Trivia Thursday Quiz
Pointe Shoes
Test your ballet knowledge!
1. Which of these terms is not an element of a pointe shoe?
a) Vamp
b) Box
c) Camber
d) Platform
2. Who was the first ballerina to perform a full length ballet onstage en pointe?
a) Anna Pavlova
b) Marie Taglioni
c) Carlotta Grisi
d) Margot Fonteyn
3. In 1910, Anna Pavlova visited the United States for the first time with her company. Who did she work with to outfit her dancers with shoes- a company which then became the first international pointe shoe brand? (source- pointemagazine.com)
a) Salvatore Capezio
b) Jacob Bloch
c) Nikolay Grishko
d) Frederick Freed
4. In what year did Frederick Freed, a cobbler whose renowned pointe shoe brand Freed has become a staple to many professional dancers today, begin making pointe shoes? (source- freedoflondon.com)
a) 1902
b) 1916
c) 1927
d) 1942
5. In addition to the necessary sewing of ribbons and elastics, many dancers further customize their pointe shoes themselves before wearing them to achieve the most favorable and sturdy shoe possible. Which two methods are generally used to strengthen and stabilize the shoe?
a) Jet Glue/ Super Glue
b) Stitching the sides down
c) Darning
d) Removing the Drawstring
6. What is the average lifespan of a pair of pointe shoes? (source- danceus.org)
a) 4-6 hours
b) 10-20 hours
c) 40-50 hours
d) 75-100 hours
Answers
1. Answer- C
2. Answer- B
Ballet fun fact! If you’ve been paying attention to previous Trivia Thursday posts, you probably knew this answer right away! Marie Taglioni was the first ballerina to ever dance en pointe in a full-length ballet, La Sylphide. She darned satin slippers and added leather soles to create a more supportive platform to dance on. (source- theclassicalgirl.com)
3. Answer- A
Ballet Fun fact! Salvatore Capezio repaired shoes for the Metropolitan Opera before becoming a pointe shoe maker. After Anna Pavlova outfitted her company in his shoes, Capezio named a style in her honor to show his gratitude- “The Pavlova.” (source- capezio.com)
4. Answer- C
5. Answer- A and C
Ballet fun fact! Jet glue is a popular way to strengthen the box, tip, and shank of a pointe shoe before and during its lifespan. Some dancers darn the tips of their pointe shoes for a wider, more stable platform en pointe. While many dancers do stitch down the satin sides of pointe shoes to make them lower, this is usually done with the aesthetic intent to make a lower profile shoe in the arch area, and doesn’t necessarily add support and longevity to a shoe. The drawstring is usually left in and used to keep shoes secure and close to the foot while wearing.
6. Answer- B