A very important part of ballet is shoes. For dancers dressed in tights and tutus, getting up on pointe is a move known as “pointe,” and it requires a rugged pair of ballet shoes. Rugged yet dainty is the combination that sets apart outfitter R-Class, a new ballet outfitter in Manassas.
“It’s important to really work on the fit,” said Jennifer Fitzpatrick, who is one of the founders of R-Class with fellow dancer Natalya Balatsenko. Ballet dancers start out at a young age, wearing socks or tights, but haven’t reached the pointe level with fancy shoes. That comes with experience. “When you get on pointe shoes, it’s a real big deal,” she said.
R-Class opened in December and has thousands of pointe shoes imported from Russia. They offer both in-person fittings at their Manassas showroom and virtual fittings for dancers nationwide. “Being in person is always better,” Fitzpatrick added. The shop is a 12,000-square-foot warehouse showroom, is located near the Hylton Performing Arts Center, so there’s a performing atmosphere.
Fitzpatrick wears many hats in their business. She started out as a young ballet dancer years ago and has now branched out to photography as well. She was the photographer for the Manassas Ballet Theater at one point and does most of the work for their website.
A video on the R-Class website shows ballet shoe master Roman Kukushkin at work in his cobbler shop in Russia. He speaks in Russian with subtitles throughout as he puts together the shoes. There is a shot of them mixing up the glue, which resembles a pizza dough procedure, and he uses a special hammer to get the toe just right.
Getting up on pointe does have its hazards. This move is not natural to the human foot, so some dancers have problems with it.
Dr. John Brummer, a noted pediatric doctor on the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, sees issues all the time. Brummer is a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association and works with the dance community in New York City, as well.
“We see all kinds of ‘Pointe injuries’ ranging from simple blisters to toe nail trauma, loss of nail, tendinitis, hammertoe deformities, plantar plate tears, neuroma, bursitis, and formation of cysts, he said. Many times this is treated with surgery or medicine, but the love of performing keeps ballet dancers going.
The space in Manassas reflects the brand’s hybrid identity—part warehouse, part creative studio. It also houses “Artistry Reimagined,” a built-in photography and media studio that supports dancers with professional photo shoots and support with product availability and expertise.
With a location right next to the Hylton Performing Arts Center, the ballet atmosphere is all around. Manassas Ballet Theatre is an arts partner of the Hylton Center, where they put on “The Nutcracker” each holiday season.
At other times during the year, they’ve hosted the Virginia National Ballet and the Academy of Russian Ballet/Northern Virginia Ballet. They are affiliated with the Community Arts Alliance, which offers lessons to the younger dancers.
