Frequently Asked Questions

We get it… it’s an odd shoe.  Fortunately, no wood or glass is involved.  Pointe shoes are a satin slipper with a hard box shaped area for the toes so that a dancer can balance and spin en pointe on the shoe’s flat, hard end.  Layers of glued material, similar to cardboard, make up this boxed area.  The insole or shank also provides support to the dancer’s arch and is made out of a variety of different materials. As a dancer wears the pointe shoe, the hard layers eventually break down and then the shoe is considered “dead.” This can happen in as little as a single performance, which is why dancers go through many pointe shoes per season with each pair ranging in cost from $80-$120.  

Ballet was made popular by a very opulent French king (Louis 14) as a source of entertainment for the courts. This gilded view may lead some to believe that ballet is a snooty art form, but it has changed a lot since the 1400’s! What makes it elite today is only the sheer athleticism of the dancers. Think of it as admiring your favorite NFL quarterback, but having zero worries that you deserve to go to the game. Ballet is for everyone.

Our ticket prices are also for everyone, with the lowest single ticket price for The Nutcracker starting at only $35  and a 4-show season subscription, where you buy a season pass that includes tickets to all the shows, begins at $113. (That breaks down to just $28 a ticket!) 

*Please be aware of ticket scamming sites, however.  These sites will appear when you google our shows and can inflate ticket prices by hundreds of dollars. 

Please only visit our website for ticket purchases. 

You should wear whatever you are comfortable in.  Some of our patrons like to dress up for a night out, some of our patrons like to wear jeans.  Some of our littlest patrons like to wear their all-time fanciest holiday party attire.  Our hope is that you will enjoy the ballet in whatever you’re wearing.  Besides, you’re never fully dressed without a smile, and we think Ballet Idaho will make you smile. 

Photography and videos are strictly prohibited and enforced.  We encourage all the selfies you can manage before and after the performance, and we also encourage you to stop by our red carpet photo backdrop in the lobby for a fun picture of you and your loved ones at the ballet. Don’t forget to tag #balletidaho when you post your pictures!

Ballet Idaho shows at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts and at the Special Events Center (SPEC) are accompanied by a bar that serves a variety of beverages, including wine and beer, as well as treats and snacks.  These items are allowed in the theater with the hope that you’ll open a crunchy bag of chips during thundering audience applause and not during an otherwise quiet moment. 

Yes, please!   Ballet Idaho loves our young fans and our young dancers who perform onstage with the company at The Nutcracker every year. There are certain performance dates where children under the age of 5 are not allowed, so please check these dates when booking your tickets. Sometimes Ballet Idaho programs ballets that have content that may be best suited for children over the age of 10.  When this is the case, we try to make sure to include the information in our show descriptions, and to provide trigger warnings when appropriate (flashing lights, loud bangs and the like).  We also ask that if your young one is having a hard day or is extra sad over Juliet’s demise, that you please take them out to the lobby for some quiet time.

There is no clapping police, so please clap if you feel inspired.  Many patrons will clap after a particularly difficult turn series or lift, and many prefer to clap at the bow.  We are delighted to have you in the audience, and want you to feel free to let the dancers know you are there!

A mixed rep, or repertoire, is a diverse program that typically has several short pieces in one performance, often by different choreographers.  Sometimes there is a storyline, or theme that connects the pieces, and sometimes there is not.  Mixed rep performances  are a great way to be introduced to a variety of styles, where there is something for everyone. 

Story ballets follow a storyline, think Cinderella  or The Sleeping Beauty.  These ballets tend to be longer, ranging from 1.5 hours to 3 hours, most commonly separated into multiple acts, like chapters in a book.

Anything that is now considered traditional or ‘classical’ was at one time likely considered contemporary. In dance, classical ballet is the older sibling and contemporary is the youngest.  Stylistically, classical ballet has structured technique that  highlights precision and grace. There is a vocabulary, largely in French, that defines each movement in classical ballet. The form and technique might vary slightly with different training styles, but the movements and steps stay  basically the same.  Contemporary dance tends to be freer and more connected to the ground, with expansive movements that do not adhere to traditional ballet’s more rigid precision. Both ends of this spectrum are integral to the performances that Ballet Idaho produces. 

They totally do,  just not with words.  Dancers use their bodies and movement to tell a story and portray who they are within that story.  Sometimes they are assisted by a gorgeous set, or an amazing costume to further that story.  Every once in a while, there might be audible speaking in a mixed rep show, but most of the time, you can expect a ballet to be a non-verbal form of expression. 

Professional dancers work all day like most others.  Instead of an office, they spend the day in the dance studio. Their work day starts with a daily hour and a half long company class, where they warm up their bodies and hone their technique.  They will then go into rehearsals for the upcoming show, which usually last until 5 PM.   In the evening, once their official work day is done (unless there is a show that night), many will teach in Ballet Idaho Academy until 8 or 9 PM.  Then the dancer will do it all over again the next day. They even fit in time for cross training and physical therapy.  It’s a busy life! 

Like many fashions throughout the ages, the iconic ballet costume has evolved over the years.  In 1832 in Paris, the premiere of La Sylphide starring Maria Taglioni was the beginning of the romantic tutu (a tutu that hits mid-calf or ankles), and tutus in general. Taglioni, swathed in a tulle skirt, seemed to float onstage, eliciting awe from the audience (and some outrage due to her exposed ankles).  The tutu only got shorter from there, with the 1880’s seeing the ankles, calves, and knees of dancers. In the 20th century, it became popular to demonstrate the athleticism of the dancer by showing the entire leg. Today, there are various styles of the tutu in addition to the original romantic; bell shaped, powder puff, and pancake (what many think of as the standard tutu).  The tutu is steeped in rich ballet history that is certainly longer than this answer, but most can agree that it is a unique garment that deserves appreciation!