RDC Pointe Shoe Fund

Ever since ballerinas first rose up on their toes in the early 19th century, audiences have been fascinated by the image of the dancer, seemingly hovering above the surface of the earth. How does she do it? With strength, training, determination and, of course, with the right footwear.

A ballerina’s pointe shoes are the tools of her trade; vital to the success of her performance. Her shoes can, in fact, make or break a performance.

Pointe shoes are still individually handmade, carefully tailored to each dancer’s specifications. Once worn, the shoe molds to the foot and cannot comfortably be worn by any other person. Made of canvas, leather and paste, encased in satin, these beautiful shoes face the difficult task of supporting the dancer while remaining light and quiet on the floor.  Dancers develop a close bond with their shoes, often sticking with the same brand and even the same individual shoemaker for years at a time.

Not surprisingly, pointe shoes are pricey, running close to $100 a pair.

With an expected lifespan of up to 12 hours of dancing, per shoe, keeping a dancer in pointe shoes comes at quite a cost.  While most larger companies have a built-in shoe budget and provide monthly or yearly shoe allowances, dancers working for smaller organizations like ours must provide their own footwear.


Making a tax-deductible donation to our shoe fund can help us afford the tools of our trade, so that we can continue to bring the best possible product to the stages of Wyoming and Northern Colorado. It’s the support from our friends and audience members (and, of course, our pointe shoes!) that allows us to chase our dreams.