Pointe technique Pointe technique Pointe technique is the part of classical ballet technique that concerns "pointe work", in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet within pointe shoes. A dancer is said to be "en pointe" when the dancer's body is supported in this manner, and a fully extended vertical foot is said to be "en pointe" when touching the floor, even when not bearing weight. Pointe work is performed while wearing pointe shoes, which employ structural reinforcing to distribute the dancer's weight load throughout the foot, thus reducing the load on the toes
Pointe shoe in preparation for dancing en pointe in pointe shoes. The toe box allows the dancer to experience the feel of a pointe shoe, while the insole and outsole work together to provide the resistance needed for developing foot and ankle strength. Traditional pointe shoes are usually manufactured using a method known as "turnshoe", in which each shoe is initially assembled inside-out on a last and then turned right-side-out before finishing. When manufacturing standard pointe shoes, a standardized, common last is used for both left and right shoes, resulting in identical left and right shoes in a pair. Some ballerinas have