Do you remember when you saw something really exciting for the first time?

Something you'd never laid your eyes on before?

Well in 1931, in Havana, Cuba, a class of young ballet students laid their eyes on something

that made them freak out.

Girls, please stop!

That's their Russian ballet teacher, Nikolai Vorsky, and in his hand was a pair of pale

pink toe shoes, the special slippers ballerinas wear when they balance high on their toes.

The girls had never seen a pair of toe shoes before, in fact nobody in Cuba had.

In 1931, ballet was so new to the Caribbean island nation that Vorsky students had been

practicing in t-shirts, shorts, and sneakers.

No, plus, as you know, I am honored to be the first professional instructor of ballet

in this country.

I am also honored to be the one who will give this brand new toe shoes to one of you.

Whoever's feet fit into them best will take them home.

But as each girl tried the shoes on, they were either too big, too small, too wide,

or too narrow.

But then, when a ten-year-old girl named Alicia gave them a try, they fit perfectly.

She sprang to her feet, stretched up her arms, then stood on point.

Look, I am standing on my toes!

On my toes!

After that, Alicia wore her toe shoes all the time.

And she wasn't wearing them, she was sleeping with them under her pillow.

...