Pointe technique During each class session, a student will move on to centre exercises after completing the barre work. These exercises emphasize various aspects of ballet technique, such as turnout, pointing of the toes, and the use of ballet technique while en pointe. Dancers take pre-pointe typically for a year before they are allowed to get pointe shoes. However, it is to the discretion of the dance instructor to determine if one year of pre-pointe is sufficient or if the dancer needs more time to prepare. Dancing en pointe stresses the feet in various ways and thus can potentially cause injuries if
Air Force (shoe) retailers used to be prohibited by Nike who had restricted supply of the sneaker. Nike now allows retailers to offer the shoe for sale online. As a performance shoe, the AF1 is still used for street play as well as for professional play. NBA players Jerry Stackhouse (who now wears Adidas) and Rasheed Wallace have worn AF1s on court. Nike Air Force 1s were originally considered the favored shoe of inner-city youth, especially in Harlem, New York; hence the nickname "Uptowns". Rapper Nelly and his group, St. Lunatics, collaborated on a 2002 single entitled "Air Force Ones" about the shoes.