These shoes have not been used in at least 10 years, since I was in middle school. Yet, I keep them on display, whether it was hanging in my room at college or in my scrapbooking loft, which is where they are now. Part of the reason is because of the pointe shoes sheer beauty and the other part of the reason is because of the memory and dream I had for them. I wanted to get serious about ballet in middle school and try pointe. I worked so hard to impress my dance school teachers so they would let me advance into a new pointe class they were trying. I, along with my older sister and her best friend, were accepted into the class. I was elated! I still remember going to buy my pointe shoes from the local dance store. I had to decide between peach and pink (I chose pink) and buy all the lambs wool and tape that one needed to wrap their feet to dance like a true ballerina. I remember learning that there is no difference between the left and right shoes when you buy them and that I had to mark the left with a penciled L and the right with an R so as my feet adjusted to them over time and broke them in Id know which shoe went on which foot. I remember learning that you had to break the shoes in and soften them up a little so I would spend time at home bending them back and forth and banging the box of the shoes on the floor. For some reason the school decided to switch teachers for the class from a warm, fun-loving female teacher to a cranky, strict old man, complete with a cane. I suppose it was because he knew pointe more than any of the other teachers there. He quickly enforced rules - dont even think of coming into class if youre going to be late, dont come into class if you have one strand of hair out of place from your bun. We were also told we had to start wearing the same thing - a black leotard, pink tights and a black ballet skirt. I understand the school wanting to take it to the next level and have a wonderful pointe class but it was supposed to be fun for us! I made it through the year but did not continue in the years to come. I wanted to learn pointe but I wanted to enjoy it and be able to look forward to class. I hold onto the shoes now not only because theyre pretty to look at but, I suppose, as a reminder of the dream I had and the beauty I still admire in all those who have success in this truly graceful and spectacular expressive art form.

Everything is from Julie Billingsley's Dainty Dancer kit at SSD

Fonts: DB Lslie Script and Pea Alicia Script