🩰 Ballet shoes that break on the first day!
🩰 Professional ballerinas deliberately ruin their new pointe shoes, even though they cost around $100. This isn't a whim, but a necessity. Before a performance, dancers "break in" their shoes, rubbing them against hard surfaces and softening the material to make them flexible and safe. On stage, every millimeter of traction matters, and it's these preparatory rituals that help prevent falls and injuries. Ballet isn't just about beauty; it's also about hard work behind the scenes.