Description
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. 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.
56 minutes.
Introductory section, 14 barre exercises.
Taught by Finis Jhung.
Demonstrated by Aslee Knapp.
Advised by Judith Weiss.
Music by Scott Killian: New Ballet Music 3.
NOTE: The accompanying music CD is no longer available for purchase.
Play the DVD in 3 modes: Full Class, Individual Exercises or Workout Mode where you can run the exercises without instruction. Once you’ve learned the exercise and heard the instructions, you may want to go straight to the demonstration with music so you can have a work-out without interruption.
You can find this feature on these videos.
The following DVDs don’t have the SPECIAL FEATURE but do allow you to skip the Instructions and go straight to the demonstration with music by using the SKIP FORWARD button:
- The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique: Stretch, Turn-out, & Extension
- The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique: The Power Barre
Streaming Playback
Streaming videos that offer the “Workout Mode / Nonstop Class” feature Streaming videos that offer the “Workout Mode / Nonstop Class” feature may be found here.
Most streaming videos do not offer multiple playback modes. Each DVD chapter/exercise is presented as an individual video. Once you complete an exercise, the next will play automatically. There is currently no “workout mode” available for most streaming videos.
About your purchasing choices…
FJ Streaming Singles We have released several brief videos (for example, our Foot Strength and Dance at Home series) which are only available to stream online. You will not receive a DVD, but may watch instantly upon completing your purchase.
DVD vs. Streaming
You’ll notice you have purchasing options on nearly all of the Finis Jhung Instructional Videos:
Streaming Playback
Streaming videos that offer the “Workout Mode / Nonstop Class” feature may be found here.
Most streaming videos do not offer multiple playback modes. Each DVD chapter/exercise is presented as an individual video. Once you complete an exercise, the next will play automatically. There is currently no “workout mode” available for most streaming videos.
Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.
Available to Stream Instantly Online.
Stream in Workout Mode.
“5 STARS! Honorable seller. Buy, Buy, Buy! Will look at store and make other purchases! Excellent Instruction.”
“FIVE STARS! I absolutely loved it and so did my daughter! It was exactly what I wanted!!”
—Ana Cordova. May 28, 2018
“FIVE STARS! Love all of his DVDs. Just wish there were more combinations on each DVD. Thank you.”
— J. Brown. April 14, 2016
“I returned to ballet about a year ago after being away from it for a very long time. I wanted to let you know how much your DVDs have helped and encouraged me in this pursuit. All of the dancers in the videos dance beautifully and are so helpful to watch. Your turning technique has enabled me to start nailing my double turns and the pointework DVDs have given me the practice I needed to move up to the next level of pointe class. I will be performing with my daughter in a recital next weekend — the first for me since I was a child. Coming back to ballet has enriched my life in so many ways and I have enjoyed every minute of it.”
— Leslie Miller, Adult Student, College Station, TX
“I wanted to let you know that 4 of my students were chosen to dance with the Moscow Ballet Company when they performed The Nutcracker in Gillette, WY. The master ballet director, Olga, chose my students out of hundreds of children who auditioned because of their technique. Their technique is outstanding because I teach them what I have learned from you in your videos. The ‘how and the why’ makes all the difference in the world. Thank you again for sharing your ‘pearls of wisdom’ so we are better ballet instructors for our students. You are so gracious in your corrections. The words you choose and your tone of voice are very soothing and uplifting to the student— ‘you are the student, I know you can do this, and I’m going to show you how.’ I love way you break the movement into physics. I can correct someone, let them practice, and before they go home they have conquered their biggest fear such as turns. They get it!”
— Lori Bickford, RNC, BSN, MS
Director of Services, Weston County Public Health, Newcastle, WY
“This DVD is wonderful! Your ideas and work are so helpful to all of us in the ballet world—teachers, dancers, and ballet enthusiasts/amateurs like myself.”
— Dr. jur. Xiaobing Yang-Benckendorff, Management Consultant, Frankfurt, Germany
“The Art of Pointework videos are a wonderful asset to our school. Utilizing the techniques, I am seeing a marked improvement in strength and correction of rolling over, as well as better balance, which ultimately will strengthen center work and pirouettes. The placement exercises are especially excellent! Thank you for this wonderful series.”
— Pamella McReynolds, Ballet Mistress, In Motion Dance Center and Fauquier County Ballet Theatre, Warrenton & Culpeper, VA
“This is a lovely, wonderfully explained class with answers to the usual questions, plus extra exercises to strengthen the feet that are useful to absolutely anyone.”
— Ione Barczak, Ballet Mistress, City Dance & City Ballet, Auckland, New Zealand
“These are the best videos I have ever seen. They are thoughtfully planned, and demonstrated. It’s like having an Intensive Teacher Training Seminar right in your own home.”
— Jane Coyle, The Highland School of Ballet, Lakeland, FL
“This video provides a wonderful introduction to pointework for the absolute beginner. Starting with the importance of the shoes being properly fitted, it covers everything from how to tie the pointe ribbons, to how to pad the toes, to how to break-in the shoes. The video then provides a substantial and varied group of exercises. Many of these involve plies and releves in various positions, which increase the strength of foot muscles, while emphasizing how essential it is to be able to roll smoothly from 1/2 toe to 3/4 toe to pointe. Toward the end of the teaching session, the exercises become more complex, combining pique steps and pas de bourrées. This provides the new pointe student with the delightful feeling of dancing at the barre, rather than just performing exercises. This DVD is very informative and lots of fun. The exercises are well-explained, beautifully demonstrated, and accompanied by rich and pleasing music.”
— Carol Garmiza, Adult Student, New York, NY
“Been working with your DVDs for the past two weeks and it has changed me. I have been more focused and aware during my ballet classes and in everyday life. I love how you explain and teach the movements in sequences and it has slowed me down to really think before I dance the move. Even my pointe work is getting better. Keep making the ballet world bigger and better!”
— Stasha Becker, US Army Europe