Watch the below video to find out how you can save precious class time by tying and untying your pointe shoes more efficiently.
1. Start with the outside ribbon, taking it around the ankle to the inside of the ankle.
2. Then take the inside ribbon around the ankle going underneath the first ribbon and back around to the inside of the ankle.
3. To make the ribbon very easy to untie, do a simple reef knot: Left over right and under, right over left and under.
4. Tuck the knot in from the upper end of the ribbons.
5. Then run your finger underneath the inside ribbon from the seam of the shoe, and trace the ribbon all the way around the ankle. This effectively places that ribbon on top of the other one, neatly hiding the knot!
6. To untie, free the knot from under the ribbon. Pull the right ribbon end over to the left to unlock the knot. Then slide the knot easily down the length of the left ribbon to untie!
Tip: Roughly 5cm or 2 inches of ribbon length from the knot is all that is needed to tuck in. If the ribbons are too long, it creates a bulky look around the ankle, and is very difficult to tuck away.