KSHB 41 anchor/reporter Daniela Leon covers transportation-related issues in Kansas City. Daniela is emceeing the Sugar Plum Fair Children's Ball at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6. Share your story idea with Daniela.
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Every holiday season, families from all across Kansas City are transported to a festive world of imagination thanks to the Kansas City Ballet’s Nutcracker. It's a cherished tradition made possible by gifted dancers and the important support of their ballet shoes.
In her 12th season with the Kansas City Ballet, Marissa Whiteman has danced in every Nutcracker performance for the past decade. Over the years, she’s stepped into a variety of roles — including the graceful Snow Queen, but pulling Kansas City into a world of wonder for Whiteman and other dancers is no easy feat.
"During the Nutcracker run, I go through around 20 pairs, give or take, depending on the year, but in a whole season, I'll go through about 60 pairs of pointe shoes," Whiteman said.
Ballet pointe shoes are a specialized type of ballet shoe designed to allow dancers to perform en pointe; dancing on the tips of their toes.
Whiteman's shoes are handmade by Freed of London, a leading dance shoe manufacturer, but before the pointe shoes hit the stage, manual adjustments must be made. For Whiteman, this includes bending or stepping on the box of her pointe shoes, which supports her toes.
"Think of a pointe shoe as similar to paper mâché in that it's a lot of burlap and paste, and then the satins on the outside," Whiteman said. "The heat from your feet and the stage lights tend to break them down faster, and get soft, especially in the box that you're standing on."
To help further support her feet, Whiteman adds additional glue at the tip of the shoes and outside for stability and to help break in the shoes. Ribbons and elastics are sewn on.
"You'll see someone prepare their shoes completely differently, and sometimes it really works for your feet as well, so you kind of just pass things on to the next generation," Whiteman says.
At the bottom of each of Whiteman's satin soles, the name of the dancer, size, width, maker and date the shoes were created are printed. The height, paste and overall fit vary depending on the dancer's preference. Whiteman also catalogs her shoes; At the start of the Nutcracker, she was breaking into her 534th pair.
"It's a way of, kind of just seeing my career, but also making sure that I don't mix them up," she said.
Due to the pressure of each performance and practice, pointe shoes have to be constantly rotated after a few hours. Standing by to help each dancer stay on their toes is Amy Taylor, director of production for the Kansas City Ballet.
“Well, for the season, the women in the company get 65 pairs of shoes — that’s their allotment. Some will go through all of them; it just really depends on the dancer. We probably order over 1,100 pairs of shoes for just the company, and then for our Kansas City Ballet Second Company,” Taylor said.
Depending on the type of shoes, many of these delicate pairs are made abroad, with some prices as high as $154. Due to the customization and specifications, ballet shoes are typically made abroad, and have to be ordered at least 16-18 months in advance to ensure they are ready for each dancer.
"When I first started this, I didn't realize how long it took for a maker to custom-build a shoe," Taylor said. "They can make so many per day, and they're filling orders from all over the world. It's not just ballet companies in America, it's ballet companies in Europe and Asia, and there's just a handful, really, of manufacturers that are doing this sort of work."
As the director of production, Taylor is also in charge of the technical elements of the production and transportation. She uses Excel sheets and rigorous planning to keep her methodical operation in check.
"It is time-consuming, but it's exciting to see them (dancers) when they really find a shoe that they love," Taylor says.
For Whiteman, the lengths the Kansas City Ballet goes to find her perfect shoes make a difference on stage.
"I don't have to think about it when I have a good shoe," Whiteman said. "It kind of just feels like I can let go and, really live in whatever character that is."
Tickets for the Kansas City Ballet's Nutcracker are available online.
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