Pointe Work
For many pointe work is the pinnacle of classical ballet technique. It takes many years of training to even get to the level of technical accomplishment to even begin pointe work. It requires a significant investment on part of the dancer and instructor approval. This document is designed to help guide parents and students in terms of what they need to know before being approved to begin pointe work.
The following excerpt on pointe work is from Classical Ballet Technique by Gretchen Warren. It is considered to be one of the most well document books on Ballet Technique.
“The study of pointe work is begun only after a student has acquired proper placement and a considerable amount of technical strength on demi-pointe. It takes many years of daily practice to develop a strong, graceful, and painless pointe technique. It should only be undertaken by someone who is seriously committed to the study of classical ballet.
In lower level classes, when the students placement, legs, and feet are deemed sufficiently developed, pointe work can be introduced….
No student should ever be encouraged to dance en pointe unless [they] can practice in [their] pointe shoes, supervised in class, a minimum of three times a week…. Pointe work is not for once-a-week amateurs. Only with continued practice will a dancer form the necessary calluses on [their] toes and gain sufficient strength [their] legs, feet, and ankles to dance en pointe safely.”
Many factors go into determining when a students technique is deemed sufficient to begin point work. Some of the factors considered are below.
Firm grasp of ballet vocabulary and Rules
Students who do not know the names of steps or how to execute them properly will not be allowed to begin pointe work. Knowing how and when to change feet from front to back etc. is imperative to student being able to execute steps correctly. If a student is still confused on these rules they are not ready for pointe work.
Age and Physical Development
Industry and medical professionals agree that training en pointe should NOT begin before age 11 with some believing that training shouldn’t begin until 12 or 13. Youth America Grand Prix (the worlds leading Youth Ballet Competition) changed their rules in 2018 Prohibiting dancers under 11 from competing on pointe and strongly discouraging it for children under 12. It many cases starting too soon can be detrimental to a students development but waiting a year or 2 more to solidify and strengthen does not hold back a students progress.
Maturity
It doesn’t matter if a student is pre-teen or late start adult, if they are unable receive and apply corrections then they are not ready for pointework. We look for our students to be able to listen to corrections, make adjustments at the time of correction and retain the correction consistently from class to class.
Strength and Alignment
Dancers must possess the correct amount of strength to do exercises repeatedly and correctly. This strength is not just in the legs but also in the core. If a students core is not strong enough they will have poor alignment and be unable to safely rise up and down en pointe. Dancers also need the proper amount of strength to hold their turn-out. It becomes significantly more difficult to hold the turnout from flat to demi-pointe and even more difficult from demi-pointe to full pointe. We evaluate a dancers strength to see if they are able to maintain good turnout in releve. Strength is built through regular class attendance and work outside of the classroom.
Parental Commitment
The cost of training in ballet goes up as a student progresses towards pointe work. Students on pointe need to be training at least 3x a week. This means a greater time commitment in getting your student to class with plenty of time to prepare for class as well as longer classes. Pointe shoes are also expensive costing upwards of $90 a pair (usually $115 by the time you throw in ribbons, elastic, spacers, toe pads and tape.) Pointe shoes only last about 15 hours of wear. Parents should be prepared to have a pointe shoe budget of $300 – $1500 a year before class cost.
Technique
Dancers must be able to do the following proficiently before being approved for pointe work:
- Correct pointing of the foot in tendu, jete, and grande battement – Student must be able to work through flat, demi-pointe, and full pointe in all of these exercises to ensure proper foot strength required for pointe work. Absolutely no sickling of the foot.
- 16 Releves in Center in all ballet positions (1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th) while maintaining correct alignment of ankle, knee, hips, and torso, as well as maintaining good turnout in the releve and preceding plie.
- 16 Releve on one foot at the barre while maintaining correct alignment of ankle, knee, hips, and torso, as well as maintaining good turnout in the releve and preceding plie. Strength and placement of the leg in coup de pied must also not be compromised.
- 16 Changements and Echappes while maintaining correct alignment and turnout.
- 16 Pique passe onto a straight leg
- Ritire balance on demi-pointe – student needs to be able to balance for 4 slow counts in ritire and close to soussous while on balance.
- High Demi-pointe – We understand that not everyone has “banana feet” but the arch of the foot does need to be strong enough that a dancer can get over the box of the pointe shoe. This is developed in releve and can be strengthened with Theraband exercises.
If your dancer does not understand any of the above technical requirements they are not ready for pointe. If there are questions about any of the above technical requirements then ballet students are encouraged to ask! Central Oregon School of Ballet is a school, we are here to teach our students how to achieve these goals. We are not mind-readers. If they have questions that remain un-asked, then their questions will likely remain unanswered.
If you have any questions about pointe work feel free to e-mail us at centraloregonschoolofballet@gmail.com or give the office a call (541) 389-9306. We are usually available in the office between 12 and 4pm. For more information and helpful links about pointe work follow us on Facebook or visit https://centraloregonschoolofballet.com/index.php/pointe-work/
Below are some helpful links to read as you are preparing to begin pointe work.
https://www.dancemagazine.com/pointe-shoes-age-2622511309.html?rebelltitem=4#rebelltitem4
https://dancer.com/ballet-info/in-the-studio/when-to-start-pointe/
https://www.russianpointe.com/perfect-fit/pointe-readiness/
Dance Spirit Magazine: Am I Ready for Pointe?
3 Pointe Shoe Myths and 3 Exercises to Strengthen Feet for Pointe work
