Are You Ready To Go On Pointe?
This post is for people who want to go on pointe, but are not sure if they are ready yet! Follow this Beginner’s Guide to Going on Pointe to see if you are ready to go on pointe. Hey all! My name is Gabby and I am a dancer of 15 plus years. I feel I have learned a thing or two along the way… Growing up it was always so interesting watching other dancers go on their toes. I told myself at a very young age “I need that for myself”. And by golly I got it. But looking back I really don’t think I was actually ready to go on pointe. Getting my first pair of shoes goes down in the books as an event I will never forget. I mean it ACTUALLY happened! My first class I wore pointe shoes that did not fit my foot properly, with only lambs wool. The P A I N I remember half way through the class I literally lost both of my pinky toe nails (sorry, graphic!) I could not believe it, I thought this would be effortless?! I did end up switching to different shoes, and actual toe pads, but I really thought, “Gosh I cannot let the next person make this same mistake”. So here we are, the Beginner’s Guide to Going On Pointe. As always folks, make sure you talk with your own teachers/studio directors, professionals in your area. Do your own research and gather all the facts. This is what I have gathered as the main factors I consider when my students approach me and tell me they want to go on pointe: #1 Age One of the key components of my analysis in putting a dancer on pointe is, what age are they? On average, the bones of the feet harden around ages 13-15. That being said, I do not consider dancers younger than the age of 12, for pointe. Now this is really just my personal opinion regarding the correct age. Some argue as young as 10 is acceptable. Some say wait till 13. I invite you to research some of the implications of going on any younger than 12! #2 Number of Years in Ballet Training My second question always is “How long have you been in ballet?” That is: how long have you been taking at least 3 ballet classes a week (preferably more). This is going to tell me A LOT about where the dancer is technique-wise. Do they have the basic positions of the feet and arms? Do they have trunk stabilization? Are they able to support themselves on one leg? In my experience and research, I believe you really need to have at least 3 years of ballet training before considering pointe. #3 Training In Pre-Pointe Classes Third consideration, does your studio offer any pre-pointe classes and if so, how long have you been enrolled in those classes? In my experience, dance studios that have pre-pointe classes often have more dancers that are ready for pointe than those who don't. If your studio doesn’t offer a pre-pointe class, check out my youtube. #4 Anatomy As stated above, please go to a professional regarding physical requirements of being on pointe. I cannot claim that I am anywhere near qualified to assess the anatomy of the foot of a dancer, and how that anatomy could potentially affect their going on pointe. It’s crazy enough that we put 100% of our weight on our toes... inside a paper box (yikes!). This is why if you can make it happen, I 100% recommend seeing a foot specialist (preferably one familiar with pointe!) on the anatomy of your feet and if they can withstand the madness you are about to put them through! #5 Desire to Be a Professional Ballerina or Dancer How serious are you about ballet? I know that your knee jerk reaction is going to be “I love ballet!” But really, when you sit down and you ask yourself what your absolute favorite genre of dance is, is it really ballet? Is that the genre you can really do it for the foreseeable future? The reason I am saying this isn’t because I don't think you shouldn't go on pointe, or that I try to discourage as many people as possible from going on pointe, but with the potential for injury... the amount of money spent... the amount of time you need to put into getting "good" on pointe... and really how high-risk this art form is... it simply isn't worth it if your not 100% serious about it. Other Factors... #6 Finances The average pointe shoe falls anywhere between $60-$150 dollars. Families are SHOCKED in the first year of their student going on pointe, when their kids are just running through the shoes weekly or monthly. I remember it so clearly when I had my first class of students going on pointe, the parents telling me - “We JUST bought them shoes this year?!”
On the inside I am giggling because my family had to buy new shoes for me every 1-2 weeks, times that by the number of years I was on pointe (age 12-16) and yeah, I would say it is a BIG consideration to take into account. PARENTS: Make sure you are ready to take on this kind of financial commitment! And I say commitment because it WILL affect the safety and well-being of your dancer! #7 Potential Second Opinion From a Serious Ballet Teacher TEACHERS: I personally always get a second opinion from another teacher. This teacher usually has as much knowledge and experience as I, sometimes even more. They may see things your eye did not catch. They may have pointers the dancer can work on. Overall it is much healthier to be safe than sorry. In conclusion... I know it is super tempting to look at pointe and go “Gosh if only…” and I say this because that WAS me… ‘ooo-ing and ahhh-ing’ at the dancers already on pointe. But please, please! Take these tips into consideration and really be sure to ask yourself if you are ready and able to commit to this endeavour! Best of luck to you all! #pointe #beginnerpointe #goingonpointe #requirementsforpointe
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