Dance 101

Getting to the Pointe

By Irene Booth | January 3, 2011

“There is no reason to get a young dancer up on full pointe if she cannot do anything when she gets there.” -George Balanchine 

It seems that every little ballerina can hardly wait to get their first pair of pointe shoes. Like a little dancer on top of a jewellery box, they too want to twirl on their toes. Young dancers get anxious to learn about pointe shoes, especially when they see the older dancers wearing them. They are curious about the shoes and what it feels like to wear them.

When I get asked the question, “when can I start?” –which is often –I explain that a lot of things have to fall in place before this can happen.

Some studios will start their dancers at the age of eleven and some will wait until twelve. At Tempo Dance Academy, under the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus, students in the Grade Five ballet level begin pointe work (usually 10-12 years of age). While this is generally the age to begin pointe work, age is not a deciding factor when deciding if a dancer is ready.

Your instructor is the appropriate person to ask and will know whether or not your body has the muscle strength and the maturity that is necessary for pointe work. It would be imprudent and quite dangerous to allow a child en pointe if there is an insufficient amount of training. This could potentially harm a child and could also damage the soft, not quite matured bones in the feet.

An experienced and knowledgeable dance teacher will make the decision based on the progression of the dancer, looking at the following things:

Length of training
Most dancers will have a minimum of three years of ballet training so that they can completely understand how ballet works. It is also recommended that dancers who start pointe work are dancing at least twice a week so that their strength and technique have been developed.

Stability and technique
When it comes to technique, dancers should have a good use of turnout from the hip, a strong core and proper placement of foot work. How dancers hold their posture is crucial for pointe work which allows and prepares dancers to understand the alignment of the body, as well as the proper placement of both upper and lower body.

Prior to starting pointe work, your instructor will assess the simple basic exercises such as “rises and relevés” that will strengthen the legs, ankles and all the tiny muscles in your feet. This is helps determine your strength and proper placement of technique (the alignment of the hip-knee-ankle-foot).

Attitude
Students need to be mentally aware for pointe work, understanding that pain does occur, especially in the beginning. Blisters, cuts, even bleeding should be expected and if a dancer is not able to handle this, it can cause a lot of frustration and may hinder the progress and joy of learning.

Dancers who are hypermobile or have inflexible feet and ankles or have a weaker core are not considered ready for pointe work.

If you are not ready yet, do not become discouraged, the time will come when you will be physically ready and the experience will be a more positive one for you.

Irene Booth has been teaching for over 29 years. From an early age, Irene devoted her time in learning all aspects of the dance world. A mentor and registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance, she operates an established dance school on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and enjoys adjudicating competitions and festivals all across Canada.


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Finding the Right Fit: Pointe Shoes
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