A ballerina on Pointe is the quintessential image of ballet, it is what everyone sees as the goal that every young ballet dancer should strive for. With so much emphasis put on pointe, and so much miss-information about it, I thought I would help clear some things up..
In this article I am going to outline what pointe is, why we do it and what are the requirements of the dancer for pointe. I will also talk about how pointe isn't for every dancer, and how you can still be a good dancer even if you're teacher doesn't let you do pointe. Dancing is about expressions and portraying a story or emotions to the audience through movement, you do not need a particular type of body or pointe shoes to be able to do that.
What is Pointe? -
Pointe is when a female ballet dancer dances on the tips of her toes. She does not do this in her regular ballet slippers, rather she has special shoes, called pointe shoes. These shoes are hard and have a block at the end, where the dancers toes balance.
Why do we do pointe? -
Pointe as we know it today started in the mid-18th century. It began as a way to lift the dancer up, as a way to be closer to heaven, as ballet dancers were seen as angelic figures floating around the stage, and pointe shoes made them look light footed and effortless. The shoe made the dancer look more like a vision, that seamlessly glided across the stage and could jump and reach higher than the dancer had before. Similarly, Pointe shoes are used today to increase the line of the leg, help add lift to pirouettes and give a sense of the dancer floating in an effortless manner.
What are the requirements -
First of all I want to explain that when the dancer goes up on pointe, ALL of her weight is on her 1st and 2nd toes. This weight placement is not natural for the human body, and as you can imagine it can cause quite a lot of strain and pressure from the hips down.
1) So the first requirement is that the dancer has done the majority of her growing, and has developed enough muscles to protect her ankles, knees, hips and back. Therefore I believe that Dancers under the age of 13 should not be going on pointe. Early childhood growth spurts weaken muscles, which creates instability, which then if the dancer is repeatedly putting weight on her toes could cause damaging effects in the body that may last a lifetime.
2) The dancer should show strength in technique, alignment and muscles throughout her body. The teacher will have certain exercises and tests that they require the student to do, to prove her strength in each area of her body. The dancer will be closely monitored by the ballet teacher to make sure her ballet alignment and technique is at an advanced enough level.
3) Flexibility in the student's feet. The dancer's feet have to be able to stretch enough into the fully stretched foot position. If the foot can not do that, it would put unnecessary strain on the dancers ankles
4) The dancer should take at least two ballet classes a week. Two ballet based classes a week ensures that the dancer is keeping up her strength and technique. One class a week is unlikely to get the dancer to an advanced enough level.
5) The dancer has a maturity in attitude. The student should demonstrate that she comes to class regularly, focuses in class and practices at home. The teacher will want to be able to trust that the student is dedicated enough to practice, and mature enough to focus in class. If the dancer cannot focus in class, dangerous technique my be formed as well as inaccurate execution of movements.
If any of these points I have outlined are not adhered to, the teacher has the right to take that student off pointe, as the safety of the student is at risk
My intention is not to fear monger here, but it is to fully explain what pointe entails, so you, as a student/parent can make educated decisions, and be prepared going forward.
Pointe is a beautiful art form, it's joyful to watch and liberating to perform.
It is a decision and journey to be made with a qualified teacher, and not a decision for a student to make alone. If you have any questions about pointe I urge you to discuss with your ballet teacher, and if you'd like to one day take pointe, ask your teacher "what do I need to do to be considered for pointe?"
As a final note; pointe shoes should never be bought second hand, borrowed from a friend or bought online. They are to be purchased from a reliable pointe shoe shop where the trained pointe shoe fitters will find the perfect shoe for your foot.
Good luck, work hard, and if you get points shoes - make the most of them and enjoy the experience!
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