Ballet shoes are expensive to buy but quick to die due to their short lifecycle which lasts between 12 hours to a week depending on the frequency of the usage by ballerinas.
Ballerinas go through lots of ballet shoes which cost tons of money in the process of training and performing ballet dancing either in their individual capacity or as part of a ballet team.
The major aim of this article is to give you insight into the number of shoes ballerinas go through in various stages ranging from a day to one year so that you can be able to plan better if you want to start your ballet career.
How many ballet shoes do ballerinas go through?
Ballerinas go through a lot of ballet shoes in their careers which if combined will result in tens of thousands spent on just the shoes alone for training and performance depending on the intensity of the training as well as the frequency of using the shoes.
To answer the question properly, ballerinas go through lots of shoes in the following categories ranging from a year, season, month, week etcetera and we are going to pick one after the other to give a detailed explanation of the average.
How many ballet shoes do ballerinas go through In a year?
Ballerinas on average go through about 150 ballet shoes in one year alone depending on how frequent their training session and the number of hours spent each day on it is.
For a ballerina who trains for hours every day, the chances of going through lots of ballet shoes are higher than for a ballerina who trains sparsely as a hobby.
This number is not constant because some go through almost the exact number while others are less than that which is a matter of resources, and frequencies as the quality of ballet shoes on has.
How many ballet shoes do ballerinas go through in a season?
A ballet season consist of about right month starting usually from September to May of each year and for a ballerina, the number of shoes one goes through on average each season is between 75-118 shoes respectively which is very high if you take into consideration the coat of buying those shoes.
However, what made it possible to access the shoes for a ballerina is the fact that it is a company or the team that usually buys the shoes in bulk on their behalf.
How many ballet shoes do ballerinas go through in a month?
A ballerina goes through 9-15 pairs of ballet shoes on average every single month.
This number is subject to change if the frequency of usage also changes from an average position to a more intense one.
This number will cost between $760-$1000 depending on the quality, brand and quantity of the shoes a ballerina or the company she works for buys at a particular time.
You will notice that the cost of using ballet shoes in a month is quite expensive just like generally how baller is from the training, materials and the required diets needed by a ballerina.
How many ballet shoes do ballerinas go through in a week?
If a ballerina practices on average about 7-8 hours a day and five days a week, she will need between 3-6 pairs of good ballet shoes for the duration.
Some ballerinas take their training very seriously while just using it as a hobby and lack the discipline to follow a standard training schedule that will help them transition to professionals.
If a ballerina is serious about learning, she will go through higher ballet shoes in a week than one whose attention to ballet is partial.
How many ballet shoes do ballerinas go through in a day?
Ballerinas go through a pair of ballet shoes in two days or a single pair the shoes each day.
Depending on their weight, performance and hours of training which differs from individual to individual, the average shoe a ballerina goes through is one shoe a day or in rare cases one every two days.
How many ballet shoes do ballerinas go through in a performance?
Generally, for each performance, the average number of ballet shoes needed is one.
This means that for every performance, a ballerina needs a new pair for that and cannot use it repeatedly twice in other to avoid getting the shoe slipping off, getting loose or preventing her from performing comfortably.
Average lifecycle of ballet shoes?
The average lifecycle of ballet shoes is subject to how frequently the shoes are used by a ballerina.
However, between 12 hours and 3 days is the normal lifecycle before a ballerina will discard her ballet shoe for a new one if she uses it sparsely or frequently.
There are ways a ballerina can use to increase the longevity of her shoes but it is not advisable due to safety reasons.
How do ballerinas afford ballet shoes?
Many people have been wondering about how ballerinas cope with the expenses of buying a shoe that lasts for only a few hours before they need another pair.
Ballerinas get their ballet shoes through the following methods:
- Donations
- Sponsorships
- Personal
- Family
- Team
Donations
Donations from organisations, individuals and other people help ballerinas get access to ballet shoes without using their resources to buy one for themselves.
These donations can come in different ways such as anonymous donations, through a group or on behalf of a foundation.
Sponsorship.
This is the popular means through which ballerinas get access to free shoes for training as well as performing on stage.
Some corporate organisations or businesses collaborate with ballet groups and teams to finance some of their activities while they on the other hand get access to publicity and increase brand awareness which will translate to more revenue and patronising their products and services as well as enhancing their corporate image.
Personal.
Ballerinas also buy ballet shoes with their own money without waiting for help from other sources.
A ballerina that has no team or wants to have more shoes than what her team usually allocated to her will have to use her money to buy them like everybody else outside the team.
Family.
The family of a ballerina also helps in buying the shoes for their children to nurture their talents and support them to do what makes them happy.
A father, mother, sister, aunt or
Even a distant relative can buy her ballerina shoes as a gift so her to feel happy and continue following her passion for ballet dancing easily.
Team.
Another source of getting a ballet shoe to a ballerina is through her team or company.
This can be as a result of having the shoes available, buying in bulk or contributing money to reduce the cost of individual purchases which can dent the resources of ballerinas.
Is there a need to change how ballet shoes are made?
Many people have been complaining that for more than one hundred fifty years of ballet, an innovation that will make the ballet shoes longer has not been introduced to replace the old way of short ballet shoes lifecycle causing massive amount of money from the ballerinas and ending up as a waste that cannot be recycled.
There is indeed a need to change how ballet shoes a made in other to reflect the existing realities of what ballerinas are going through and to fit into current economic realities.
To make this change possible, different types of ballet shoes have been introduced into the market which are yet to receive wider acceptance across the ballet world.
These new ballet shoes are made with the following materials :
- Resin
- Carbon fibre
- Thermomoph technology.
How do you determine when to away a ballet shoe?
The best way to determine the right time to discard a ballet shoe is when it becomes either loose or uncomfortable and can no longer help you perform optimally without some noticeable defects during training or actual performance.
This is because your continuous usage even when you feel the changes can have negative consequences on your performance level, comfort and wellbeing of your feet which needs to be well taken care of constantly.
Conclusion
Ballerinas go through lots of shoes in a year, a season, month, week or even in a single day respectively.
This means that on average a ballerina goes through about 150 ballet shoes in a year or less, 75-118 in a season comprising right months from September to May, 09-15 ballet shoes every month, 3-6 pairs every week and one ballet shoes a day or per actual perfomance which is costly if you take into account the average price of a ballet shoe which is between $80-$115 depending on the quality, brand and the prestige of the manufacturer.
References
What Affects The Longevity Of Your Dance Shoes
How many ballet shoes in a week