Trunk Show at Boulder Body Wear

On Oct. 26, Russian Pointe® hosted a trunk show at Boulder Body Wear in Boulder, CO.

Located in a beautiful store in downtown Boulder, Boulder Body Wear sells a mixture of dancewear, active wear and women’s clothing. But don’t let the wide selection fool you – this store is very knowledgeable about pointe shoes.

Owner Amy Kenney has been fitting pointe shoes since 1987, and she’s been carrying Russian Pointe® for more than 10 years. Currently, the store features several Russian Pointe® models, including the Rubin, Almaz, Muse and Entrada, but after the trunk show, Kenney said she is considering bringing in new models, such as the Brava or Lumina, after seeing them in fittings.

During the trunk show, dancers were lined up throughout the day to receive an expert pointe shoe fitting from Russian Pointe team member Megan Bentz and to have the chance to compare all of the different styles of Russian Pointe® shoes. In fact, several dancers who already wear Russian Pointe® shoes attended the trunk show to try on the Russian Pointe® models Boulder Body Wear doesn’t currently offer to find their favorite fit.

Tammy Green brought her 10-year-old daughter, Liv, to the trunk show, who is in her seventh pair of Russian Pointe® shoes. Green’s daughter was originally fit at the Russian Pointe® headquarters in Chicago, so she was excited to have another pointe shoe fitting now that her feet have grown.

“Our experience was just as fabulous as our original fitting in Chicago. Megan was very thorough and answered every question we had. She took the time to listen and carefully decide which shoe would be my daughter's next option,” Green said. “Overall, it could not have been a better fitting. We are very pleased with the shoe and the company. I think it will be a shoe that my daughter stays in for a long time.”

After the personalized pointe shoe fittings, Bentz hosted a special seminar for local dance teachers and the Boulder Body Wear staff. Kenney provided wine, cheese and crackers to the guests, while Bentz answered questions about how each of the Russian Pointe® models differ in their construction and shank options.

“Everyone had a chance to ask me questions about specific feet they’ve encountered, questions about fit and specifications, and about how to best support their dancers in our line,” Bentz said.

Ixchel Lezendosky, a ballet teacher from Fort Collins, CO, said she came away with a lot more knowledge about Russian Pointe®. “I thought it was very informative and I learned a lot about the shoes and different shank styles,” she said.

Elizabeth Ross, who teaches ballet through the City of Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department, also attended the seminar and was happy to find a traditional, Russian-style shoe. Ross, who trains her students in the Vaganova method, said she was pleased to find shoes that have hard shanks to help students spring up onto pointe, rather than roll through demi-pointe.

Mimi Ferrie, a store manager and pointe shoe fitting specialist, said the trunk show was a great learning experience for both the staff and dancers. “We felt as fitters that we got a lot of information about the models we weren’t familiar with and the dancers left feeling like they had been offered a really unique opportunity to be fitted by a specialist,” she said.

Ferrie also said the trunk show brought in several customers who had not been in the store in a long time. “You always love to see that,” she said.