Pointe Shoe Solutions

Not too long ago, my friend Jackie saw a post from Capezio about a contest for a VIP Pointe Shoe fitting. There was one for NYC, one for Dallas, and one for Austin. The winner gets professionally fitted, a pair of shoes, toe pads, ribbons and elastics in an experience of a lifetime.

I entered, semi-absentmindedly, not even really thinking of how far Austin and Dallas are.
Yesterday as I was journaling at work about something semi-deep, I got an email and looked at it more out of habit than actual curiosity. But when I saw who it was from, I was shocked.

Dianne Giacoio  with the subject, "VIP Pointe Shoe Fitting--Dallas TX"

I think my exact words were, "There's no freakin' way."

I opened it, and sure enough, it was a congratulations because I won the fitting.

When I entered, I said a little informal prayer, knowing that my feet need some real attention by someone who knows what they're doing. It has been the most difficult thing trying to find shoes that work, and it's really frustrating knowing that I can do more than my shoes allow.

I was in denial of this for a while because I had once heard, "Bad dancers blame the shoe." Until my friend Liz, who has had pointe shoe woes of her own, told me, "Um, you need different shoes."

I don't know if they were expecting some 12-year-old whose momma signed them up, but they got this almost 26-year-old who is at the end of her rope and needed something like this to happen.

So, thank you, Capezio, for hosting this contest. For choosing me, an adult ballerina who will never be part of a company or probably amount to anything in the world of ballet. Because of all the opposition, you make me feel like you believe in me. That this dream isn't something childish that I should give up on, but worth pursuing. That maybe I can finally have a solution.
Thank you.