yeah, I'm nowhere even close to being a dancer! I also have very weak foot muscles (I have flat feet and it causes a bunch of back pain and strained muscles in the rest of the body) and ...watching this channel actually motivates me to train my feet
I was never a ballet dancer. I didn't have the parents and I liked the big moves bouncing across the floor (gymnastics). Then I broke my wrist and did modern for life with a little belly dancing thrown in, but never pro. I was a big gymnast 141-143 lean pounds. I had huge Fred Flinstone feet for a long while--so thick! It is bizaare and interesting to me to see ballet dancer feet. Their toes are not as thick the muscle actually doesn't follow through the whole foot as much. Pointe shoes are such a weird prosethic. I wonder how they do the leaps and things. Now I am old and autoimmune arthtis and slowed down but I still try to keep a little foot muscle, but my feet look prettier and more normal now. sigh. I still miss the muscles.
Religiously lol. Been wanting to do ballet since I was 10. I took it when I was 5, but that was just a super simple intro class for babies. Its been my dream to find a ballet studio that teaches adults in my area, but sadly there none😭
I would love to see a fitting of an adult begginer (idk maybe 3 years dancing) with not naturally flexible feet or sickled feet, it would be so interesting xx
She has mentioned in other videos that it takes years until they’re allowed to go on pointe because it’s so dangerous. It wouldn’t make sense to fit someone who isn’t conditioned to be on pointe. It would be reckless.
@@Chlo-ee if we're talking about fitting somebody for their first pair of pointe shoes I wouldn't necessarily say that's true for everybody. I started pointe after around 3 years of ballet (started in my late teens) and it was fine. At least I think it is, I don't have any issues and have been to a few different schools since without complaints about my feet being too weak for pointe or me having awful technique haha
I would love to see your take on starting ballet after gymnastics because I was a gymnast/ figure skater for about 6 years and I am 15. I would love to start ballet and was wondering about the similarities and if you could do a video like you did with the figure skater on gymnastics. Thanks :) I love your videos
I would say absolutely go for it! As a former competitive gymnast (I did it for 8 years) turned ballet dancer, I understand that it is very scary and very new! While there are some habits you do have to break, such as the way you hold your arm and how you turn, typically it is not hard to pick up. Also, if you are nervous about starting late, just know that many of us gymnasts/figure skaters didn't take our first ballet classes until we were much older!
From my experience (gym until teenage then start ballet as an adult), the one thing I feel I need the most is turnout. So I did more exercises on practicing the turnout muscles to make it easier for me. There are quite a lot of turnout stretch and exercises on TH-cam that you can choose from.
I did dance primarily with interludes of doing gymnastics, there aren't many similarities fundamentally but gymnastics will give you a good start to get into ballet ))
This is why I love your channel. This is the first time I’ve seen feet that look like mine on a ballerina. I’d love to see a series on black ballerinas or black dancers cause the conversations about our feet are different and our bodies are judged differently.
@@hannahkirkpatrick5442 I was in a small town way before the internet and TH-cam. So I didn’t end up on pointe. Other reasons too. I tried. But no one ever told me my high arched feet were the reason for my weak ass ankles! 🤦🏻♀️ lol Ahhh, I’m happy today’s dancers have more options for education! 💖 Do you roll your ankles just walking? I have this incredible talent of doing that. 😂
I have very high arches en pointe (which is odd since my feet are so flat when I’m not in pointe shoes). I always have to tape my feet and get a really hard shank because my flexibility is so much that I go too far over the box.
Omg i love how that dance major is not crazy skinny. She’s so beautiful and looks normal. I haven’t gotten back into dance due to being afraid of being judged due to being thicker. My legs are always thick even when I’m thin, and I struggle with my weight and my hips. I just love seeing her represent dance majors and dance professionals.
@@flxffy_edits Exactly! I am aware that she was trying to make people feel not bad about not being super skinny but what about all the skinny dancers out there? Now she is making them feel bad about how they look. You don’t realize they could be very insecure too.Every body type is insecure about something. And this comment is implying that a “normal person” has to have curves. That is just as absurd as it saying that a “ normal person” has to be skinny. Neither of those are ok.I understand that not fat shaming someone is very important but skinny shaming happens too! Sorry if I sound very upset, but this is something a feel very strongly about!
@@simamimroll no you don’t sound too upset! It’s something I feel very strong about too and you are in every way right!! I am insecure that I’m too skinny! People I know are insecure that they are “too fat” it is all so wrongs to body shame. My friends and I know how beautiful we truly are on the inside.
@@simamimroll “Normal” is a synonym for “average.” Is super skinny considered average? No. It is not. Just like obese isn’t considered average. She is not implying that you have to have curve to be “normal” at all. In fact, many large people do not have curves at all. Fat rolls do not equal curves. I also know very skinny people who do have curves. True curves are based on your skeletal build and sometimes your fat distribution. People need to learn how to be less sensitive and stop taking things so personally these days. It is unrealistic to be PC 24/7. You aren’t spreading education here so don’t try to virtue signal here or act like a victim. If anything, you are making people roll their eyes more and scoff at the absurdity of people not allowing others to make simple comments of appreciation because they have to nitpick at everything. You, ma’am, are toxic.
Just wondering if you would also do a video on exercises to work on for strengthening/stretching specific parts of the foot? So, common 'weaknesses' you see when fitting pointe shoes, and how we can work on them.
this was so eye-opening - i'm also in music but as a classical flutist. for a performance major, college is a given - and often a masters degree too, and even additional performance diplomas. i mean, it's not common to make a major orchestral position until you're at least nearly 30. it's the total opposite. a lot professionals i know even took a year off between undergrad and grad school. i cannot wrap my head around your career being ""over"" in COLLEGE. wild. lots of respect for dancers.
I needed this video so much , I’m in the same situation as Megan , I want to pursue dance and be in a company and at the same time I want medicine or something else . This is helping so much 💕💕✨✨✨
Same here!!! I want to be a vet but I can’t imagine my life without dance, I love it more than anything so knowing that I have an option to do both is great!
I'm 18 and I got held back for years at my studio because my teacher didn't believe I had what it takes. I'm still training at the same studio, but I have a different teacher now, and I've improved so much in the last year and a half. I'm training seriously in ballet and contemporary, and I'm sitting my dance Diploma in Jazz this year. I'm also taking up line dancing and ballroom. I'm hoping to teach dance one day and become professional.
I love Complexions! It’s so great to get to know her and the path she took to get there. It’s also great to know that things are changing and dancers don’t have to stunt their emotional and educational development to dance.
I danced almost 20 years ago, so in many ways, these videos aren’t applicable to my daily life. And yet, I can’t get enough! I love watching the process of pointe shoe fitting and your passion for it. This video, in particular, with your advice and knowledge around post-secondary education is so needed in the dance world!
I just started en pointe a few months ago and I’m loving it! It has it’s challenges but it is so much fun. I love the bonds I am forming with the other girls. I just recently found your channel right before I went for my fist pointe shoe fitting and it definitely helped me know what to expect with the fitting and my first pointe classes in general. Thank you so much for what you do! 😊
I love how you incorporated the topic of career chosing and that we are not as limited any more today as we were maybe 20 years ago. So much has changed in the flexibility of education and careers. Sometimes our parents, trainers or teachers do not have the chance to follow through with what is possible today so they give us advice that is based on their experience and knowledge, which is really important as well. But do not forget (not only as a dancer) to check your possibilities, talk to people a few years older, to companies, to colleges, to other education programs, to find a way that fits for you. And if you don't know yet what exactly you want from life ask people if there are ways to try it out for a few weeks and reflect.
Jo you just have this wonderful gift of drawing people in and capturing people's attention in a topic that doesn't get much exposure to non dancing civilians. You are such an educator and teacher. Just... Wow. You've got such a way of communicating as well. People, this girl is going to wind up being one of the masters of pointe shoes down the road. Just you watch.
I TOTALLY AGREE! I didn't major in dance but I was able to take non major classes at college and i was introduced to so many opportunities to grow as a dancer. It was so great for my dancing and allowed for other career opportunities outside of dance.
Omg, I am so glad I heard Megan's story about college! I am not in high school yet, but I constantly keep thinking about having to quit dancing to go to college when I am older. Thank you! Now I have a better understanding how I can do both!!!
I'm in community College now, it has really helped with developing my technique and ballet. At the studio I went to, they never focused on ballet and it didn't help that I started older as well. College has helped me use my muscles and tendons correctly in order for me to prolong my career as a dancer. I'm so much stronger in college as opposed to when I was in the studio.
I'm 13 years old, I had been doing pointe for 3 years (I quit last week) and I danced on pointe every single day for at least 2 hours a day. I have gone through so many pairs of pointe shoes it's unreal, I had to get rid of a lot of them because we don't have enough space for them all - I still have my first ever pair - I only quit a week ago but I'm already missing it. Might go back this week...
One of our models from a couple years ago was 13 when she started ballet and made it to one of the most prestigious competitions (Prix De Lausanne) by 15 :) anything is possible
DO IT! I started my freshman year of high school (Ballet I was with elementary age kids, I was so embarrassed but ya gotta start somewhere). At 18 I was in community college ballet and then 20 I was taking the intermediate/advanced open class at my city’s ballet company. I’m now 30, haven’t taken class in a couple years but I still have a barre in my room and often start my day at it.
I danced when I was younger then came back when I was 13. So long as you're extra careful about doing everything properly so as to not hurt yourself, age really isn't an issue. I have a classmate who's in her forties
I used to love dance, but right now, I am too insecure about my body to take classes. I love that she's a dancer who's not bone thin. Really inspires me to ignore my insecure thoughts.
Dance will help you develop a much better relationship with your body. You start looking at the potencial it has and a means of doing things that you love and bring you joy. There is definitely not only one way that a dancer should look like and the more we have people with all kinds of bodies in dancing, the more it will be naturalized.
Take a look around at different schools, they are not all the same about bodies. We have two around here and mine never had any body requirements my cousin went to the other one and they did crunches and things. She had some body issues in her teens I think she may not have had if she went to my school. Both were just for hobby dancers. As soon as you go ito professional dancing though, well Megan Yamashita didn't start out thick and I think she may be having a harder time with it now too. Ballet often wants a 14 year olds body with a 20 year olds expirience.
@@sanneottenhof2675 Yeah that's good, I think ballet is great for your body but it doesn't require you to be in pro dance shape to enjoy it. You also don't have to go en pointe if it causes too much stress on your feet and ankles, so much of it is about grace and music.
I have never done dance - never been to a live dance show - never seen a ballet - but I have been binging your pointe fittings purely because of how fascinating it is. I didn’t realize how intricate ballet was!
I was also someone with "pretty" feet, so I really appreciate how much thought an intention you put in to shoe fitting. I eventually landed on shoes from from the suffolk company but I wish I'd had someone who knew their craft as well as you do, it would have saved so much money and pain along the way!
I’m a young dancer and recently got my first pointe shoes, my teachers have said I have a beautiful arch and so did the fitters and I don’t really ever like- believe them or however you would put that but seeing this dancer’s arch makes me more aware of how good mine is.
This girl just gave me sooooo much hope! I have always loved ballet- never even seen a pair of pointe shoes in person. Her legs- ankles and feet remind me of mine. I really think I could do it
This video really spoke to me cause I'm now a non-traditional dance major and I'm always afraid that I'll be too old to get a job after I graduate. But I know that if I had graduated back when I was supposed to I would not have made it because I didn't know my body. Now I know it so much better and feel ready.
See you again my favorite Josephine! I'm not gonna lie° I was shocked when I saw your video because I don't think it is the easiest thing in the world having SO strong feet that can murder a point shoe in really short time. Anyway, hope you're happy and healthy and stay safe during these difficult days.. 🩰❤🧡💛💚💙💜
I always wanted to do ballet - but my mum said I was too clumsy and signed me for jazz instead :D Now, at 18, I've got repetitive knee issues and injuries caused by small kneecaps (five total dislocations + one surgery) so I'm largely unable to dance at all anymore, but I still love watching this channel because its so fascinating and informative! Yeah, its a little torturous because I know it could never be me, but its incredible to listen to and it helps me understand the nuances of the ballets I watch a little more.
Wow this was so interesting and insightful! I wish they offered more programmes like this in the UK. Because I am doing my A levels currently but I love to dance! And don't know whether to do a career in dance or do a degree in science as I adore both!
The message about having many different lives as an adult is so true. I'm turning 40 in a month and I started a new career as a teacher just 3 years ago. Before that I worked in banking, lending, debt collection and at a tool company. I attended 3 different colleges, lived in LA, Portland, and Seattle and most recently lived in a small beach town for 2 years. Adulthood is an adventure enjoy it.
I danced for a few years when I was very young but it became very not enjoyable so I left when I was about 8. I know very little about dance although I love to watch it. Watching your technique for fitting is just spectacular!!! I feel like your technique would be something that regular shoe salespeople should learn to help the average Joe pick better more comfortable better supporting shoes for wear on a daily basis.
I also danced in college in the 90's. I could have majored in it, but simply did the work and classes as extra curricular to my degree. Degree in anthro, minor in pol sci plus taking class and performing. Plus figure skating. I am old now in my 40s, and stopped taking classes about four years ago. I love watching these videos, and wish I still had a useful pair of shoes just for fun.
I did this 25 years ago, when Gaynor's were new and scary for most people, except I did the opposite. I wore my Gaynor's for anything that required a lot of balancing on one foot, mostly things with a ton of partnering, and wore paste shoes for contemporary stuff. As long as the box held up in the paste shoes, I was okay. And, I liked how the Gaynor's always had the same, reliable amount of support. Mine would die because the ribbons and elastics would rip out of the satin enough times, there wasn't anything to sew to any more and they became unwearable!! But, the shank and box would still be fine.
I don't even dance, and I know next to nothing about ballet but I always find myself watching all videos from you that pop up in my reccomended 💕 my grandma used to do ballet when she was young
I wish I could give this episode more than a thumbs up! Maybe an Oscar or even better a Tony! You both have made it possible for those with a double dream to know they can have both if they planned work hard.
Thank you for sharing Meghan’s story, I have been second guessing my thoughts of going to college for dance but to see that others have made it makes me feel much better and confident that I can do it too.
This was an awesome message for all artists. While I danced when I was younger, I didn't have very much direction as a collage undergrad and I would have definitely been a fine art major with a business or computer minor/double major. Maybe even dance as an undergrad with business double major!
I was wondering how you can tell if an adult is ready to go on point or not. I started ballet kind of late at a age of 16, that was about 1,5 years ago. Now I am 18 and have dance on a daily basis in school and spare time. I have dance about 3-4h a day, but ballet just 3 times a week. I don’t think I am ready yet to go on point but I talk with one of my classmates about it. She is already on point and thought that I should start as well just based on seeing me dance. Also thank you for all of these awesome videos. 🥰
I love that Megan got to do both. So few of us get to go in one than one direction. I would love to have a doctor who also understood what dancers really need.
I'm not a ballet dancer but a synchronized skater. I love watching your videos. Funnily enough, her feet are exactly like mine! Short and flexible exactly the same way as hers. Somebody once told me, my feet would have been good for dancing. And I've always thought that my feet looked crippled. 🤷🏻♀️
I have a friend who graduated from the Hartt School and got a BFA in dance pedagogy. Almost right out of school she won a position with Paul Taylor Dance Company.
I'm a pre-med in Canada who also still manages to do about 20-25 hours of ballet a week. I already had an undergraduate law & legal studies honours degree but changed paths. It requires sacrifices but if it's important to you you'll make it happen.
This is so nice to watch... I have those crazy feet as well, but its really in my arch. It's so important to get a teacher who will make sure that you stay on your shoe rather than breaking over and "showing off" your foot. I always had struggles with the strength in my feet because of it. Once I got a teacher who told me to stop breaking over, I felt way more stable. But god, I am so jealous of her feet, strength wise! They are bendy but you can see the thick muscle! High arches/bendy feet look great, but they are harder to fit for shoes and are way harder to strengthen.
And you can absolutely go back to college later, and still have a great college experience-especially if your goals include graduate school. There’s no longer a single right way to do college, and that benefits everyone.
Me realizing my feet are this flexible but I'm not a dancer. My husband calls them my second set of hands because I can hold and pick up stuff with them. 😂
This is literally me xD. Not a dancer (though I'm able to stand and walk in Pointe shoes, I know I shouldn't do it but I love doing it), but I open doors with my feet, pick up stuff and I can even write with them.
I broke a small bone in my foot, and now I cant dance until the new year because I have to wait a week to get a boot, and then 4 to 6 weeks, then Christmas break
I'm a large 34 year old man, 6'5 and.... A weight.... That I don't want to talk about right now 😂 but ballet is still part of my life, I still go to classes and pretend like I'm much better than I am hehe Thank you for this channel, it's fun to watch you as a dancer, who doesn't dance for a living, helping all sorts of people in different places in their dance journey. It's great! Keep it up!
I appreciate this video so much because I’ve been becoming more and more stressed out about choosing a college for strong academics, but not being willing to stop dancing.
I knew this girl in college back in the late 70's. She was a finance/accounting major and a dance minor. Her passion was dance, but she was good with numbers as well and decided at some point to look beyond ballet for a more profitable career. I think she also taught ballet at some local schools to stay in it and danced in some local productions.
Does she have EDS? I see the little balls of what look like connective tissue in her soles of her feet. Plus she has an amazing range of motion. Most people with Ehler's Danlos are super flexible. I was just curious.
Great story. Love hearing about this dance company-had to look at some of their previews online! Must be so much better for dancers to have cross training in different styles of dance, and post-college dancers have so much maturity and life experience that they can bring to their dancing. Thanks for sharing.
I love your videos so much they help me as a dancer to be able to not only see but hear all your tips it’s helped a lot with this hopefully being my last year in pre-pointe and hopefully maybe getting en pointe next year I’ve done dance for 10 years and being 13 I found your Channel and few years ago and it’s helped a lot!
This channel has taught me so much and finally I am getting fitted for pointe shoes this weekend!! Ps. For some reason pointe shoes are so satisfying lmao 😂
As a Suisse, who doesn't really mnow anything about the American school system, it was quite interesting. The fitting and the informations about the system
I had to go to a private school for ballet after college I wish I had these opportunities given today to the younger generation hope she can be a doctor and continue dancing too
She has feet a lot like mine! She's also very high in the instep which I am as well. Super tough on shoes. I wore Russians for a long time despite having short toes because they were the only shoes hard enough to last me a full performance.
Thank you for this video! I have the exact same feet as Megan and go through so many pointe shoes! I remember the frustration of walking into a class with a new pair and snapping the shanks during the first combinations.... 😂
thanks for this video, what she’s talking about is exactly what i’m going through now, i’m currently looking for a college that i want to go to once i graduate from my community college soon
I don't know jack shit about ballet other than I can watch it and appreciate it. I have no idea how I stumbled upon this channel, but I find it interesting how much goes into shoe fitting. As for college, that's great as long as you don't borrow any money to do it... for any field.
This is excatly was I was thinking! I am going to apply to purchase collage and my dream is to get into a company either abt or a contemporary ballet school! Thankyou this was really good to hear!
Im late obviously but, I’d be so curious about the Grishko Elites for her. They’re made for short / even toes, wider feet tho…. I have wide feet, for most & even me, sinking is the problem with them. Idk if all these years later if you’ll see my comments but, I used to work at a dancewear store in college for a while & was trained to fit pointe shoes. The fun part of course was getting to try on different pairs. Even tho they didn’t quite work for me, I LOVED the Grishko elites bc they would PLACE you, and they made my feet look better than they actually are. I MIGHT just for fun want to go for a pointe shoe fitting bc I want to return to dancing just for pure enjoyment, and I’d like to actually work a little on pointe just at the bar, to strengthen my feet & improve my arches. I guess if she needs a longer vamp they wouldn’t work. But regardless they were always one of my favorite shoes, a bit unique in that they’re wide & the box is so…. Boxy lol, square. Very very stable! I’d love to see you review them or show them on some feet they would work well for, and show the feet as well (bare, like Ive noticed a lot of comments have asked for & we’re curious to see). Anyway this just brings back some good, nostalgic memories. & it helps with inspo to bring ballet back into my life. I actually want to try something new in figure skating, which may be a little crazy since Im only shy of 40 yrs old by a couple years but, I dont want to do anything crazy just learn to balance & feel graceful and have some fun on the ice, for fun & fitness bc i get bored & think I just need to try something new… and I kind of need that as motivation to actually get back to ballet & yoga, as crosstraining. I figure that background might help me anyway to pick up skating. I do know a lot of figure skaters do ballet for cross training, & it only ever makes them better artistically on the ice & more graceful, and you can always tell the difference between skaters who do have that ballet experience and those who don’t. I would figure that a little point work at the barre could also only help to strengthen the feet & ankles to reduce risk of injury on the ice, ankle injuries are really common otherwise 😕 bc they switch edges, inside or outside edge, so they sometimes are sickling the feet or the ankles are moving inward or outward so yeah, high risk for injury & I’d like to avoid that, no desire to ever become competitive, only attracted to it for pure enjoyment. Anyway, sorry Im so longwinded or verbose 😕 ive never been able to help that for the life of me 🤦♀️ enjoy your videos 👍
I‘m going through 8 years of dance now, startet when i was really small, rn I‘m just in Pointe practise since 1 year- I watch all you‘re videos and I wanna go buy pointe shoes rn😭😂
I’m currently a junior in high school and I’m hoping to be a dance major in college. I have a few main colleges that I’m looking at that I’m really excited about. I love the opportunity to go to college but also be able to further my dance education as well. And at my current level, I’m not too worried about the four years thing because I don’t know if I’d feel ready to go to a professional company after just training for a year or two more anyway.
I love to go on pointe idk y I love it so much but I have always found it so much fun ( I have been on point for 5 years I went on pointe when I was 6 and now I am 11)
Omg her feet are BEAUTIFUL. I'm 28 and have been dancing since I was 13, but never ballet, and I've always dreamed of having feet like hers. I've been doing ballet consistently for a few years now, and I'm hoping to do adult pointe one day. :)
![ILLSLICK - THE KING'S LANDING [Freestyle]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/feIJJnNkTfk/mqdefault.jpg)
She sounds like what I assume Olivander would sound like when he talks about wands in Harry Potter
I don’t even dance and I love this channel... because yeah... it’s magical
BAHAHA
YES I LOVE YOU
Thanks so much for the heart and the pin!!!!!
Perfect explanation!
Who’s not even a dancer but still watches this channel? I do :)
yeah, I'm nowhere even close to being a dancer! I also have very weak foot muscles (I have flat feet and it causes a bunch of back pain and strained muscles in the rest of the body) and ...watching this channel actually motivates me to train my feet
I was never a ballet dancer. I didn't have the parents and I liked the big moves bouncing across the floor (gymnastics). Then I broke my wrist and did modern for life with a little belly dancing thrown in, but never pro. I was a big gymnast 141-143 lean pounds. I had huge Fred Flinstone feet for a long while--so thick! It is bizaare and interesting to me to see ballet dancer feet. Their toes are not as thick the muscle actually doesn't follow through the whole foot as much. Pointe shoes are such a weird prosethic. I wonder how they do the leaps and things. Now I am old and autoimmune arthtis and slowed down but I still try to keep a little foot muscle, but my feet look prettier and more normal now. sigh. I still miss the muscles.
🙋🏾♀️🙋🏾♀️😊
Religiously lol. Been wanting to do ballet since I was 10. I took it when I was 5, but that was just a super simple intro class for babies. Its been my dream to find a ballet studio that teaches adults in my area, but sadly there none😭
Same :)
“College is where ballet dreams go to die” 😂
it's so true though
oh god now I'm scared
so true!
*any dance dreams
Been there, done that
I would love to see a fitting of an adult begginer (idk maybe 3 years dancing) with not naturally flexible feet or sickled feet, it would be so interesting xx
As an adult doing ballet classes to try pointe…. I second this
they wouldnt be ready for pointe shoes then
She has mentioned in other videos that it takes years until they’re allowed to go on pointe because it’s so dangerous. It wouldn’t make sense to fit someone who isn’t conditioned to be on pointe. It would be reckless.
@@Chlo-ee if we're talking about fitting somebody for their first pair of pointe shoes I wouldn't necessarily say that's true for everybody. I started pointe after around 3 years of ballet (started in my late teens) and it was fine. At least I think it is, I don't have any issues and have been to a few different schools since without complaints about my feet being too weak for pointe or me having awful technique haha
if they have sickled feet they’re not ready for pointe yet
I would love to see your take on starting ballet after gymnastics because I was a gymnast/ figure skater for about 6 years and I am 15. I would love to start ballet and was wondering about the similarities and if you could do a video like you did with the figure skater on gymnastics. Thanks :) I love your videos
That's a great idea! Thank you :)
I would say absolutely go for it! As a former competitive gymnast (I did it for 8 years) turned ballet dancer, I understand that it is very scary and very new! While there are some habits you do have to break, such as the way you hold your arm and how you turn, typically it is not hard to pick up. Also, if you are nervous about starting late, just know that many of us gymnasts/figure skaters didn't take our first ballet classes until we were much older!
I started ballet after quitting gymnastics and the most severe difference ist turnout
From my experience (gym until teenage then start ballet as an adult), the one thing I feel I need the most is turnout. So I did more exercises on practicing the turnout muscles to make it easier for me. There are quite a lot of turnout stretch and exercises on TH-cam that you can choose from.
I did dance primarily with interludes of doing gymnastics, there aren't many similarities fundamentally but gymnastics will give you a good start to get into ballet ))
This is why I love your channel. This is the first time I’ve seen feet that look like mine on a ballerina. I’d love to see a series on black ballerinas or black dancers cause the conversations about our feet are different and our bodies are judged differently.
Gabby, I have those strong feet
I had “pretty” feet. Let me tell you of the constant sprained ankles!
Yesss!! I have pretty nice feet and I have rolled my ankles so many times man
@@hannahkirkpatrick5442 I was in a small town way before the internet and TH-cam. So I didn’t end up on pointe. Other reasons too. I tried. But no one ever told me my high arched feet were the reason for my weak ass ankles! 🤦🏻♀️ lol Ahhh, I’m happy today’s dancers have more options for education! 💖
Do you roll your ankles just walking? I have this incredible talent of doing that. 😂
@@stephiehellyeah2557 omg yess xd
I have very high arches en pointe (which is odd since my feet are so flat when I’m not in pointe shoes). I always have to tape my feet and get a really hard shank because my flexibility is so much that I go too far over the box.
I’m not a ballet dancer but I have very high arches and oh the rolled ankles....
Omg i love how that dance major is not crazy skinny. She’s so beautiful and looks normal. I haven’t gotten back into dance due to being afraid of being judged due to being thicker. My legs are always thick even when I’m thin, and I struggle with my weight and my hips. I just love seeing her represent dance majors and dance professionals.
What does “normal” look like?
@@flxffy_edits Exactly! I am aware that she was trying to make people feel not bad about not being super skinny but what about all the skinny dancers out there? Now she is making them feel bad about how they look. You don’t realize they could be very insecure too.Every body type is insecure about something. And this comment is implying that a “normal person” has to have curves. That is just as absurd as it saying that a “ normal person” has to be skinny. Neither of those are ok.I understand that not fat shaming someone is very important but skinny shaming happens too! Sorry if I sound very upset, but this is something a feel very strongly about!
@@simamimroll no you don’t sound too upset! It’s something I feel very strong about too and you are in every way right!! I am insecure that I’m too skinny! People I know are insecure that they are “too fat” it is all so wrongs to body shame. My friends and I know how beautiful we truly are on the inside.
@@simamimroll “Normal” is a synonym for “average.” Is super skinny considered average? No. It is not. Just like obese isn’t considered average. She is not implying that you have to have curve to be “normal” at all. In fact, many large people do not have curves at all. Fat rolls do not equal curves. I also know very skinny people who do have curves. True curves are based on your skeletal build and sometimes your fat distribution. People need to learn how to be less sensitive and stop taking things so personally these days. It is unrealistic to be PC 24/7. You aren’t spreading education here so don’t try to virtue signal here or act like a victim. If anything, you are making people roll their eyes more and scoff at the absurdity of people not allowing others to make simple comments of appreciation because they have to nitpick at everything. You, ma’am, are toxic.
Everyone looks thick next to Josephine. Unless they are 13.
I love your Chanel! I’m not en pointe but I hope to be some day!
You can do it!
@@ThePointeShop thank you!
you can do it!!!
🩰
Me too Rachel. Good luck to you :)
@@laylanahar you too!
Just wondering if you would also do a video on exercises to work on for strengthening/stretching specific parts of the foot? So, common 'weaknesses' you see when fitting pointe shoes, and how we can work on them.
Great idea!
I think she had with exercises to be done with the theraband.
this was so eye-opening - i'm also in music but as a classical flutist. for a performance major, college is a given - and often a masters degree too, and even additional performance diplomas. i mean, it's not common to make a major orchestral position until you're at least nearly 30. it's the total opposite. a lot professionals i know even took a year off between undergrad and grad school. i cannot wrap my head around your career being ""over"" in COLLEGE. wild. lots of respect for dancers.
I needed this video so much , I’m in the same situation as Megan , I want to pursue dance and be in a company and at the same time I want medicine or something else . This is helping so much 💕💕✨✨✨
I'm so happy to hear that
Same here!!! I want to be a vet but I can’t imagine my life without dance, I love it more than anything so knowing that I have an option to do both is great!
Yes! I know I want to study science in a serious capacity, but I really need a creative pursuit in my life.
I'm 18 and I got held back for years at my studio because my teacher didn't believe I had what it takes. I'm still training at the same studio, but I have a different teacher now, and I've improved so much in the last year and a half. I'm training seriously in ballet and contemporary, and I'm sitting my dance Diploma in Jazz this year. I'm also taking up line dancing and ballroom. I'm hoping to teach dance one day and become professional.
I love Complexions! It’s so great to get to know her and the path she took to get there. It’s also great to know that things are changing and dancers don’t have to stunt their emotional and educational development to dance.
I danced almost 20 years ago, so in many ways, these videos aren’t applicable to my daily life. And yet, I can’t get enough! I love watching the process of pointe shoe fitting and your passion for it. This video, in particular, with your advice and knowledge around post-secondary education is so needed in the dance world!
I just started en pointe a few months ago and I’m loving it! It has it’s challenges but it is so much fun. I love the bonds I am forming with the other girls. I just recently found your channel right before I went for my fist pointe shoe fitting and it definitely helped me know what to expect with the fitting and my first pointe classes in general. Thank you so much for what you do! 😊
Wow, Megan's feet are amazing! I love that she was able to go to college and still dance. Thanks for sharing!
I love how you incorporated the topic of career chosing and that we are not as limited any more today as we were maybe 20 years ago. So much has changed in the flexibility of education and careers. Sometimes our parents, trainers or teachers do not have the chance to follow through with what is possible today so they give us advice that is based on their experience and knowledge, which is really important as well. But do not forget (not only as a dancer) to check your possibilities, talk to people a few years older, to companies, to colleges, to other education programs, to find a way that fits for you. And if you don't know yet what exactly you want from life ask people if there are ways to try it out for a few weeks and reflect.
Jo you just have this wonderful gift of drawing people in and capturing people's attention in a topic that doesn't get much exposure to non dancing civilians. You are such an educator and teacher. Just... Wow. You've got such a way of communicating as well.
People, this girl is going to wind up being one of the masters of pointe shoes down the road. Just you watch.
I TOTALLY AGREE! I didn't major in dance but I was able to take non major classes at college and i was introduced to so many opportunities to grow as a dancer. It was so great for my dancing and allowed for other career opportunities outside of dance.
Omg, I am so glad I heard Megan's story about college! I am not in high school yet, but I constantly keep thinking about having to quit dancing to go to college when I am older. Thank you! Now I have a better understanding how I can do both!!!
I'm in community College now, it has really helped with developing my technique and ballet. At the studio I went to, they never focused on ballet and it didn't help that I started older as well. College has helped me use my muscles and tendons correctly in order for me to prolong my career as a dancer. I'm so much stronger in college as opposed to when I was in the studio.
I'm 13 years old, I had been doing pointe for 3 years (I quit last week) and I danced on pointe every single day for at least 2 hours a day. I have gone through so many pairs of pointe shoes it's unreal, I had to get rid of a lot of them because we don't have enough space for them all - I still have my first ever pair - I only quit a week ago but I'm already missing it. Might go back this week...
Well? Did you go back?
@@Yourfriendlysuburbanstoner Yep 🎉
I would love to see a video on starting ballet late (I am 15 and want to start but I am unsure because of my age)
One of our models from a couple years ago was 13 when she started ballet and made it to one of the most prestigious competitions (Prix De Lausanne) by 15 :) anything is possible
DO IT! I started my freshman year of high school (Ballet I was with elementary age kids, I was so embarrassed but ya gotta start somewhere). At 18 I was in community college ballet and then 20 I was taking the intermediate/advanced open class at my city’s ballet company. I’m now 30, haven’t taken class in a couple years but I still have a barre in my room and often start my day at it.
Misty Copeland started training at 13 and she is Misty Copeland, right?
Natalia Makarova also started at thirteen, in an experimental accelerated six year program at the Vaganova School.
I danced when I was younger then came back when I was 13. So long as you're extra careful about doing everything properly so as to not hurt yourself, age really isn't an issue. I have a classmate who's in her forties
I used to love dance, but right now, I am too insecure about my body to take classes. I love that she's a dancer who's not bone thin. Really inspires me to ignore my insecure thoughts.
Dance will help you develop a much better relationship with your body. You start looking at the potencial it has and a means of doing things that you love and bring you joy. There is definitely not only one way that a dancer should look like and the more we have people with all kinds of bodies in dancing, the more it will be naturalized.
@@natakatsivalis Thanks, that's a great way of looking at it.
Take a look around at different schools, they are not all the same about bodies. We have two around here and mine never had any body requirements my cousin went to the other one and they did crunches and things. She had some body issues in her teens I think she may not have had if she went to my school. Both were just for hobby dancers. As soon as you go ito professional dancing though, well Megan Yamashita didn't start out thick and I think she may be having a harder time with it now too. Ballet often wants a 14 year olds body with a 20 year olds expirience.
@@Iflie Thank you! That's great advice. I am not planning on dancing professionally though, so luckily I don't have to worry about that. :)
@@sanneottenhof2675 Yeah that's good, I think ballet is great for your body but it doesn't require you to be in pro dance shape to enjoy it. You also don't have to go en pointe if it causes too much stress on your feet and ankles, so much of it is about grace and music.
I have never done dance - never been to a live dance show - never seen a ballet - but I have been binging your pointe fittings purely because of how fascinating it is. I didn’t realize how intricate ballet was!
i'm in my first year of pointe and i love it. i've already gone through so many pairs of shoes
Nice work!
@@ThePointeShop thank you!
I'm so excited for pre-pointe and pointe, I'm so close!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was also someone with "pretty" feet, so I really appreciate how much thought an intention you put in to shoe fitting. I eventually landed on shoes from from the suffolk company but I wish I'd had someone who knew their craft as well as you do, it would have saved so much money and pain along the way!
I’m a young dancer and recently got my first pointe shoes, my teachers have said I have a beautiful arch and so did the fitters and I don’t really ever like- believe them or however you would put that but seeing this dancer’s arch makes me more aware of how good mine is.
This girl just gave me sooooo much hope!
I have always loved ballet- never even seen a pair of pointe shoes in person. Her legs- ankles and feet remind me of mine.
I really think I could do it
This video really spoke to me cause I'm now a non-traditional dance major and I'm always afraid that I'll be too old to get a job after I graduate. But I know that if I had graduated back when I was supposed to I would not have made it because I didn't know my body. Now I know it so much better and feel ready.
See you again my favorite Josephine! I'm not gonna lie° I was shocked when I saw your video because I don't think it is the easiest thing in the world having SO strong feet that can murder a point shoe in really short time. Anyway, hope you're happy and healthy and stay safe during these difficult days.. 🩰❤🧡💛💚💙💜
Aw thank you so much! I hope you're staying safe and healthy as well!
I always wanted to do ballet - but my mum said I was too clumsy and signed me for jazz instead :D Now, at 18, I've got repetitive knee issues and injuries caused by small kneecaps (five total dislocations + one surgery) so I'm largely unable to dance at all anymore, but I still love watching this channel because its so fascinating and informative! Yeah, its a little torturous because I know it could never be me, but its incredible to listen to and it helps me understand the nuances of the ballets I watch a little more.
Wow this was so interesting and insightful! I wish they offered more programmes like this in the UK. Because I am doing my A levels currently but I love to dance! And don't know whether to do a career in dance or do a degree in science as I adore both!
The message about having many different lives as an adult is so true. I'm turning 40 in a month and I started a new career as a teacher just 3 years ago. Before that I worked in banking, lending, debt collection and at a tool company. I attended 3 different colleges, lived in LA, Portland, and Seattle and most recently lived in a small beach town for 2 years. Adulthood is an adventure enjoy it.
I danced for a few years when I was very young but it became very not enjoyable so I left when I was about 8.
I know very little about dance although I love to watch it.
Watching your technique for fitting is just spectacular!!!
I feel like your technique would be something that regular shoe salespeople should learn to help the average Joe pick better more comfortable better supporting shoes for wear on a daily basis.
I also danced in college in the 90's. I could have majored in it, but simply did the work and classes as extra curricular to my degree. Degree in anthro, minor in pol sci plus taking class and performing. Plus figure skating. I am old now in my 40s, and stopped taking classes about four years ago. I love watching these videos, and wish I still had a useful pair of shoes just for fun.
Okay somethings wrong. There's only two comments. U deserve more
Oh why??
Oh why what?
Ikr!
I did this 25 years ago, when Gaynor's were new and scary for most people, except I did the opposite. I wore my Gaynor's for anything that required a lot of balancing on one foot, mostly things with a ton of partnering, and wore paste shoes for contemporary stuff. As long as the box held up in the paste shoes, I was okay. And, I liked how the Gaynor's always had the same, reliable amount of support. Mine would die because the ribbons and elastics would rip out of the satin enough times, there wasn't anything to sew to any more and they became unwearable!! But, the shank and box would still be fine.
I don't even dance, and I know next to nothing about ballet but I always find myself watching all videos from you that pop up in my reccomended 💕 my grandma used to do ballet when she was young
Megan has wonderful lines. She is clearly a strong dancer.
I love your channel so much.. I am in pre point classes right now.
Congrats!!! You can do it!!!
Same!
Same
yayy! Thank you so much
@@evelyncollins7 thanks, I really appreciate it!
I wish I could give this episode more than a thumbs up! Maybe an Oscar or even better a Tony! You both have made it possible for those with a double dream to know they can have both if they planned work hard.
Thank you for sharing Meghan’s story, I have been second guessing my thoughts of going to college for dance but to see that others have made it makes me feel much better and confident that I can do it too.
This was an awesome message for all artists. While I danced when I was younger, I didn't have very much direction as a collage undergrad and I would have definitely been a fine art major with a business or computer minor/double major. Maybe even dance as an undergrad with business double major!
I was wondering how you can tell if an adult is ready to go on point or not. I started ballet kind of late at a age of 16, that was about 1,5 years ago. Now I am 18 and have dance on a daily basis in school and spare time. I have dance about 3-4h a day, but ballet just 3 times a week. I don’t think I am ready yet to go on point but I talk with one of my classmates about it. She is already on point and thought that I should start as well just based on seeing me dance.
Also thank you for all of these awesome videos. 🥰
i actually got my pointe shoes around a month ago and i love dancing in them
I love that Megan got to do both. So few of us get to go in one than one direction. I would love to have a doctor who also understood what dancers really need.
I have NEVER clicked on a video faster.........
That roll through is everything!!!!
I'm not a ballet dancer but a synchronized skater. I love watching your videos. Funnily enough, her feet are exactly like mine! Short and flexible exactly the same way as hers. Somebody once told me, my feet would have been good for dancing. And I've always thought that my feet looked crippled. 🤷🏻♀️
Butler University dance program is an amazing dance program with an incredible faculty and exposure. We dance allllllll day everyday!
She’s beautiful! Happy for her!
I have a friend who graduated from the Hartt School and got a BFA in dance pedagogy. Almost right out of school she won a position with Paul Taylor Dance Company.
I'm a pre-med in Canada who also still manages to do about 20-25 hours of ballet a week. I already had an undergraduate law & legal studies honours degree but changed paths. It requires sacrifices but if it's important to you you'll make it happen.
This is so nice to watch... I have those crazy feet as well, but its really in my arch. It's so important to get a teacher who will make sure that you stay on your shoe rather than breaking over and "showing off" your foot. I always had struggles with the strength in my feet because of it. Once I got a teacher who told me to stop breaking over, I felt way more stable. But god, I am so jealous of her feet, strength wise! They are bendy but you can see the thick muscle! High arches/bendy feet look great, but they are harder to fit for shoes and are way harder to strengthen.
And you can absolutely go back to college later, and still have a great college experience-especially if your goals include graduate school. There’s no longer a single right way to do college, and that benefits everyone.
Me realizing my feet are this flexible but I'm not a dancer. My husband calls them my second set of hands because I can hold and pick up stuff with them. 😂
This is literally me xD. Not a dancer (though I'm able to stand and walk in Pointe shoes, I know I shouldn't do it but I love doing it), but I open doors with my feet, pick up stuff and I can even write with them.
I broke a small bone in my foot, and now I cant dance until the new year because I have to wait a week to get a boot, and then 4 to 6 weeks, then Christmas break
Oh no. I feel so sorry about you. Hope you're getting better and until new year you'll be able to dance again!!!
Praying for fast and perfect recovery!
@@ThePointeShop Thanks❤
@@annemariechatzopoulou442 thanks it means alot!❤
@@Willow-zh8km it's not a matter of pleasure. If I had the same, I might have been depressed............
your voice is one of the few on youtube that doesnt become irritating
Excellent video with great information for dancers. I’m not a dancer of any kind but still love your videos.
I love that!
I am 12 years old and I got my pointe shoes 3 months ago!!!! I love your channel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm a large 34 year old man, 6'5 and.... A weight.... That I don't want to talk about right now 😂 but ballet is still part of my life, I still go to classes and pretend like I'm much better than I am hehe
Thank you for this channel, it's fun to watch you as a dancer, who doesn't dance for a living, helping all sorts of people in different places in their dance journey. It's great! Keep it up!
I appreciate this video so much because I’ve been becoming more and more stressed out about choosing a college for strong academics, but not being willing to stop dancing.
Megan is so beautiful and I'm glad she was able to follow her dreams
I knew this girl in college back in the late 70's. She was a finance/accounting major and a dance minor.
Her passion was dance, but she was good with numbers as well and decided at some point to look beyond ballet for a more profitable career. I think she also taught ballet at some local schools to stay in it and danced in some local productions.
I’m currently at Community College with a concentration in dance and it has been the best decision I’ve made!
Does she have EDS? I see the little balls of what look like connective tissue in her soles of her feet. Plus she has an amazing range of motion. Most people with Ehler's Danlos are super flexible. I was just curious.
I don't even do ballet, and yet I've watched so many of your videos in the past few weeks
What are the pros and cons of different foot shapes?
That's a good question. I'll do a video on that
@@ThePointeShop this would be amazing!!
Love this video. It may be past my time but I’m glad things are changing for the future. I think double majoring is a brilliant and smart 💡
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I'm doing a certHE in dance. My first pointe shoe fitting is 21.12.21. so excited!!!
I’m obsessed with pointe videos! I’m in pre pointe/pointe 1 waiting to be told I can get my shoes
I LOVE you and your channel!!!!! Your videos are entertaining and I have learned so much about pointe shoes because of you
My teacher says im almost ready for pointe! I'm going on pointe around nov. 25 im SOOO excited!
Good luck! It’s really hard but so much fun!
Great story. Love hearing about this dance company-had to look at some of their previews online! Must be so much better for dancers to have cross training in different styles of dance, and post-college dancers have so much maturity and life experience that they can bring to their dancing. Thanks for sharing.
As a USC student who's taken dance classes at Kaufman just for fun, I would say that we have a great program for holistic development! Fight on!
I love your videos so much they help me as a dancer to be able to not only see but hear all your tips it’s helped a lot with this hopefully being my last year in pre-pointe and hopefully maybe getting en pointe next year I’ve done dance for 10 years and being 13 I found your Channel and few years ago and it’s helped a lot!
This channel has taught me so much and finally I am getting fitted for pointe shoes this weekend!!
Ps. For some reason pointe shoes are so satisfying lmao 😂
As a Suisse, who doesn't really mnow anything about the American school system, it was quite interesting. The fitting and the informations about the system
I had to go to a private school for ballet after college I wish I had these opportunities given today to the younger generation hope she can be a doctor and continue dancing too
I love Megan's story! This is exciting.
Gosh she is STUNNING!!
She has feet a lot like mine! She's also very high in the instep which I am as well. Super tough on shoes. I wore Russians for a long time despite having short toes because they were the only shoes hard enough to last me a full performance.
Thank you for this video! I have the exact same feet as Megan and go through so many pointe shoes! I remember the frustration of walking into a class with a new pair and snapping the shanks during the first combinations.... 😂
thanks for this video, what she’s talking about is exactly what i’m going through now, i’m currently looking for a college that i want to go to once i graduate from my community college soon
Im so amazed, youre so beautiful inside and out and you make everyone you help also look equally as beautiful, like wow omg
I don't know jack shit about ballet other than I can watch it and appreciate it. I have no idea how I stumbled upon this channel, but I find it interesting how much goes into shoe fitting.
As for college, that's great as long as you don't borrow any money to do it... for any field.
This story makes me happy, thank you for sharing!
This is excatly was I was thinking! I am going to apply to purchase collage and my dream is to get into a company either abt or a contemporary ballet school! Thankyou this was really good to hear!
Thank you for helping my daughter find a great shoe last week! Aloha from S. Oregon. :)
Im late obviously but, I’d be so curious about the Grishko Elites for her. They’re made for short / even toes, wider feet tho…. I have wide feet, for most & even me, sinking is the problem with them. Idk if all these years later if you’ll see my comments but, I used to work at a dancewear store in college for a while & was trained to fit pointe shoes. The fun part of course was getting to try on different pairs. Even tho they didn’t quite work for me, I LOVED the Grishko elites bc they would PLACE you, and they made my feet look better than they actually are. I MIGHT just for fun want to go for a pointe shoe fitting bc I want to return to dancing just for pure enjoyment, and I’d like to actually work a little on pointe just at the bar, to strengthen my feet & improve my arches. I guess if she needs a longer vamp they wouldn’t work. But regardless they were always one of my favorite shoes, a bit unique in that they’re wide & the box is so…. Boxy lol, square. Very very stable! I’d love to see you review them or show them on some feet they would work well for, and show the feet as well (bare, like Ive noticed a lot of comments have asked for & we’re curious to see).
Anyway this just brings back some good, nostalgic memories. & it helps with inspo to bring ballet back into my life. I actually want to try something new in figure skating, which may be a little crazy since Im only shy of 40 yrs old by a couple years but, I dont want to do anything crazy just learn to balance & feel graceful and have some fun on the ice, for fun & fitness bc i get bored & think I just need to try something new… and I kind of need that as motivation to actually get back to ballet & yoga, as crosstraining. I figure that background might help me anyway to pick up skating. I do know a lot of figure skaters do ballet for cross training, & it only ever makes them better artistically on the ice & more graceful, and you can always tell the difference between skaters who do have that ballet experience and those who don’t. I would figure that a little point work at the barre could also only help to strengthen the feet & ankles to reduce risk of injury on the ice, ankle injuries are really common otherwise 😕 bc they switch edges, inside or outside edge, so they sometimes are sickling the feet or the ankles are moving inward or outward so yeah, high risk for injury & I’d like to avoid that, no desire to ever become competitive, only attracted to it for pure enjoyment.
Anyway, sorry Im so longwinded or verbose 😕 ive never been able to help that for the life of me 🤦♀️ enjoy your videos 👍
I‘m going through 8 years of dance now, startet when i was really small, rn I‘m just in Pointe practise since 1 year- I watch all you‘re videos and I wanna go buy pointe shoes rn😭😂
What a great message!!!
I’m currently a junior in high school and I’m hoping to be a dance major in college. I have a few main colleges that I’m looking at that I’m really excited about. I love the opportunity to go to college but also be able to further my dance education as well. And at my current level, I’m not too worried about the four years thing because I don’t know if I’d feel ready to go to a professional company after just training for a year or two more anyway.
This video had such a wholesome message 💕
“College is where ballet dreams go to die” MOOOD
I don’t even do ballet but I love watching these videos!!
I love to go on pointe idk y I love it so much but I have always found it so much fun ( I have been on point for 5 years I went on pointe when I was 6 and now I am 11)
Omg her feet are BEAUTIFUL. I'm 28 and have been dancing since I was 13, but never ballet, and I've always dreamed of having feet like hers. I've been doing ballet consistently for a few years now, and I'm hoping to do adult pointe one day. :)