Ballerinas are known for dancing on the tips of their toes. Pointe shoes are specialized shoes that support the dancer’s foot. Because all of the dancer’s weight is placed on an oval with an average area of only thirteen square centimeters, loads of force is put on their feet. Exactly how much force is this? How does it change in different positions? This project answered these questions. Using seventeen ballet dancers as test subjects, I measured the area of their foot in demi-pointe (ball of the foot), full-pointe, and flat positions. I then measured their weight and converted it to Newtons to find the amount of force they are exerting on their feet. By dividing the force by the area of one of six positions, I found the amount of force per square centimeter. The average force per square centimeter in flat positions was 3.852742 N/cm² for one foot and 1.926731 N/cm² for two feet. The average in demi-pointe positions was 11.86483 N/cm² for one foot and 5.932413 N/cm² for two feet. Full pointe positions had the most force: 20.4075 N/cm² for two feet and 40.81501 N/cm² for one foot. My findings proved my hypothesis that one foot full-pointe would have the greatest amount of force and two feet flat would have the least. Because of the construction of pointe shoes, they quickly wear out and become too soft. This information could be used to test possible new materials for pointe shoes that are strong yet flexible enough for pointe.
