Talking shoes with Ballet Manila’s Cinderella, Abigail Oliveiro
Abi in Swan Lake (2016), wearing pointe shoes that she herself sewed and darned.
"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." – Marilyn Monroe
Ballet Manila principal dancer Abigail “Abi” Oliveiro used this quote for a Facebook post that showed her rocking her pointe shoes for an art photograph. For Abi, pointes are the right shoes because these are the tools of her trade that literally put her on her toes as a ballerina. Off stage, she also knows exactly what footwear to go for so she can step up in any activity she engages in.
Now that Abi’s wearing glass slippers once more as the heroine of Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Cinderella, we decided to have another talk with her focusing on… what else but shoes!
The shoe fits: A glass slipper paves the way for Prince Charming (Mark Sumaylo) to find Cinderella (Abigail Oliveiro) in Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Cinderella.
What shoes did you wear for your recent wedding and why did you choose this particular pair?
I wore a pair of sparkly, gold heels! I love wearing heels! Although I was advised to opt for a lower pair in height but no way! I loved the ones I got and I wore them throughout the entire wedding. I was very surprised the extent to which bridal shoes go for Filipino weddings! I just knew I wanted a closed pointy toe, shimmer and use/mileage in the long run.
Briefly, can you share the process involved in “breaking in” a pointe shoe?
For me, what I’d do is first put on the pointe shoes to have a feel of which side is the right and left foot. Then I’d really step on the box of the shoe to widen the box. I’d then bend the sole a little to where my arches are on each side just so it really molds to my feet and sew away! The last thing I’d do after finishing sewing and darning is wet the top of the shoe to soften the area where I pass through demi pointe.
How did you learn to sew ribbons on to your pointe shoes? Is there just one way of doing it?
My dad taught me this! My dad actually used to sew my ballet and pointe shoe ribbons for a while. He’d even do it on the sewing machine. I think it varies from ballerina to ballerina. Everyone attaches two ribbons on but the placement slightly varies. For me I attach two elastics in a crisscross on each shoe as well – to make sure it doesn’t slip off and to reinforce the pulling in of the shoe into arches when dancing. It changes over time as my feet’s needs also change. Some people sew with thread, some dental floss (I used to do this as it doesn’t break). But now, I just use the same crochet yarn I darn with.
Do you have a pointe shoe collectible? How did you get it and what makes it special?
Hmm, no I don’t think so. I believe my first pair of pointe shoes exist back at home though. (Thanks, Dad!) I was also gifted a pair of autographed pointe shoes. This was signed by Madeleine Eastoe who was a principal dancer of the Australian Ballet. A beautiful person and dancer.
What’s your latest shoe purchase (apart from the wedding shoes)? Was this part of revenge shopping in post-lockdown times?
Haha! It was actually a practical purchase – a pair of sandals from Skechers. I really wanted comfy sandals with arch support to help my feet rest and feel supported when they aren’t in pointe shoes.
Mark and Abi model a pair of Arts & Letters masks bearing Mark’s photographs of Abi’s pointe-shoe project during the pandemic lockdown in 2020.
You had a pointe shoe-related project during the lockdown. Can you tell us about it and what happened afterwards?
I realized I had all this colorful cream make up that was going to waste and dead pointe shoes lying around upon clearing the apartment. I’m no artist! But I have always enjoyed painting. So I figured, why not use the make up on pointe shoes? I might as well enjoy it first rather than disposing of it. It was all in the spur of the moment. But I was so proud of the way they all turned out and the process kept us busy and happy! Mark (Sumaylo, Abi’s co-principal dancer, husband, and Prince Charming in Cinderella) was inspired to take some pictures so he helped draw extra vines on my legs; it was very crafty in the living room. And the pictures turned out so amazing! Mark really did his magic. And then Arts & Letters asked if they could use it as designs and of course we never anticipated for this to happen so we were beyond thrilled! To work with friends and have our crafts shared was a blessing in the pandemic!