Pointe Shoe Fitting 11 Year Old YAGP Hope Award Winner

Meet one of our ambassadors, Ava Juliette!
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Produced, Filmed & Edited by: Jazley Faith @jazzleyfaith @jazleyfaithphoto

[@AKDoyle]

I wish I had someone like Josephine when I was starting to dance on pointe. I was improperly fitted into my shoes and could barley get over the box. I ended up quitting ballet a few years later due to pain and injury believing I wasn't made for pointe shoes. Looking back, I was probably in a bad pair of shoes the entire time.

[@justt0ni]

aw that’s sad:( but i hope your dance era was amazing

[@rebolognesi]

@@justt0ni, A.K. quit because of pain and injuries… I’m afraid she didn’t have such a good time 😔🩰💕

[@oceaneo4603]

That's not right !!! To be that bad fitted, your teacher should of noticed it and said something to you. I'm sorry you went through that.

[@justt0ni]

@@rebolognesi ohh, yea

[@ellencoghill9805]

I totally understand. Way back when I got my pointe shoes there really wasn't much of a fitting. I put on and danced in the shoes they gave me. Horrible blisters due to my bunions...made it so much worse.

[@marinalodi6313]

Looking back, I quit ballet when I was 9, because I was SCARED OF POINTE So happy to have found Josephine and come back to ballet after 15 years.... Is trully amazing that she can make dancers feel confident, beautiful, secure and safe since the beginning

[@KorraOnTheFloora]

I've wanted to start Pointe for about a year or so, and when I'm finally able to, I'll be SO GLAD! I'm 13 and haven't done ballet since I was 4, and I'm starting it again this summer! I'm SO EXCITED!!!

[@SimplyMT]

I used to want to go en pointe so bad but then I became scared about it but have just been given the go ahead to get shoes and I’m going for a fitting tomorrow so I’m nervous to see how it goes lol

[@marinalodi6313]

@@SimplyMT good luck! I hope you find the perfect fit

[@caraboska]

The thing about that second pair is that you can see a bit of arch in her left foot. I think that in view of that, I would vote for the first pair.

[@gabrielle4821]

Also, I saw that her foot, like, coming out over the vamp way more in the second one. Idk remember what that called but it looks kinda painful. 😅

[@onyx_the_water_dragon3889]

I think it’s because of the padding inside the shoe. The first pair was prettier, but I thrust Josephine

[@gabrielle4821]

@@onyx_the_water_dragon3889 you do, do you? Lmao

[@gabrielle4821]

@@onyx_the_water_dragon3889 I also trust* her, and of course it matter how it feels which we don’t know.

[@emilyosborne1472]

The smiles when she looks left. I think she might be looking at her mum.❤❤

[@shespeex8413]

Congratulations to the newest ambassadors! Both of those looked like fantastic options for her to choose from. What an exciting time for this young dancer!

[@Aardappelpurree]

Aww those little pointes are so cute ❤she might get a growspurt later, I had mine when I was 15. Was usually the tiniest in my class for a long time until I suddenly became 5'9!

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

Thats similar to how it was for me. Was always the shortest and the skinniest until I suddenly reached an average 5'5 but I guess even at 30 now I'm still very skinny. That never really changed. Growth spurts can definitely happen for afab people later too

[@LyraPyxisVT]

i was always tall for my age, i become 5'9 at 15 and i stopped growing, i havent grown since 15, and im now 22 still the same height

[@renskebroeders3560]

Wow as someone who just started pointe this is so amazing i hope one day just to be like her shes so beautiful

[@Janknitz1]

My daughter was very tiny like this when she started pointe that she really only had one option from the shop where she was fit. I think the fit could have been better, but this was 20 years ago. Nice to see more options now.

[@josephine.france5]

Aww she is very talented!

[@scarletmaye]

I had to quit ballet when I was young but I was always and I still always go en pointe. My teachers would always fuss and say that I needed to stop 😂 but they also said that I was their first pick for en point when the time came. It never did but your videos make me want to get back into dance. They are entertaining and educational love you

[@noname-vz5wx]

love how you explain your though process :)!

[@MrsBrit1]

What a tiny little cutie! She's so smol😊

[@charlottesinclair9354]

Love your attention to detail to get the fit just right! When I started pointe there was only one brand of shoe that went long enough for my feet, and only in one style, so I had no choice at all about what to wear!

[@lindsayhaugen7660]

Look at this sweet baby ballerina!!!

[@sugarsprinkles9875]

awww I love Ava so much!!

[@mairiconnell6282]

Oh so important to have a great shoe fitter like Josephine. A young girl like this needs her feet to last all of her life. I am struggling with bad feet now in later life. The due care and attention was lacking in my early dancing years.

[@anikaxmeisel]

My Capezio Avas are coming Monday! Can’t wait for my follow up fitting with you!

[@sherryrutledge8792]

How cute is she!💕

[@mitten_feet]

aww she is so cute ❤

[@hodgiaparnell3307]

I did maybe 2 years on ponte before quiting ballet and I WISH I'd had a better pointe shoe fitter. Point really hurt and I have joint issues in my toes to this day. I started point at 11, quit pointe not long after then quit ballet and tap altogether at 13. I don't blame pointe entirely for my quiting tho as I had pretty poor mental health at the time but I think quiting pointe contributed to my quiting of ballet and tap

[@rollingonwards6472]

So , at age 10 I literally tried to sew my own pair of pointe shoes....I dipped them in my Dad's wood working varnish.... not ideal! At 12 we still couldn't find any small enough! I am street shoe size toddler 12 but unfortunately I ended up in a wheelchair but I might get costume shoes sometime....if they go that small! She's adorable!

[@Sav_Ky]

Omg so pretty Ava!❤

[@pedinurse1]

She is precious

[@mermaidopulence8539]

She's so stinking adorable

[@isabella_3824]

go avaaaa!!!😍🩰

[@JGreen-le8xx]

Josephine❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😄

[@cjinpa5713]

Love the second one. 🩰👀❤️

[@bonniefranklin6652]

Thank you.

[@esstown]

Thank you, Josephine. Can you please let me know a few brands that have stock models in a very low vamp? The ones shown here look low enough for me. Thank you.

[@DandaraEspindola]

I Love fitting videos

[@kcmathews83]

From the very first comment❤hi I do ballet too ❤ been doing it for seven years❤😊 I love watching your videos❤

[@haehaesworld7035]

Me too

[@sophiahohol]

Love you

[@linggwenniequin2644]

As a 17 year old with small feet, it comes as a big surprise to people when I say I'm a size 3. Lolll There once was a fitter, who I did NOT have an appointment with, sit me down, and fit me really quickly because she couldn't believe I was a 3. 😭

[@indrahx5905]

Somehow I thought the first pair looked better on her.

[@jeremyharke7211]

I really want to start ballet and I am eleven but I am scarred do your recommend that a should try it I feel like I am to old but I might be wrong.

[@oceaneo4603]

You never too old to start ballet. Pointes is just a part of it, it takes years for dancers to get to that point and not without risks. 'Cause lot of people aren't qualifed. If I may again, I would suggest to also seek for a physician for pointes, you will have an a not bias opinion and it might prevent injuries.

[@rainbowharrison]

Josephine is amazing, I want her to fit all my regular shoes.

[@queenstrawberry10]

dang shes 11 😭😱 im 13 and still waiting for pointe... this is my 10th year dancing i think i might do pointe this year vut we just finished out recital so i think my teacher was waiting for us to finish it 😂 🩰❤

[@frugalhousewife9878]

Is there a reason why the make/model of the shoe is never mentioned? Is it to avoid favoritism?

[@shenenigans2037]

It's also so that nobody goes out and buys a particular shoe just because so-and-so the famous dancer wears them, with no proper fitting or regard to if they suit the person buying them.

[@potatochip-8]

She fits a lot of Nikolay though, like both these pairs

[@choirkitty]

Correct, unless she is talking about one brand specifically, she doesn't mention brands that dancers wear or she fits with to avoid the "oh such and such dancer wore this shoe so I have to get this shoe"

[@ReyOfLight]

It’s to make dancers get fitted without bias instead of insisting on a possibly poorly fitting shoe because this or that dancer wears it. Pointe shoes should always be about fit and not brand, heck, even Gaynor Minden doesn’t work for everyone even though I’m guessing it would be ballet parents dream at least while they have to pay for all the shoes

[@elephant1871]

I did ballet from 2-5, but had to quit because I moved and there were no studios nearby because be moved to a smaller town but now I’m almost 14 and I miss it so much

[@edithtierce8209]

What style/brand are these two pairs? My daughter’s feet need the shorter vamp like this but none of the little dance stores around us carry very many different styles! They try to force everyone in the area into the same shoes! What we have had to do is buy online and show to her teacher but it’s still a work in progress… ugh

[@Bibblesupremacy1992]

she doesnt say what shes she uses for this reason.

[@CeeCee69]

I missed these vids ong

[@sisterbandgaming3608]

hi Josephine I’ve heard of your sponsorship with yuri Martin in the the summer (she’s my bff for lifeee) wouldn’t she be the youngest in pointe she was at YAGP too?

[@nicolewhitney7630]

My feet are tiny and I’m getting pointe shoe’s tomorrow

[@michaelaphillips7069]

Oooo I’m exited for u!

[@Maddy-dh7xv]

I’m not a ballerina I teach myself ballet I even teach myself point I have been teaching myself since I was in kindergarten and teaching myself point since 2nd grade I don’t have ballet shoes because they are so expensive I wanted to know if it is safe to go on point without proper training

[@dishwashee]

no, that’s not safe. especially while you’re still growing you need to be very careful so you don’t end up injuring your joints 😮 try to find a dance/ballet company in your area so you can learn to do it safely and be sure to get a doctor’s approval before going on pointe :)

[@Maddy-dh7xv]

@@dishwashee I can’t do ballet lessons because they are so expensive

[@dishwashee]

@@Maddy-dh7xv i understand. you can practice some on your own but be very careful with your toes :)

[@Maddy-dh7xv]

@@dishwashee but I walk on my toes all the time

[@dishwashee]

@@Maddy-dh7xv walking on your toes is okay :) as long as it’s not the very end of the tippy toes

[@TomoMomoDomo]

I stopped doing ballet because my pointe shoes weren't fitted properly. I still have the pair - my first and last pair. There's still some old blood smears in the toe box >.>;;

[@-stoopysticker-4263]

I'm not really sure, but I'm going on pointe and I'm 10, (dont worry my teacher said im fine). Do you think this is safe for me?

[@Appaddict01]

No, you should have a doctor confirm. It can damage your growth plates. Many dancers are not even ready at 13. There is no reason to risk potential career ending injuries or a lifetime of joint pain.

[@laurawhitt4854]

I personally had point shoes before I was 8, and it was fine, if your teacher thinks you are strong enough, but if you think you might change sports, then think through the fitting, if they constantly bring something up about your feet, and try to get you to sew it differently, or break it weird, then you have a bad fitter, and it could damage your feet if you decide to do something active later in life my fitter told me I had low low low arches, and I literally had to sew them myself, because my mom wanted the band where my teacher said, but I took the fitter’s advice to heart, and kept breaking my shoe to get a prettier arch, and to get over my box because I though my arch did that, and I was good in ballet had not extra pain, but quit and I now run cross country, had to sit out a season of track, because I could not walk, turns out I had developed high arches, and now have insoles in all my shoes, because I can not walk, but I had a ton of friends that got their’s at 8, and area fine, and actually better for it, if your teacher is recommending it then you area strong and should be fine, just break them in, make sure they are soft, and start slow

[@sweetieflashy]

The girl on the mirror

[@madhumitaroy4756]

Her hobby also dancing

[@namtellectjoonal7230]

she's so tiny 🥺

[@ChrisSunHwa]

I wish I'd had someone who would have fitted mine properly. I kind of think she was just trying to make a sale. In fairness, my feet are pretty asymmetrical with long toes and low arches. lol

[@marshmallow7640]

Omg her feet are so tiny 😮

[@josier21]

Am I the only one watching the lady in the mirror🤣

[@arwenhunter7411]

11?!?!

[@mariedunn3774]

Here’s another lovely little ballerina❤ hope I share it correctly! kzbin.infoNwxx0VkrYkk?feature=share

[@user-wq3ml9uy7e]

.

[@tigerbrynngaming6471]

If I had a dollar every time I asked my mom to get me Pointe Shoes $500000000

[@Charoula1608]

I don't know what it is about the "new shoe", I'm not even a dancer, but it looks like she's spilling out of it. :(

[@haehaesworld7035]

It does a bit but she is also supported enough that it shouldn’t be much of a problem

[@propio2957]

I had the same thought, like her foot was going to fall out the top when she was on pointe

[@shenenigans2037]

Part of that is the toe pads bubbling out of the vamp - it happens on just about anyone with short toes, or low vamps, or just long toe pads. I do see what you mean, but it also looks like it breaking where it does will help her roll through, where a higher vamp would likely be very hard to work through, and potentially cause more issues. It's always a give and take with pointe shoe fittings. And when they're lighter, it also makes a difference in whether spillage or potential for it is a problem or not.

[@mjgbabydragonlet]

I love that you show off her beautiful feet!

[@Tinytinytintiny]

This sounds so creepy

[@freeinghumanitynow]

I don't know. Eleven is awful young for pointe.

[@dominotruth]

Does she have a doctor evaluating her feet and ankles? She seems way to young and small (ie not developed) to be on pointe. My daughter has been with the Houston Ballet Academy since she was 5, and it’s not until this year when they are in Intermediate Level that they get the “possible” approval from the instructors and the doctors on staff from the Methodist Hospital for Pointe. In fact we just received the news yesterday that my daughter gets to do her first fitting with her academy instructor at the dance shop next weekend. HBA makes sure their growth plates are formed and fused, and they go through several evaluations with the ballet instructors, strength and conditioning coaches and doctors. Because starting pointe to soon can actually increase chance of injury and shorten your career. They don’t care how amazing of a dancer one might be, they put health first. I know pointe is super enticing and every young ballerinas dream, but good thing come to those who wait. I really hope this little one has someone looking out for her health.

[@laurawhitehurst8353]

Thank you so much Josephine for allowing me to be part of your family! I’m so very grateful for these opportunities ✨🩰 Ava