Ballet emphasizes grace, balance and fluidity. It adheres closely to movements that have changed little in over 200 years. Ballet dancers practice their technique daily to perfect it. Unlike jazz dancing or hip hop that emphasize improvisation and spontaneity, ballet uses a specific and codified vocabulary of movements, each having its own name.
En pointe technique allows dancers to appear weightless and graceful. Because the tips of the dancer's toes are not naturally capable of supporting the dancer's full weight over extended periods of time, ballet dancers must undergo extensive training to strengthen the bones and muscles of the foot before they are able to dance en pointe. This is in addition to the dancer's other training.
Ballet shoes are light and highly flexible to allow as much movement as possible while still protecting the foot. Ballet shoes have a thin leather sole with an outer shell of soft leather or canvas for practice, and satin for performances. In order to maximize flexibility, the leather sole does not typically extend to the toes and some shoes have a split sole for the same reason. Ballet dancers use elastic or satin ribbon to keep their shoes on their feet.
Pointe shoes are a special version of the ballet shoe that are structured in a way to support the foot in an en pointe position. Pointe shoes have a stiff toe box that allows the ballerina to balance on her toes. Pointe shoes also contain a stiff sole, called a shank, that supports the arch of the foot. Many dancers wear toe wraps to protect their feet from the hard toe box. These shoes sacrifice the flexibility and movement of a traditional ballet shoe for the support necessary to successfully dance en pointe free of injuries.