"The Magic of Pointe Shoes is an invaluable guide to students, teachers and dancers. This is an amazing book that will help you unlock all the mysteries about pointe shoes." Katia Garza, Artist, Orlando Ballet The Magic of Pointe Shoes is the only book covering in detail all aspects of pointe shoes, featuring world-wide famous experts revealing their secrets. Subjects span from the history of pointe shoes, how to take care of them, the right age to go on pointe, the first fitting, anatomy and injuries. The author provides an extensive section dedicated to over sixty interviews with famous ballerinas, ballet masters, pointe shoe manufacturers, world-renowned fitters and foot specialists from the United States, England, Australia, South Africa, South America, and Europe. A visit the world's most famous pointe shoe manufacturer, Freed of London, describes how a pointe shoe is hand-crafted, what materials are used and what stages the shoe goes through before being ready for the market. This invaluable manual answers all questions related to the correct use of pointe shoes and will be widely appreciated by anyone involved in ballet, especially by dancers, teachers and parents. The Magic of Pointe Shoes is the result of extensive research, travelling and a life dedicated to ballet. It is the perfect companion for the informed ballet student and for the knowledgeable teacher. Patricia Storelli is a Registered Ballet Teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance and has been dancing, teaching and choreographing both in Europe and in the United States where she resides. She writes articles for the "US Diary" of the Royal Academy of Dance and has extensive experience in pointe shoe technique and in fitting pointe shoes.