Do Men Weigh Too Much For Pointe?

[@mydumbyoutubechannel6579]

As a man who's interested in pointe, this is empowering

[@ThePointeShop]

Love this

[@jobrockie70]

Thank you Josephine, for addressing this misconception around weight and pointe work. Having danced with a larger body for most of my life I have often been met with disbelief that, firstly I can dance en pointe and secondly, that I might actually be proficient. Going for a fitting is always nerve wracking, I’ve heard stories of plus sized women being turned away. It always induces a fear of judgement and ridicule in me and is just another facet of how dancing with a plus sized body can be met with criticism. Fortunately, I’ve always had positive fittings, In fact the last time I was fitted the women said, “oh well, you’ve clearly been doing this for years.” Love Roberto, and what he’s doing for the male ballet world, he is a beautiful dancer and his hacks are going to be really handy. X

[@ThePointeShop]

Thank you for sharing your story

[@charlotteoleary196]

This has cheered me up - I went to get fitted for normal ballet flats and felt so self conscious about my weight. I felt like I couldn't possibly be doing ballet, and felt like I was the only one to feel like this.

[@18BDM]

@@charlotteoleary196 Good on you!!

[@morrisminor72]

Woohoo! This gives me hope. I am a beginner-intermediate adult dancer with lots of strength and a correspondingly robust build. I have a wonderful adult studio and am loving every class (except for allegro on Saturdays when I am exhausted 😂). I am hoping that pointe work may be in my future. Although I stopped ballet formally as a 12yo, I have since done loads of gymnastics and martial arts, so my feet haven’t been locked up for the past 35y. I am hoping they respond to all the work I am giving them and develop the strength and technique needed for pointe. 🤞🏼

[@chiara4243]

It would be super awesome to see a video with a plus size ballerina on pointe!! Can you guys imagine Josephine fitting Lizzie Howell? 😍

[@ThePointeShop]

We would love to fit her!

[@balletmeli]

Love Lizzie Howell

[@ushere5791]

roberto is stunning. i could watch him dance all day. thank you soooo much for helping eliminate misconceptions about pointe.

[@poketvenus]

I use a curved darning needle. Helps a ton. When I was in Gypsy I couldn't use rosin because of the tappers, and it was just a high school wooden stage. I ended up darning the entire tip, and over the creases as well. I painted the thousands of little stitches with rubberized nail polish base coat, so I wouldn't slip. .and the darning made my shoes much quieter on the not ideal stage. Took about 3 hours per shoe, but it was totally worth it. I spent vocal rehearsals sewing, and I'm so glad I did. Going en pointe after a 15 year hiatus was risky enough, I needed all the support and all the traction I could get.

[@tammydesborough2949]

The funniest part? I don’t dance (other than in my mind) and I LOVE your channel! There is so much information and all the dancers are so sweet! Just love your vids!

[@tammystiletto]

Yeah I just figure skate idk why I’m here but I am every upload 😂

[@stacielynn7789]

Because Jo is an amazing human being and we can't help but to love her.

[@phoebe_5267]

I don’t even do ballet but I love watching your videos. The videos of the man en pointe gives me so much joy I love it

[@amyhull754]

Someone else commented that the pointy thing is an "awl." Ironically, from Josephine's comment of, "Be careful not to poke your eye out," is that Louis Braille, the blind Frenchman who lost his sight at age 2 or 3 whose father was a leather worker and toddler-Louis LITERALLY poked his eye out with an awl, and then the other eye lost sight from infection or sympathetic loss. So...Historical irony.

[@AkashaOConnell]

Needle nose pliers are your friend when trying to sew something that hard.

[@katherinemorelle7115]

I find that a metal thimble is usually enough, especially if you use the thimble and your thumb to grip the needle once you’ve pushed it through. But sometimes you still need something a little extra, and needle nose pliers work wonders! I’d still suggest sewing with a metal thimble (as someone who hand sews a lot- literally most of my own wardrobe is hand sewn), as having something to push it through most of the way before pulling it does mean less broken needles, and trying to push through a needle without a thimble... well, it’s painful, to say the least. Even if all you hand sew is your pointe shoes, please use a thimble, preferably a metal one. Abby Cox has a video all about metal thimbles, how to use them, how to find one that fits, how to find one that works well for you (there are tailor’s thimbles with open ends that are great if you have longer nails, though I personally rock the “thimble manicure”, where my right middle fingernail is super short, and the rest are normal length), and if you really hate the metal ones (though seriously, give them a good try), then there are leather ones that might suit. It’s rare to see a ballet dancer use a thimble when sewing, and I wince every time. Thimbles were invented and used for hundreds of years for a reason, so use them. It will make sewing much easier and much less painful (I remember using my thumbnail to push needles through when seeing my pointe shoes, and just.... no. Don’t do it)

[@unpopablebubble]

Could y'all please caption these videos where you wear masks? Your deaf/HoH viewers who read lips (myself included) would very much appreciate it.

[@madelinehoang4947]

You can turn on the captions👍🏼

[@Chelsea7-i1d]

@@madelinehoang4947 correct

[@melaniegill196]

Wow! He is so graceful and strong on pointe! Love it!

[@elenakennedy5725]

I don't do ballet, but I sew. Pliers to push/pull the needle through would be a game changer for this.

[@viviangarcia2631]

Finally! Roberto is back! So happy you’ve started your company. You are a gorgeous dancer and beautiful person. I can’t wait to see your work. So many possibilities ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@christianpedersen8354]

you need to get ahold of a sailmaker'''s palm to helpd push the needle through you shoe

[@ThePointeShop]

wow I just looked this up! This is amazing!

[@zuzannawrobel]

The "pointy thing" is called an awl if you're trying to find one online

[@katherinemorelle7115]

And they’re pretty cheap at sewing supply stores. I prefer Clover awls, personally, and in Australia they’re about $10.

[@overgrownkudzu]

damn men should definitely go on pointe more, it looks really great

[@ThePointeShop]

Agree

[@KimCarmenWalsh]

Such a beautiful strong dancer!!

[@evelyncollins7]

Merry Christmas Jo!!!

[@ThePointeShop]

Merry Christmas!

[@pianolady19]

I thought the reason men don't typically wear pointe shoes was bot about their weight, but tradition within the dance form...that pointe was considered feminine whereas all the crazy high jumps and spins were more masculine...?

[@ThePointeShop]

Definitely part of it! :)

[@18BDM]

This is so informative! And men doing Pointe work is just stunning!

[@rnp497]

I don't do ballet, although I love to watch it. However, your videos provide so much information that you have expanded my enjoyment of the art these amazing artist/athletes perform with such ease

[@francinehibiscus350]

I wish I could see that show, it sounds amazing!

[@Jylart]

I just moved into my new apartment and it has wood floors!! I can't wait to find my old pointe shoes and go crazy!!

[@SeabassFishbrains]

As a 5'10 guy who used to dance en pointe, I can sooo relate to hardcore darning! Blochs were always the worst fit for me (I have extremely tapered toes so if my shoe isn't super tapered, I'd just sink down in the box and I was weirdly inbetween a 3X wide and a 4X wide in Blochs) but they were by far the easiest to darn XD

[@evacope1718]

Oh man, im 23 and been obsessed with point shoes all my life 😅 I stopped ballet because i felt like I was too curvy and bulky for it, all the dancers in my class were so petite and beautiful I just felt uncomfortable being the only one with huge thighs and boobs. Sadly I never progressed to pointe. I'm taking adult classes this week after about 10 years of not dancing and I've always wanted to dance pointe, but i was too afraid id be too big for it. This gives me hope lol.

[@elizabetha2601]

I was told I was to heavy to dance so this is great to hear

[@LH-ro2ot]

You can buy curved needles

[@k-rosebouvier3359]

Wow, he's as strong as a cart hauling Bouvier!!!

[@RamblingsfromCanada]

Roberto is a gorgeous dancer 💕 Thanks for another great video

[@terrywilcox6189]

Jo, your fans are still waiting for you to perform those 32 fouettes! Do you know if Roberto has tried Siberian Pointe Rudoph mens pointe shoes? Have a wonderful Christmas.

[@missygee531]

Thank you Jo for this 'surprise' with another beautiful dancer. At first I wasnt sure but as I watched, this dancer has strength with the most exquisite movements! What a fun Christmas present for all of us!. Bless you sweet girl. We love you! Have a joyful Merry Christmas! Much love 🎀💖🎀

[@zheleloh6259]

May i know what is the biggest size for pointe shoes?

[@Teverell]

Roberto has the most gorgeous feet and lines ever! So glad he's out there doing serious male pointe stuff - would love to see the show if it's ever available to view online. Take care and stay safe and healthy and have a very merry Christmas!

[@DestinyHopeLou]

I can‘t wait to get properly re-fitted next year. My old shoes are too soft and my current shoes are SO hard. 😭

[@cupidvallie]

Merry Early Christmas!! I love watchin these videos, I'm excited to get my pointe shoes sooner or later. ^^

[@kashfiaislam9995]

Can I take ballet classes once a week for 3 years and then get my first pair of pointe shoes? 🩰

[@bloopblerp]

Disney+ just released a series called On Pointe, would love to get a reaction to it or something similar. Love your videos ❤️

[@ThePointeShop]

Great idea!!

[@debzdebois8777]

I joined Disney to watch it for that pacific reason lol

[@liezelniesing3247]

Merry Christmas Jo🎄❤️🤍💋🎁💝

[@helenadzworniakiewsczdeara9784]

Hello! Really like ur videos ur awesome. Jolly Christmas

[@TheSiobhan12]

Love this!!! Hope they come to NYC!!!

[@sdseals2076]

I can see so many veins in his foot when he is on pointe. Is that from his weight on his foot?

[@bonniehawkins2979]

Thank you.

[@davidtuil9942]

Hello , I am from France ( Paris) and I wanted to know if I can order a pair of point shoes for male size US 28 ( 43 en France) with a large box. Thank you and take care

[@thomas.halama3568]

Did you get your pointe shoes ??? How r u doin en pointe

[@HlootooThunderhammer]

Weight was why I thought men didn't dance en pointe all this time.

[@JCmxb]

Josephine, I saw a backstage wardrobe tour from the Phantom of the Opera world tour recently and the wardrobe head showed pointe shoes that had rubber on the boxes instead of darning or other treatments. Have you ever seen anything like that before?

[@BethanySchwarz5678]

He has incredible lines

[@hankypanda]

Do women ever weigh too much for point? I want to get back into ballet but feel way too heavy. :(

[@natakatsivalis]

Great video!!!

[@rainonmcp5523]

Happy Holidays

[@DestinyHopeLou]

Are there any shoes with a particularly soft box? I always kill my shanks first but I need a soft box to really feel the floor and get my feet moving.

[@dslrtt]

Merry early Christmas!!

[@natalialynn6796]

I’m 13 and I started dance/ballet about 5 months ago. Do u think I’ll be able to start pointe next year?

[@kyliee8586]

It really depends on how much you train and your strength. Going en pointe too soon or without the technique/strength needed is extremely dangerous. 2-3 years of training is usually the minimum, but that is only if the dancer develops enough strength and is taking enough classes. 1 or 2 classes a week will delay the time for pointe since it is simply not enough. I would wait about a year and a half from now since that will be 2 years total of training, and then ask your teacher if they think you’re ready.

[@xxcherii_8549]

Yes! although you do probably need a note from ur teacher. im 11 and im going to start pointe after a year of ballet (i had done two years of dance beforehand) so i believe u will be able too :)

[@tammystiletto]

I have never been this early. I should wake up early every morning...easier said than done okuuur insomnia 😂😂

[@anassorbestiak]

I couldn't dance as a child because I was overweight and the studios in my city didn't accept me. Maybe they thought it was useless to train me because "I couldn't be on point"...

[@katherinemorelle7115]

If you love seeing the ballet, I also suggest supporting the Costume Industry Coalition- because without costumes, there is no live ballet, or live theatre of any kind. But this pandemic has been extremely hard on the costuming industry, and we need those businesses to stay alive so that when Broadway and Ballet open back up again, there are costumers who can make all the gorgeous costumes we see on stage. Bernadette Banner has a video all about the CIC, and ways to support them, it’s this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWeUZpKejJiEZ7s

[@christawilson2122]

You need to fit Brooklyn Heights

[@uwu-pt8md]

Can a female dancer that is not skinny but not overweight either can do pointe?

[@elizabethann5308]

Anyone who is strong enough can do pointe.

[@pianolady19]

Yup. My daughter did ballet for years, and there were a lot of older teens who were not "skinny" but not quite overweight who did pointe. There was also one girl who was pretty fat who did pointe as well, though you could see how her weight held her technique back compared to the thinner dancers for sure. But she was strong enough to balance.

[@jobrockie70]

I am plus size and en pointe, so there’s no reason why someone “not skinny but not overweight” can’t also progress to pointe. It’s all to do with strength, repeating exercises to build muscles and good technique. As a child I was much lighter, but coming back as an adult, after having children and various changes, I am still able to do pointe work. It can take a few years to built the strength and you need to make sure you get teacher approval as well. Good Luck. X

[@uwu-pt8md]

@@jobrockie70 thank u

[@Lisabeeme15]

I did

[@Jeanaweng]

Hi

[@aboutleila2317]

I always loved your video but the audio has never been great and now with masks it got worse... I realise is no one fault but I find it really hard to enjoy the content (since english is not my first language)... Maybe a microphone or subtitles might help

[@JewelBelleLove]

💜💜💜💜

[@JGreen-le8xx]

Josephine❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😄

[@williamjames6835]

😮👍👏👏👏👏

[@s4ltcl0ud13]

haii

[@mothball5425]

He gave it his awl. Sorry...

[@CaveOfDarkness001]

Hi, thanks for another video, but this was unfortunatly really uncomfortable to watch for a non native speaker :( You spoke pretty fast and through the mask everything was quite a bit muffeled. Could you please try to speak a tiny bit slower the next time? Cause watching/reading subtitles (at this speed) and at the same time looking at/getting what you were showing with the shoes was really difficult. And slowing down the videospeed makes your voice, pronounciation and the whole animated body language really really awkward :( Thank you so much Keep up the good work

[@cathystockton2721]

I've always thought darning looked like a cheat for someone who isn't a good dancer. It's a shame it ruins the line of the shoe.

[@emma.l]

A lot of professionals do it, it's not noticeable from the audience

[@alexandralawson6475]

I second the above comment, a lot of professionals do it regardless of ability. Usually the reason that we start darning is because we have super flexible feet and ankles, so there’s a risk of going too far over the box. Also it extends the life of the pointe shoe. The satin on the platform frays fast, so darning stops the fraying. If you use the right colour thread as the shoe, the audience won’t see it and it won’t ruin the line.

[@spambotful]

The way he does it looks so messy

[@emma.l]

@@spambotful so? Again, not noticeable on stage

[@spambotful]

@@emma.l calm down 😆 it is if you’re sitting close enough