Your shoes aren't the problem...

So, I'm a former principal dancer at a top five US company and I want to respond to all of the recent posts asking if the problem is with the shoes or with the fitting. Nope, it isn't. When I was a corps member, I was expected to dance in poorly fitted/dead shoes. Pointe work is not about foot strength. period.

The problem is that you aren't engaging your pelvic floor, core, and hammies. Watch Osipova, she isn't getting over her box by the strength of her feet alone, she is using her pelvic floor and core. She is using the muscles she uses to do petit allegro to do pointe work.

When you are en pointe, you should have enough strength to lift your feet out of the box of your shoes. When you see an insta video of someone who is strong enough to go en pointe without shoes, you are watching someone with a very powerful pelvic floor, hammies, and core. It's not about foot strength at all.

If your petit allegro isn't working, your pointe work won't work either.