Product Review

ABOUT THE TEACHER: Finis Jhung is a world-renowned ballet master who has been featured on CBS THS MORNING, written The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique: A Guide for Teachers & Students and produced more than 45 instructional videos. ABOUT THE VIDEO: Judith Weiss, New York’s most experienced pointe-shoe fitter, tells you all about the construction of the pointe shoe and how to find the shoe for you. Fourteen year-old Ashlee Knapp shows you special foot and ankle strengthening exercises, how to correctly prepare your shoe and foot, and how to tie your ribbons. Slowly and methodically, Finis and Ashlee show you how to do the soft toe work required today. You’ll learn to use your weight and energy so that you can roll up and down on pointe with delicate strength and ease, as Ashlee does. Your first steps are the most important, and this video will make sure you put your best foot forward. The CD music of Scott Killian makes this a magical experience. EXERCISES: 1. Rolling up & down, feet parallel; 2. Rolling up & down. 1st & 2nd positions; 3. Rolling up in plié. 1st & 2nd positions; 4. Combining exercises 2 & 3; 5. Demi & grand pliés, relevés. 1st, 2nd, 5th positions; 6. Plié, relevé, balance. 1st position; 7. Tendu, relevé, demi plié en croix; 8. Quick relevés from 3/4 to full pointe. 1st & 2nd positions; 9. Sous-sus, placing the feet in 5th position; 10. Battement tendu, plié, relevé in 4th position; 11. Échappé sur les pointes, sous-sus; 12. Piqué pas de bourrée, couru; 13. Échappé sur les pointes, sous-sus, pique pas de bourrée; 14. Échappé, plié in second, sous-sus, pique pas de bourrée