Guest Tat Posted June 4, 2001 Share Posted June 4, 2001 I just recently attended an ABT performance and at intermission i was looking at some of the autographed pointe shoes for sale and i noticed that Julie Kent's shoes were being sold for less than Gillian Murphy's and also Paloma Hererras?? Is her technique worse or is it because the other two are perhaps younger and more up and coming?? :confused: Link to comment
Dance Fan Posted June 4, 2001 Share Posted June 4, 2001 I don't know if Kent's shoes are worth less than the other dancers. But at least she got some use out of them. When ABT appeared in Chicago a few years ago, some of the dancers made an appearance at a department store downtown, and handed out signed, brand new, unused pointe shoes to each person in line! I found this a shocking waste of resources for a company that is constantly in fundraising mode. Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted June 4, 2001 Share Posted June 4, 2001 however, just to act as devil's advocate, the shoes may have been special order shoes that did not come out properly and therefore were not usable by the dancer, or something like that. Link to comment
leibling Posted June 4, 2001 Share Posted June 4, 2001 That could be true- I know that we have done that here in Miami- using unwearable shoes to sign and give away. Most dancers wouldn't dare to give away their good shoes as it can take months to receive more. Link to comment
dancersteven Posted June 5, 2001 Share Posted June 5, 2001 RE: Julie Kent's Shoes Pricing: It could just be a supply and demand thing. Either they do not sell as well (low demand), or Julie uses up more shoes quickly (high supply), or maybe Murphy and Herrera do not give all of their shoes to be sold and Julie does. Just a thought. . . S. Link to comment
Yvonne Posted June 5, 2001 Share Posted June 5, 2001 Tat, how much were the various shoes going for? I'm curious. I would LOVE to have a pair of Julie Kent's, but can't afford them on eBay (and they don't come up for auction very often). A pair of Susan Jaffe's shoes are currently up to a $56.00 bid. I wondered why they looked as if they hadn't been danced in - maybe they were defective. Link to comment
AmandaNYC Posted June 5, 2001 Share Posted June 5, 2001 At the NYCB gift shop, the cost depends on rank. Principals=50 Soloists=25 Corps=5 (This went up a year or two ago from the 25/10/5 that it had been for years). So, Wendy Whelan (hard to come by) shoes go for the same as Miranda Weese (who recently gave the gift shop a huge supply). The first shoes to go tend to be the up-and-coming corps members' shoes-- an investment, I guess! Just some more info. to add to the mix. -amanda Link to comment
tarabera2345 Posted June 5, 2001 Share Posted June 5, 2001 I think they would be worth whatever you wouuld want to pay for them value is only ehat you can recieve. Link to comment
Yvonne Posted July 3, 2001 Share Posted July 3, 2001 Bumping this topic back up briefly, to say that a pair of Merrill Ashley's signed Capezio pointe shoes just sold at auction for a final bid of $400.00! I was suprised....that amount surpassed the last pair of Farrell's shoes that were auctioned on eBay. If anyone is still wondering how they are going to pay for their summer vaction getaway, just get in your closet and dig out all those old (autographed) pointe shoes! ;) Link to comment
Melissa Posted July 3, 2001 Share Posted July 3, 2001 Feel free to throw tomatoes at me, but when I was a Summer Intern at ABT in 1991 I was given a pair of Alessandra Ferri's signed pointe shoes for free. Her feet are remarkably tiny. Link to comment
checkwriter Posted July 3, 2001 Share Posted July 3, 2001 ABT's pricing is stratospheric compared to NYCB! We saw principals' shoes priced at anywhere from $400 to $1000 a pair. Keep in mind, of course, that what they're really seeking is a donation. But I'm also told the prices are higher at the balcony stand than on the lower level. But for those prices you'd expect that they'd at least personalize them for you . . . or come over some Thursday night and twirl around once or twice on your back porch, leaving the shoes behind. Link to comment
samba38 Posted July 4, 2001 Share Posted July 4, 2001 Yvonne, I love your resale idea. I could cover a chunk of kiddo's SI bill with the stock on her dresser -- of course she would kill me first! Link to comment
lara Posted July 7, 2001 Share Posted July 7, 2001 So are the men's shoes ever put up for sale? I personally would love a pair from Corella! Link to comment
Paquita Posted July 8, 2001 Share Posted July 8, 2001 One of my friends studio has "connections" with the Bolshoi and they get some of the used pointe shoes from Bolshoi dancers and let the students use them as soft shoes. And my friend has NINA ANANIASHVILI's pointe shoes!! I still think the idea is so strange though, because the shoes have already been moulded to someone else's feet. Also, why doesn't the company do as ABT and NYCB and sell them to fans for extra $? Oh well, I was green with envy to say the least. At NBoC pointe shoes go for $50 ( principal), $25 ( soloist) and $15 ( corps). Sometimes they include the performance the shoes were worn in, so you can buy the shoes that you saw a dancer wear on stage. They also sell mens ballet slippers (sanshas, dyed in lots of different colours). Forget how much the cost, but sweaty canvas slippers don't seem to have the same allure as pretty satin pointe shoes! Link to comment
lara Posted July 9, 2001 Share Posted July 9, 2001 Well it depends on whose sweaty feet those canvas shoes were on! ;) Lara Link to comment
Autumn7 Posted July 10, 2001 Share Posted July 10, 2001 lara - In answer to your question about Corella's shoes, we went to NYC to see the Don Q's this year. They had some of the principal dancers shoes on display for sale. The gentleman tending the boutique booth said that they like to offer the shoes of the dancers that are scheduled to dance the current performance. Knowing that Corella was dancing Basil in the matinee the next day I asked the gentleman if he would have a pair of his shoes available. He looked a bit wistful and said, 'He never gives us any.' Link to comment
Judi Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Does anyone know how to go about finding the value of a pair of ballerinas' slippers? We have a signed pair of Nina Ananiashvili from one of her performances with the Bolshoi ballet ---- I understand that she is now retired and wondered what they might be worth --- any info would be appreciated! Link to comment
Kamala Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Does anyone know how to go about finding the value of a pair of ballerinas' slippers? We have a signed pair of Nina Ananiashvili from one of her performances with the Bolshoi ballet ---- I understand that she is now retired and wondered what they might be worth --- any info would be appreciated! Judi, They are worth what someone is willing to pay. A lot of different factors would go into pricing-were they from a notiable performance (first performance in a role or very last performance ever), how much of a demand there is for the item, and how hard are they to come by. Like art, I would think, a deceased dancer's shoes would be worth more because they would be limited over a living dancer who might be retired. K Link to comment
California Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 lara - In answer to your question about Corella's shoes, we went to NYC to see the Don Q's this year. They had some of the principal dancers shoes on display for sale. The gentleman tending the boutique booth said that they like to offer the shoes of the dancers that are scheduled to dance the current performance. Knowing that Corella was dancing Basil in the matinee the next day I asked the gentleman if he would have a pair of his shoes available. He looked a bit wistful and said, 'He never gives us any.' Some of the people at that sales table at the Met during ABT's season have told me that the European dancers think the practice of selling autographed shoes is "creepy" (or some such). But I did notice they were selling shoes by Vishneva and Osipova in recent years at $500 -- I don't know if anybody paid that, but that's what they were asking. Men don't go through as many shoes as women, of course, so if you see some from a favored dancer, I'd suggest grabbing them! I have autographed shoes from Hallberg, Cornejo, and Gomes. Gomes even wrote the dates of his performance as Basilio, along with his autograph. Proceeds go to the dancer's emergency fund, so I think many dancers recognize the value of their donations. Link to comment
Kamala Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Some of the people at that sales table at the Met during ABT's season have told me that the European dancers think the practice of selling autographed shoes is "creepy" (or some such). But I did notice they were selling shoes by Vishneva and Osipova in recent years at $500 -- I don't know if anybody paid that, but that's what they were asking. Men don't go through as many shoes as women, of course, so if you see some from a favored dancer, I'd suggest grabbing them! I have autographed shoes from Hallberg, Cornejo, and Gomes. Gomes even wrote the dates of his performance as Basilio, along with his autograph. Proceeds go to the dancer's emergency fund, so I think many dancers recognize the value of their donations. The creepy factor is understandable-they are probably thinking why would anyone want my sweaty smelly shoes. Also if the company is more stringent with their shoe inventory-they might be wearing them until they are truly dead dead. Since it is not a practice in Europe, then the shoes would be worth more because they would be rare. Men, because they don't go through so many, might also consider them their lucky shoes if they had really good performances in them. If it is going to a good cause, most would be willing to donate because when you think about it-they would get tossed otherwise. Link to comment
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