Mid 1900s

Child's Satin Pointe Slippers

Dance is the youngest art form in Fort Wayne. Ballet instruction in Fort Wayne began in the late 1940s according to Fort Wayne Ballet founder, Dorothy Escosa. After a break due to the Korean War, the Fort Wayne Ballet was officially founded in January 1956. On 30 October 1956, at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, the Fort Wayne Ballet made its official debut, accompanied by a twenty-two-piece orchestra.

These child's ballet shoes of light pink satin have been well-worn, showing a young girl's hard work and practice devoted to mastering dance. The style of these ballet slippers, with a thin, narrow sole, and hard boxed toe emerged in the 1880s. This pair from the mid 1900s are a child's size nine, indicating that in the early years of ballet training, ballerinas went en pointe much earlier than the approximately twelve years of age recommended today.