There aren’t any specialist ballet stores in Southeast Alaska. That means it’s hard for young ballerinas to find the right fitting shoes. So every summer, just before school starts Phillip Broadbent ...

At this dance school, young girls dream of wearing uncomfortable shoes that may only hold up for a few months — and their parents are fully supportive. This isn’t a new fashion trend. It’s the reality ...

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. – Upon entering Assemble Dancewear in Castle Rock, proprietor Noel Amend noted that my 12-year-old ballerina, Olivia, had arrived with her hair in a meticulous bun. “Bun?” I ...

Once a week, Josephine Lee packs around 500 pairs of shoes into her van and drives to dance studios across the region to fit ballet dancers for their pointe shoes. To the dancers, it’s more than just ...

For Judy Weiss, the first point she wants to make about fitting pointe shoes is that she can't explain exactly how she does it. “I have no one way of doing any fitting,” said the former dancer.