Interview with Freed of London’s Trainee Pointe Makers
Blackpool – November 2019
November 26, 2019
Freed of London – 2019 Wrapped Up
December 16, 2019
This year, Freed of London gained some fantastic new trainee pointe shoe makers, so we thought we would sit down with them and see how they were getting on!
Alex Borodulins - CLEF maker.
When did you start working at Freed of London?
"I started in August 2018."
How have you found it working here in the London factory?
"It has been a very new experience."
Did you know anything about pointe shoes or pointe shoe making before you joined?
"No. Nothing at all."
What have you found most challenging as a trainee pointe shoe maker?
"The skill levels required are very demanding."
So far, what do you enjoy the most about being a maker?
"Making a shoe from start to finish, from components through to the finished shoe."
Hand making pointe shoes is intricate work, did you expect it to be such a long and difficult process?
"No, but with experience and understanding, everything started to become clearer."
Why do you think so many dancers from around the world choose our shoes?
"It must be the quality of our work that makes all of the professional dancer’s want our shoes."
Some of the makers around you have been hand crafting shoes for decades – have you learned a lot from them while you’ve been training?
"Small bits of advice have been given to make me more efficient."
Jozef Derfinak - SHIELD Maker
When did you start working at Freed of London?
"I started early July 2018."
How have you found it working here in the London factory?
"A nice, tough job."
Did you know anything about pointe shoes or pointe shoe making before you joined?
"No, never heard of it."
What have you found most challenging as a trainee pointe shoe maker?
"Pleating and shaping are 2 areas that are difficult to master."
So far, what do you enjoy the most about being a maker?
"Ending up with a lovely finished shoe is very pleasing."
Hand making pointe shoes is intricate work, did you expect it to be such a long and difficult process?
"No not at all, some days are very difficult to get the required finish."
Why do you think so many dancers from around the world choose our shoes?
"Our Pointe’s are good quality and a comfortable fit for the dancer. The extra specs are essential so the dancer gets exactly the finish they require."
Some of the makers around you have been hand crafting shoes for decades – have you learned a lot from them while you’ve been training?
"I learned some of the more difficult techniques by watching and speaking to Taksim (ANCHOR Maker)."
George Woodward- will become K maker
George is our newest maker and as he has only been with us for 2 weeks, so we thought we’d get a brief history from him instead of an interview.
George spent 4 years in the Army, and his previous work has involved Landscape gardening, building work and demolition.
His girlfriend used to wear Freed of London ballet shoes when she danced, so when he was job hunting, he immediately remembered the company and it encouraged him to apply for the new maker job. He is now set to become Freed of London’s ‘K’ maker, it’s amazing how some things are meant to be.
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