for you to finish customising a pair?
Depending on my mood but around 20 to 45 minutes
7. Do you like soft shanks better or hard shanks better?
I prefer soft shanks because I could feel the floor and control my performance better.
8. New shoes or old shoes?
Definitely old shoes! I like my shoes to become like it’s part of my foot instead of I’m wearing a “shoes”.
Breaking a new pair isn’t my favourite thing to do…
9. What support or protection do you use, i.e. toe pads, taping, toe spacers etc?
I wear toe pads, toe spacers in between big toe and second toes and wrap both of my pinky toes with under wraps( thin sponge rolls)
10. Since when have you been using the brand? Have you tried any other brands? If so, did you change?
I’ve been wearing Freed for 14 years.
Yes, I have tried other brands like Chacott, Capezio, Bloch and R Class.
11. Do you use specific brands or makers for different dance roles?
No, but instead I’ll choose the different pairs of same makers for roles that I’ll perform.
12. How long a pair of shoes last? How many pairs do you go through a month?
Depends because sometimes one rehearsal, or if I get a lucky pair, they will last around two to three weeks.
13. Can you share a picture or two of your shoes?
14. Lastly, what is your ambition this year?
Improve my weaknesses and be better than past yourself.
Thank you so much for sharing your secrets!
Here is a short movie clip of Emily rehearsing Myrtha in Giselle.
All images and movie clip courtesy of Emily Suzuki.