I came to San Francisco Ballet School’s summer intensive on a merit scholarship when I was 14, from a small town. It was my first experience having all my ballet classes in pointe shoes–I had no idea that I could go through them so quickly! My first year in the school, I wore very hard shoes and my teachers urged me to switch to softer shoes to make my feet stronger. I loved the flexibility and comfort of the new shoes, but they were more expensive so I tried to make them last as long as possible.

I joined San Francisco Ballet at 16 and was introduced to a whole new world of pointe shoes. The company provides us with an allotment of their own shoes every month and the dancers have their choice of any kind of shoe brand or maker they desire. Once your shoes are ordered, it take an average of 3-6 months to receive them.

I was overwhelmed with all the options, and decided that I would try a few different styles. It took me three years to find a maker that I liked and the right size shoe for my foot. The shoes are hand-made so they’re sometimes unpredictable. It can take me 20-40 minutes to customize my shoes before I can wear them and depending on my schedule, I sew a new pair everyday. I was so exited to have customized shoes, but finding the perfect shoe was a challenge.

Last year I was asked by a new company to help design a new pointe shoe. They asked me what I was lacking in my shoes and I’m happy to say that they’ve done everything I asked of them. We’ve designed a shoe with an extended life by using more layers of material, better glue, and a new pattern so that they dry quicker. To maintain flexibility and support, we used a new leather shank that forms and flatters the line of the foot. I wanted a flatter box that would allow dancers to balance longer and turn more. So we modified the tip while still maintaining muted sound. We used a softer interior material that is comfortable to stand in and isn’t rough on your skin. The best part is that delivery time is around four weeks.

I know that every dancer’s foot is different and preferences toward shoes are personal. My goal is to help every dancer find her dream shoe and dance happily ever after. When you finally find the perfect shoe, it’s like Cinderella slipping on her glass slipper.

Filming Prima with the crew!

The season is flying by and it’s been one of the busiest seasons for me at the Ballet! I’m thankful that I get to perform so often because the stage is where my heart is. I love the joy that I get when a final step is danced and the audiences applaud.

The saying that a dancer eats, sleeps, and drinks ballet is very true during this time of the year. I’ve learned to pace myself in rehearsals when I’m performing that night, knowing that I have to do it all again the next day. With our busy schedules, I’ve learned to use my time wisely and it always amazes me how much I can accomplish if I stay disciplined. Our job can be physically exhausting, but it’s also so fun and rewarding.

This fall, I got the lead role in a short film titled Prima; I was so excited to have the opportunity to combine dancing with acting. I love dancing theatrical roles, and I also love a challenge. Acting in the theater is very different than acting on camera because a camera catches all the subtleties that get lost on a big stage. In the film, I portray a doll that has forgotten how to dance, but whose body and soul remembers. As the music grows, her dancing grows bigger and bigger. Memories of dance flood back to her in waves and her perfect hair starts falling down and her costume start to split at the seams until the dance climaxes. She falls to the floor and lays in silence, lifeless. Then suddenly, her arms start to float up revealing the strings attached to her hands. The strings keep floating upward until they reveal the hands on the other end, holding them gently. The last scene reveals a girl in a wheel chair playing with a marionette doll that resembles her, the way she used to look. Her mother comes in and wheels her out of the room.

I was so touched by this story and have a greater appreciation for having been given the gift of being able to dance. It’s made me think twice before I complain about how busy or tired I am.

We filmed Prima last month, on one of my days off. I knew that I couldn’t let this interfere with my work at the Ballet, but this was an opportunity that I couldn’t miss. I had very little spare time or energy to rehearse for the film because of our busy schedule, but I managed to work on it a little bit everyday. It was an amazing experience and I found that I loved working on camera. Live performances don’t permit you to do anything over if you mess up, and the upside to filming is that you can shoot over and over until it’s perfect. The director, Miguel Calayan, a talented film student who wrote the short, has been so inspiring to work with.

The music was composed by Jokko Pena, and my costume was beautifully hand-crafted by Danielle Busque. The film will be completed in a couple of months and will be submitted to film festivals and film competitions all over the country. Check out Miguel’s website for updates:

www.vimeo.com/miguelluis

I love to dance and I love to express myself through dance. At some point in my career, I may pursue acting; I enjoyed my first attempt at it!

Shannon Roberts performing Robbins' West Side Story Suite (© Chris Hardy)

I am thrilled to be performing the role of Anita along with Katita and Lorena; they were my idols before I even thought I could be in the Company. I get tickled every time I think about it; it’s such an honor to be working in the same rehearsal room and getting to know them so well—we’ve now spent a lot of time together! The corps de ballet doesn’t always have an opportunity like this so I feel lucky.

Last year, a bunch of us visited the cast from Spring Awakening, who were touring in San Francisco, and they gave us great tips on how to preserve our voices.  I’ve been trying to follow their advice: putting honey in my tea, drinking Vitamin Water, and cutting down on dairy. They also told us that, to remedy a dry mouth, you bite the tip of your tongue. Strange but it works! I’ve also never downed so much water in my whole life but hopefully, all this, along with my voice warm-ups, will help me to be ready for Friday. I agree with Ricardo’s blog entry: West Side Story Suite is fun and satisfying for the Company—you can be anyone you want to be or just yourself. After all, it’s not every day that a dancer gets to talk and yell on stage.