Some Points on
Pointe
It is commonly accepted
within the professional dance world that there is no set age at which a
dancer is ready for pointe work. This depends on a combination of factors
such as length of training, strength, bone development, anatomy, weight and
attitude. Each student must be assessed individually. Starting pointe work
before a dancer is physically or technically ready may be potentially
harmful; waiting will result in less risk of injury, more easily perfected
technique and more rapid progress.
In community ballet schools,
it is important to be aware of the wide variety of student ability and
anatomy. We cannot look to specialized schools such as the Royal Ballet
School or Russian schools where students will all be on pointe at a certain
age. These students have been selected by these schools precisely due to
their bone development, and all of the other factors that must be addressed
before putting a student on pointe. Other students will already have been
weeded out in the selection process. In the community school, this does not
occur and therefore we must look at each and every student individually.
Pointe work is an extension
of the barre exercises that prepare a dancer to execute movement on their
toes. It is an additional skill, not a new dance form, and is learned by
altering weight distribution, timing and pressure areas. A student must
first develop the required strength and muscle tone. This must never be
approached lightly, nor should it be considered a required element of dance
training. Poor preparation and training may appear later in life as foot,
knee or back trouble. Professional dancers have been known not to start on
pointe until their teens without any handicap to their career. It is often
recommended in non-professional training that students should not be on
pointe until 11 years old. But many students will simply never be ready or
physically designed for pointe work. This should not prevent any student
from continuing with ballet, or doing pointe class in soft shoe; nor should
it be considered a failure in any form.
The basic assessment:
Training:
A student should have had 3-4 years of serious training with 2-3 classes a
week to adequately develop the calf muscles, as well as the entire body
musculature, coordination and placement. Strength: A student
should be able to place their body so that it is lifted upwards off the feet
with straight knees in perfect balance in perfect demi-pointe, while not
clenching or curling their toes.
Growth:
Rapid growth alters the center of gravity, weight distribution and body
proportions. Teachers may take a student off pointe for 3-4 months if they
have noted a growth spurt.
Foot Anatomy:
Weak ankles and insteps require extra strengthening work; fallen arches also
require additional work to retrain the ankle muscles. Ankle muscles
naturally adjust when a position is changed, but on pointe they are fixed.
Therefore, the muscles must be strong enough to support the body weight
without moving, or serious damage may occur to ligaments and muscles.
Weight:
Students with excess weight may cause themselves damage by putting extra
pressure on their toes. They should be encouraged to lose weight before
beginning pointe.
Attitude:
A positive attitude is a necessity in all dance training. A negative
attitude combined with pointe training will only worsen.
Once it has been determined
that a student has excellent placement, proper anatomical development and
the correct attitude, she may be selected to begin pointe work. Students
often begin on pointe half an hour each week, preferably after the barre
work when they are warm but not yet tired. This may then be increased, when
the student is assessed to be ready, to one hour each week.
Additional information will
be available soon in the Helpful Hints section on our website.
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