The ongoing dilemma of pointe shoe tip grip!

So I really wanted to share my great lightbulb moment with you!  Depending on what floor your studio has, you may or may not find that you have grip issues en pointe.  Those that have a 'company' style floor are probably absolutely fine.  These are usually sprung with a vinyl surface.  Most professional ballet companies now have these installed - White Lodge at the Royal Ballet, for instance.  They offer the best surface for the right level of friction whilst still providing easy movement for pirouettes etc.  A lot of local dance studios, however, are multi-purpose.  Many local schools teach an array of dance genres, needing a floor which caters for all.  This usually mens it may not necessarily be the best for your particular dance genre.

Our studio has a sprung wooden floor which is often highly varnished.  The school caters for ballroom, modern, tap, street dance, contemporary and more.  So they obviously need a versatile floor.  Unfortunately, with it not being the best surface for pointe work, it can prove a little tricky when you are either a beginner or tentatively getting back in the game.

I know if I 'trust' the floor, I will 'trust' myself more.  Of course I 'should' be perfectly fine on any floor if I am 'over my box'.  But when you are learning or teaching your legs and feet to remember how to dance again, sometimes things aren't always that simple.  You may not quite get over your box. You may come down from your pointes at an odd angle. You may be a bit worried getting that posé into arabesque.  All of these pose a significant risk of slipping on a varnished wooden floor.

There are SO many methods of preparing your pointe shoes and SO many ways to prepare the tips too.  I go more in depth about the pros and cons of different methods in my previous post which you can read Here.  However, since this post - I did a lot of research and found there really isn't a lot of advice about this.  Probably because the most obvious information comes from companies who have ballet-specific vinyl-surfaced floors.  After trawling the web for hours on end, I came across two posts where a couple of professional dancer shared a 'top tip'.



PLASTIDIP!



Oh my God it really is such a Godsend! I don't know how the ladies had come across this solution, but what a great one it is.  They spray a thin layer or two on the bottom of their pre-ripped pointe shoe.  Allow a good hour or so to dry before applying multiple layers.  Simply leave to dry overnight to make sure and Voila! There you have it!

I wanted to try this out properly for myself and use them in studio before advocating my little find.  But I can surely say, it really does work.  It creates enough friction for a bit of grip (no A over B moments) yet enough movement for turning and echappés etc.  I feel much more confident now, result in stronger legs and more meaningful intentions (no 'dipping-toes-in-cold-water' uncertainty).

So feel free to go and try it for yourselves! Let me know what you think?  Click HERE for the official website, but you can get it cheaper on amazon etc if you have a look.  I chose the spray as it is easier to apply.  You can even get colours and glitters if you are feeling Disney-inspired!!