See, what beautiful dancing shoes!

Nothing in the world can be compared with red shoes.

(source)

Today I am going to write about a fairy tale

which intrigued me lately:

The Red shoes by Andersen

(Generally the motif of shoes in fairy tales is really fascinating.

Also in reference to gender studies).

I do not like this fairy tale.

The general image is inspiring,

but I can not agree with the message of the tale.

Of course Andersen lived in different times,

but still I can not hide my aversion to it.

Karen is vain and when she gets her beautiful red shoes

she can not think about anything else,

dances until her legs are finally cut 

and then when she finally understands her "sin"

she receives a redemption

and can die to go to heaven.

Andersen seems intolerant, 

judges on appearance

and in a first place Karen't punishment is too big 

for her crime.

He criticizes a consumptionism, the value of an enjoyment

and a superficial beauty.

Can not it coexist with other aspects of live?

Can not a consuptionism be creative?

Okay, I will stop this topic, because it makes me angry.

Now some tale's adaptation.

My favorite one.

The Red shoes from 1948

It tells a story about a famous ballerina

who plays her first important role in a ballet The red shoes.

Ballet scene lasts over 15 minutes

so the dance is really the movie's character 

not only a background.

The ballerina is torn between love and dance

and in the end she dies, 

because she is not able to choose her own path.

Shoes (she dies in red shoes) 

lead her to death.

Sorrow will pass, believe me. Life is so unimportant. 

And from now onwards, you will dance like nobody ever before

Next one is a Korean horror- Bunhongsin

The story about a woman who has found red (well rather pink..) shoes

and gets obsessed about them.

Her little daughter who is a dancer

shares her passion.

Of course the red shoes are connected with a tragedy from a past

and can be read as a symbol of a desire we are not able to control.

The irresistible wish chooses a path for ourselves.

I really like an interpretation of a tale

in one of Vampire Princess Miyu's episode.

Here we have a very shy girl

who lacks any talents and seems depressed and disappointed with herself.

Thanks to magic red shoes she is able to become a famous singer

and for the first time feels happy.

Red shoes give her an illusion.

It is a lie, but without them she would never know 

this feeling of being satisfied with herself.

Miyu drinks her blood and

allows her this way to stay in a dream forever.

Last version I want to mention

is one of songs from Dance of vampires- a musical which is a remake of Polanski's movie.

Red shoes symbolizes a freedom and a way to escape in a world of amusement.

(btw I want to see this musical on a stage...)

I need to research the motif of shoes more deeply.

BTW writing this made me want to buy red shoes XD