Fitting a Dancer OVER 68 YEARS OLD 

I' m a bit older than this lady and I do pointe. It's really important that your fitter takes you seriously and doesn't just want to get you out of the shop asap. We know we're not going to be auditioning anywhere, we just enjoy dancing! She's lucky to have found you!

As an adult dancer who started at age 23, and I’m now 26, it brings a tear to my eye knowing I can enjoy my passion for so many decades to come. She is an inspiration

I can’t believe she is over 68. Her body looks like as if she is 30. I’m sure she lived/ lives a very healthy life and takes care of her body. Wow! 😳

A lady over 30 started ballet at my mother's studio, she took so many classes and private lessons that she eventually got strong enough to go on point and even good enough to audition and join the Webster College Ballet Co. I really admired her dedication.

So Wonderful. You could see how much she felt in her heart. I think she is one Awesome Lady.

I too started back at a late stage. I was 70 but never lost strength. Still strong feet (was amazed!) Pointes were my love, still after 35 years. I suggest anyone who loves ballet get to the studio. Go back. Enjoy and do not care how you look when you first start out. You will gain your strength. I was a tough little athlete all my life so en pointe wasnt as difficult as i thought it was going to be. When i found my last pair of pointes (Capezios from 1982) that was the start. Yes they were dead but they allowed me to roll up to a full pointe! That was all i needed. Dug out one of my old tutus (still beautiful) and there i was . Wonderful memories began to spring forth. I bought a ballet barre, and use it daily. Never give up girls. We still have it. But remember, slippers first. What a love you are Josephine. How special to see this gal. I know her feelings of joy. Im so happy for her! What is it about our pointes we so love?? 💖 And to have you fit us, to perfection no less!. Thank you for your time and dedication.. Big hugs to you Dear and Happy Thanksgiving! 🤗💕🤗💕

The shock in Josephine's eyes when Nancy said they used to wrap their toes in stockings to DIY toe pads 😂

I can relate; I just got my first pair of properly-fitting pointe shoes last year for my 49th birthday after being away for nearly 30 years. The padding technology is amazing (I'm using the Perfect Fit Pointe pouches) and just the range of boxes and shapes and brands of pointe shoes available is incredible. I love my Gaynors because they freaking fit. I probably wouldn't have done it without watching you fit people who aren't teenagers. THANK YOU JOSEPHINE.

I started ballet classes when I was 43 and went on pointe a year and a half later for the first time. So many dancers kept asking me why? My answer was always, why not! My favorite teachers were the one who did not ask why, but pushed me the same way they pushed their younger students. Yes my feet are crying after an hour and a half but I loved every moment.

It’s like the muscle memory came right back for her. I love that she’s back en pointe and perhaps a dance school will snap her up! She seems like she’d be a great teacher for adults who want to get into dance, but might feel intimidated.

I love that you take the judgment out of dance and help support the love and joy in dance, instead.

She's 68!?!? How fabulous 😍

The way she describes how she got to choose her pointes it's the same we still have to choose ours in Spain. I've got to learn to fit myself (with the help of YT).

Nancy serves as an inspiration to everyone. Follow your heart and pursue your dream.

I never danced as a child and started ballet in my 50s and went on point a few years later until age 70 and stopped dancing at 75 with chronic hip pain. Many people asked me didn't I wish I had starred dancing earlier and my answer was, No I am just living it now.

I'm not crying, you're crying.

Lord I want to be in that kind of shape at 68! She looks amazing and how wonderful is her technique? She brings a new meaning to muscle memory. ❤️

I'm 50 and so happy to see older ballet dancers, inspiring me to begin again. When I was on pointe, I thought 22 was old, and back then we didn't have special fitters and all the extras. I'm excited to make 2021 my year to "DANCE AGAIN!"

When I saw that little lady so pure and beautiful being fitted for point shoes she had not worn for forty years, and what a perfect body. I started bemoaning my own gone by one. I know we should not, but it's still fun to live with in another's achievement. My much ness was back. Thanks.

How wonderful! I'm nearly 60! Have never had a dance lesson (parents thought it a waste of money), but never lost the desire to take lessons- ballet, Irish dance, tap. How awesome to see these amazing comments of ladies returning to their love of dance en pointe! Just beautiful!

Josephine, you are a rock star!! What an awesome gift you gave that lovely woman. See, there is love still in the world. Love you 😘😘😘

Love all your videos but, as a 63-year-old dancer, this one was particularly interesting.

In an attempt a few years ago to help a dear friend of mine 'find themselves', I accompanied them to a pointe shoe fitting. Of all the people in the building, I was fixated on 3. A little girl(8ish?), an elderly woman(Easily in her 70's) and my friend who had just had their 23rd birthday the day before. All three were there for the first time. All three had the same goofy smile the first time they stood on point 'properly'. And all three were one decision away from not even showing up that afternoon. No one is to old for their first Pointe Fitting.

Really loved this. Seeing her achieve a dream with such supportive advice from Josephine. I'm another of the "used to dance when young" gang. It's been tough finding classes for adults where I am but the dreaded facebook has actually been helpful - there are a few adult ballet groups hanging out there. Anyway, also loving all the encouraging comments here - good luck to you all!

This is my dream. I danced en pointe when I was a teenager. I've always wanted to go back. I LOVE dance. I'm terrible at it, but I find that the older I get, the less I care about how I look doing it. BRAVA to this brave woman! I'm inspired

Wonderfull! She's amazing. It's so nice to see older dancers - and see them/us get the respect and time in pointe fittings. I went en pointe for the first time in my 40s in 2017 - five years after a bad car accident ( including hip sprain and damage to my right foot ... Note I was doing up to 7 full 1.5 hr classes a week + physio + yoga). It's amazing to be able to do years of rehab and finally reach a goal and feel like I was flying. 😀 My first pointe fitting was horrible - and the result was dangerous. The shoes had way, way too hard shanks. They fell off the back of my heels in class. The staff didn't take my foot anatomy/injuries into account... I didn't realise that they were rushing me out the door and just taking my money - because I was "old" and "big" - 5"8.5" size 10/12 at the time etc). Second fitting at a different store (the National Ballet School's shop "The Shoe Room" here in Toronto) was much better and got me through the final part of beginner pointe. Then (the 3rd fitting) I had a wonderful Grishko fitting when the staff from NYC came up to NBS's store Toronto. It was so awesome to be listened to, be treated as a dancer, and have a great conversation about foot anatomy and how physio actually helped my uninjured foot become really strong. Now I'm rehabbing (again) from covid in April 2020 (long haul covid sucks), but damn it all I'm going to get back en pointe - even if it's only at the barre and some simple centre work. Thanks for keeping me inspired! Totally love all the diversity in your pointe fitting videos! Just discovered your channel this week (right after I did my first partial barre since long covid!) and I've been binge watching. ... PS For those wanting some additional inspiration to this video - one of my beginner pointe classmates was around my age and had recovered from open heart surgery a few years before. It's not what you've got, or your age, it's what you do with your life that counts. ;-)

Beautiful! Really shows that age is a number and gives motivation to continue doing what you love 💖🩰

Just seeing this video now. I love this! It really resonates with me because I first started ballet when I was 50 (didn't dance as a child). I never thought I'd ever go en pointe but here I am, now 63 years old taking 3 technique classes per week and 2 point classes. It's truly a dream come true for me but it was very scary starting so late in life. So glad that in the end I swallowed my fear and decided to follow my dream.

Oh my goodness, I'm sure there was good information in this video and really heartwarming stories, but all I could see were her legs! So strong, so beautiful. She is really an inspiration and I hope that I stay as healthy and fit so that I can wear pointe shoes when I'm 68. I'm 32, so that's more than another lifetime away. Wow!

So appreciate you and the Pointe Shop. As an older dancer this video spoke to me. I can attest to how wonderfully all dancers are treated by you. You are an extraordinary gift to us all. So thankful for all of you.🙏🏿

I’m 43 and this just gave me the hope I needed. My biggest regret in life was stopping dancing with my company because I wanted to be a cheerleader 📣 but 🩰 dancing has always been my heart’s desire and I miss it beyond words! I may open a studio one day 🩰 But I am most definitely getting back into my slippers 🩰

When I started pointe work 20 years ago in México toe pads were not easily available, so we used stockings, pantihose or old tights as well. Beautifull vídeo.

It's official:my favorite Pointe Shop video! How wonderful,to see this lovely lady giving herself the gift of pointe shoes after so many years without! She looked AMAZING.Clearly kept herself in excellent physical shape,great turnout and her beautiful feet! I'm so glad she came to the shop,and to a fitter as skilled and as sensitive and aware of the dancers' needs as you!

Wow, she's so amazing! It was exciting hearing her talk about dancing when she was younger with the same excitement about dancing now!🥰

I love her! Good for her!!! I’d love to see her perform. I want ballet to be inclusive into older age groups and not just end when people turn 30. I wish dance could be a lifelong career and passion that is excepted. Seeing nothing but young people on stage is annoying. Let’s see all ages to see how beautiful all people are.

What an awesome birthday gift to herself! She is such an inspiration. It's always so beautiful to see someone reconnect with something from their past. Thanks Josephine, for sharing her story and aiding her in her pointe journey.

She's amazing and you can totally hear the love for the art in her voice. 🥰

This is me! I haven’t danced on pointe since 1988. Want to get fitted and start again- even if I’m just dancing in my kitchen. I loved it. Can’t wait to make an appointment to be fitted.

i love your message at the end. i’ve always wanted to dance ballet, even as a kid but we just couldn’t afford it. now that i’m an adult it felt impossible to start. you inspired me to look up adult ballet and there’s actually quite a few in my area!

She made it look so easy....and glad you were able to help her to continue to dance.

I’m the opposite, I started to dance again when I moved to another country. I used to dance when I was a kid in Taiwan. I stopped when I go to middle school. I know I still love dancing but just don’t know how to tell my parents at that time. When I move to Australia to study in university I find a studio that do adult ballet. Have been 2 years now and I finally get my first pointe shoes today🥰🥰

I'm 26 and felt so insecure about getting back into dance, and getting fitted for pointe shoes, and even I had that feeling of "coming home" that you were saying at the end. I'm so happy she got back en pointe! 🥰

Thank you SO much to everyone leaving comments about starting as an adult or coming back to it after many years off! Please keep adding your comments, they are an inspiration.

awesome birthday present, bringing back the memory when she was a teen, it warms my heart

I am 43-year old, I just got my first pointe last week, I started 4 months ago for my first class of dance, and now my teacher says I am ready to be on pointe, I am so excited.

I am off pointe over35 years myself - this is inspiring! COurse I now have rheumatoid in. My hands and feet but I want to get myself a pair for when I am home I can practice basics at home again. If you are ever in Central Florida I would love to get a “soft” shoe for home basic practice - I will never be as shaped as I once was plus weight issues form meds etc - but being able to just enjoy the basics at home would be so nice :)

She is absolutely incredible !!

Awesome, it is incredible that you were able to help her find the perfect pair of shoes. Awesome and I wish her the best of luck

So awesome that she is getting back to dancing! What an amazing lady!

I started ballet in my 50s and can't wait to get on pointe

So wonderful ❤️ I love how much love there is in your store!

Not only is she amazing, cute, wonderful and talented, but her name is also Nancy!! ugh, i love it😩

I am 55 and just got pointe shoes. I have danced ballet all my life and still take classes but haven't dance en pointe since I was in college. I missed it so much. During my fitting I was shown how to roll my feet with a small rubber ball, and a few exercises to strengthen my feet. Love this video!

Oh my heart, I'm pass the prime years of most ballerinas and watching this makes me so emotional because I can imagine how special this is for Nancy, I felt this and relate so deeply to wanting this despite changes in life!

Oh man, I started watching this and all of a sudden, hearing her story, I just started tearing up. This was so beautiful hearing that she feels like she's going back to her childhood and then to see how much it meant to her.

I love how adult dancers in the US, have places to dance and still have the opportunity to be en pointe. In the UK, you can find adult classes, but hardly ever do they try to work towards pointe. Congratulations and stay happy guys x

I love how much you connect to your clients on a personal level

68!? Life goals! ❤️❤️

I went back to ballet class when I was 57, after a 39 years hiatus. Then back on pointes at 58. Covid did mess things up a bit, but I am now 60, I take 2 classes a week, on pointes ! And oh boy has technology changed in 40 years ! Silicone toepads, a huge variety of brands, shapes, hardness, elastic ribbons, you name it. I managed to kill one pair of shoes between 2020 and now, and switched from Blochs to Grishkos It's so great to be able to do things I never thought I would do again. I am always the oldest in my classes, but I have great times, and no matter the aches, I always come out of the studio feeling wonderful. Achy feet, happy dancing heart !

Great video. So wonderful seeing the dancer get her new pointe shoes...🤩🤩🤩.

Aww this was like a warm fuzzy sock for my heart! So inspirational to see this dancer getting pointe shoes after such a long time! If I ever live where adult ballet classes are available, and I can afford it, I will for sure go for that dream and hopefully I too can get a pair of pointe shoes. If I'm 68 when it happens, so be it.

I ❤️ this. I’m 41 and now that my 5 kids are either grown or nearly grown, I’ve really been missing pointe. Haven’t done pointe in over 20 years. She inspires me. ❤️

This makes me so happy to see! I realise it isn't something everyone's going to be able to do, or should be aiming to do at as a mature dancer, but it just shows that ballet really is for everyone, be they en pointe or not! I made so many excellent friends in my adult ballet class in Germany two years ago (most were German, but our teacher was Russian, I represented Scotland and we also had an Italian, so bringing different nationalities together too!) and continue to make friends back in Scotland now, even though everything's currently online. We all have our own dancing goals, as everyone has to have, especially as adult dancers. This gives me hope that I might get back en pointe one day - I only did the bare minimum of pointe once a week when I was 14-15 and am now 31 but really working on my technique, strength and flexibility in a way I never did before because ballet is my passion now and not something someone's making me do. Thank you for this! ❤️

Love this. I am 40 and just started dancing again after a 14-15 year hiatus. I hope to done day get back on pointe but I've got a long way to go before my ankles are strong enough again. Thank you for showing that any age can dance! This gives me great encouragement to keep going.

Thank you for this episode, Josephine. It's so inspiring and sweet (especially for those of us who are older and still dancing)!

Just goes to show we should never let age limit us. It's so true that in so many ways, age is just a number. She's a real inspiration!

I’m so glad that sweet lady decided to come to your shop!💖🩰Happy birthday to her!🎉💖

She is so beautiful and healthy looking! Bravo!

I love that she did this.....follow your dreams at any age

What a beautiful woman. These videos show age is irrelevant when dancing is in your soul. From the young to the not so young 😊❤

This was so inspirational! Not only did her story make me emotional, but her absolutely stunning physique is amazing!

THIS GAVE ME SUCH JOY. Thank u for your Kindness

This is so sweet. I love her excitement about returning to pointe 🥰

This made me tear up. How beautiful.

Love all your videos! went back two years ago at 55! I danced from 4 to 17. Love all the new shoe technology. I use Bloch stretch split soles....so awesome!

She looks incredible. There's no way I'd have guessed she was 68!

This lady is stunning and she looks gorgeous in those pointe shoes ✨💕

What a beautiful story! I returned to ballet and pointe. I got a beautiful pair of Freed pointe shoes for my 60th birthday! Happy feet! 🩰

Amazing💖 She is such in good shape

I love that she found you and she looks amazing! Gorgeous lines too! 💕🩰💕🩰💕💕💕🩰💕🩰

Love seeing older clients ❤

When I was little I wanted to be a ballerina but I didn't want to ruin my feet. I did some ballet in my dance class in high school briefly and now I'm remembering how much I loved it. I'm 30 but I think I might start now. I love seeing these videos of adult dancers. It's so reassuring.

She's incredible! Love her!

What a beautiful and loving thing to do for her !! Thank you !!!

Good for her!! Never too old!

2nd pair is perfect & how amazing for her yay!!! Beautiful dancer.

This is so beautiful!!!

I danced from my 3rd year till my 14th then I stopped I didn't want to pursue it as a career but that meant that my dream of going on point would never come true, now I am 21 I now do ballroom dancing for 6years (couldn't give up dancing lol) and seeing this woman get to go on point again makes me regain hope that mabey one day I'll have to courage to go and get myself fitted, I know I won't be able to dance but just to get to try them and bring them home would make the little girl in me so happy so here is to hoping

Oh my goodness she has the physique and strength of a 25 year old! Oh my goodness Josephine you are soo knowledgeable!!! Oh my goodness this is so touching and inspiring!! Both of you women are awesome I want to give you both a huge hug!!

It just proves age is just a number, Josephine you are worth your weight in gold as a professional fitter your empathy and understanding shines through. The more mature dancers feet like myself has different needs and you took extra care to insure comfort so she had the best experience returning to pointe , Just amazing that feeling sliding your feet back into shoes brings back memories, thanks for showing this video.

Wow really love this video how she found the joy in ballet again after so long and it’s really encouraging for adult dancers

Thank you for posting this. I m 62, and this gives me hope that my pointe dreams can still come true. I took ballet as a young teenager, but always regretted the fact that I never got the opportunity to dance on pointe. I went back and took adult ballet classes in my 30s, but at that time there was no such thing as an adult beginner pointe class, and I just assumed it was too late. I returned to adult ballet classes again two years ago, this time determined to work towards taking a pointe class, but then Covid hit (we are still in lockdown in Canada, but I've had one vaccine shot). So now I'm determined to at least get fitted for the shoes before I turn 63!

Wow. I didn't dance on pointe for the same amount of time and totally lost my feet; it's been several years of working on them to get them even halfway back. Blessings to her; she looks great.

Good for her! It’s so incredible she wanted to get pointe shoes for her 68th birthday and to see how fabulous she looks.

So proud you could fit someone who still loves Ballet at her age!

I hope she continues to dance. I did ballet as a young child and then started again as an adult. I go to an adult ballet studio and there are so many dancers there of different ages and different dance backgrounds (or no dance background). We even competed in the Sydney Eisteddfod in 2019. It is never too late to start :)

my first ever dance teacher was 67 years old and she was still so good

Hi I experienced the same problem as Nancy when I was younger. We were covering the point shoe with socks so they lasted longer and gave grip and would make the shoe to last longer since living abroad shoes were not easily available it is so amazing to see point shoes now given to dancers and the science behind it sadly this wasn’t available when I was younger keep the science going you’re fantastic

68 years old? I'm blown away. She looks incredibly fit and healthy. Her posture. The way she moves and carries herself.

That’s incredible!