English National Ballet's dancers used more than 4992 pairs of pointe shoes last year.
The dancers use pinky-white make-up to matt their shoes and to keep them looking clean. They use the same make-up on their bodies to achieve the white, ethereal look required for Swan Lake or Giselle.
Each female dancer gets an allowance of up to 10 pairs of pointe shoes per month, costing the Company more than £100,000 per year.
Every dancer – including the boys! – has to learn to sew to make sure their shoes are supported correctly with ribbon and elastic.
The Company uses over six miles of ballet shoe ribbon per year – that’s lots of sewing!
We have our very own shoe mistress who must measure each dancer's feet (in up to 26 places) to ensure they are wearing the correct type of ballet shoes.
In performance, shoes have to be dyed to exactly match the costume of each dancer.
A dancer playing the title role in The Sleeping Beauty might use up to three pairs of shoes for one performance!
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