Ballerinas’ Toes Are Super Strong
When you see a ballerina dancing en pointe, looking lighter than air, it’s important to remember that our toes aren’t meant to support that much weight.
But being en pointe is like sending your toes to the gym, end ballerina’s end up balancing on their big toe about three times the weight it normally carries.
Ballet Used to Be a Guy Thing
Ballet is usually perceived as a feminine dance, but it was actually danced exclusively by men for more than 100 years!
You see, in the past, women weren't allowed to dance in public but that only changed in 1681. Before that, the female parts of any performance had to be danced by younger male dancers.
Men in Tights
Ballerinas wear their shoes out pretty quickly, and their male counterparts can say the same about their tights.
As durable as lycra may look, it is no match for hours of training and performing. The general estimate is that a professional male ballet dancer will use about 4,000 pairs of tights throughout his career.
Pointe Shoes Aren't Forever
If there is one piece of equipment that is an absolute must for a ballerina, it is her pointe shoes.
Professional ballerinas who perform in pointe shoes regularly can wear out as many as three pairs of them in a single week! The Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, for example, spends about $100,000 a year on its dancers' pointe shoes.
Pointe Shoes Need DIY Customizing
Pointe shoes aren't like sneakers. You can't just get a new pair and start wearing it. Each ballerina has her own way of breaking in her shoes.
Some of the DIY techniques ballerinas use include shaving the sole with a razor and smacking them against the floor. Also, they make sure to always get their shoes from the same maker so the process is the same with every pair.