The Ballet Bible
Discover the Secrets to Conquering Some of The Most Common Pitfalls You Face When Learning Ballet
Can I go on pointe?I have done dance since I was 6 or 7 years old (jazz, tap, and a little ballet). When I was only 2 I went to see the Nutracker with my grandma and then I started dancing on my toes around the house. I have a great sense of beat and it seems to come quite natural to me I mean I will like be in a car and be tapping my foot to the beat and snapping my fingers. I just do ballet now, but not on pointe. I have gotten to 30 releves nonstop and have the best balance in my class. We practice for 2 hours in class and I practice at home 3-5 days a week for 2 1/2 hours! I am only 11 and am 1 inch off the ground from doing the splits and my teacher says I have great posture. I am switching schools soon to a school that practice 2 or 3 times a week for 1 1/2. I am 5′1″ and weigh 85 pounds. I sometimes slip on my sisters old pointe shoes from when she was my age and I can go onto pointe without it hurting. Everyone says I am a nutural ballet dancer. Do you think I have what it takes to go onto pointe? I don’t want to hear anything about going pro unless it is positive please. And if you don’t think I am ready for pointe what can I do to be ready! Thank you!-Charity January 12, 2007 | In Questions |40 Comments »RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment |
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Pointe dosen’t have so much to do with flexibility and having good sense of rythym,its more strength and posture. You said your teacher said you have good posture so that good. Now for strenghth. 32 is an alright number for you (i know you said 30-but 32 is a general number and im sure you could get in 2 more) for strength,amd balance is crucial. Please don’t put on your sisters old pointe shoes,1. they molded to her foot so they aren’t your size 2. its very dangerous if your teacher hasn’t said you could go en pointe yet!!
Go and talk to your teacher to see what she/he thinks. And remember if she/he says you aren’t ready yet, teachers know best.
Comment by Avie' — January 15, 2007 #
By the way I can do 36 now:)!
Comment by Charity — January 15, 2007 #
It sounds like you could be very close to being ready for pointe. As for the going pro, if that is your dream and you’re willing to work hard every day and it is what you really really want then there’s nothing stopping you! You really can do anything you set your mind to so good luck
Comment by Ashley — January 15, 2007 #
Thanks Ashley ^^^^^^^
Comment by Charity — January 16, 2007 #
YAY I SWITCHED SCHOOLS! Now I go 3 times a week (Mon,Wed,Sat) for 1 1/2 hours and still practice at home!
Comment by Charity — January 18, 2007 #
So how is it all going???
Comment by Ashley — January 18, 2007 #
Well I am not on pointe yet but I have also only been to one class so far! I am really Excited to be at a new school and I hope I get some more posts!
Comment by Charity — January 19, 2007 #
When I read that you are going en pointe in your sisters shoes I gasped, this is a terrible thing to be doing, you should never go en pointe untill you have been told you are ready to by a teacher, and then you should buy new shoes, everyones feet are very different and pointe shoes should fit like a second skin, they may have been perfect for your sister but it is unlikely that they will be perfect for you too, and if they are her old shoes then they are probably broken down and are not supporting your feet properly, and going en pointe with out a teacher means you could be teaching yourself bad habits, which will take ages to correct, and you could badly injure yourself.
I hate to be told not to do things, and I’m especially unlikely to listen to a complete stranger, but please listen to me now, and wait untill your told your ready by a teacher.
Abbie
Comment by Abbie — January 23, 2007 #
okay well i did it only once so thanks for that advice
Comment by Charity — January 27, 2007 #
i have done ballet since i was seven. i really want pointe shoes. that is my main goal for this year. i will be turning 11 on may 14th. is there any exercises i can do to prepare my muscles and bones for pointe shoes.
Comment by Adrienne — February 12, 2007 #
Sure there are Adrienne. You can do thrity releves a day are good for your ankles if your doing them right. try balancing and holding for ten seconds. Also if you want a really nice foot when you’re on pointe then try to building your arch. you can do crab. this is how you do it.
plie, releve and in releves do a plie then straiten your legs and come back down in plie and then start it over do this around ten times a day. and soon you will see a high arch forming o your foot.
Comment by Nancy — March 2, 2007 #
Charity: trying on your sisters pointe shoes is not a good idea. Because you could hurt yourself and then it would take you longer to get on pointe. Ask your new teacher what she thinks of your posture and balancs. Because thats what it takes to get on pointe. it will take a while to get on pointe if you are a begginer because you have to a nice strong balanc to get on pointe because you may not be ready yet. I don’t mean to get your hopes down but i’m just being safe.
Hope I helped.
Comment by Nancy — March 2, 2007 #
My teacher said I am doing excellent and am becoming one of the best in our class. She is expecting to have me in pointe around the end of the year so wish me luck!!!
Comment by Charity — March 6, 2007 #
What school do you go to my teacher never says i’m the best because it can hurt some of the girls feeling in the class so if she really said that i woundn’t say it to any of the girls in your class. I’m not saying anything bad about your teacher but you have only had this teacher for about a month and half so she doesn’t know you low parts in ballet. so be careful that this. be careful because your bones my not be ready yet and since your are only 11 and a little girl like you sould not go on pointe for at least two more years.
Be careful yours truely Miss Alice
Comment by Miss Alice — March 6, 2007 #
I agree with Miss Alice. So how’s it going?
Comment by Nancy — March 20, 2007 #
its all really good that your flexy and rythmetic and all but even if you can stand on your toes in your sisters points you still may not be ready its not just physically demanding but mentally lots of people can point dance before their meant to
but you will start soon by the sound of it so good luck
love geane
Comment by geane — March 29, 2007 #
I really want to be on pointe but my teacher isn’t the nicest. I am really afraid to ask her so i had this idea of doing pointe and learning the basics before i ask her. I went to the dance store and they fitted me with shoes and said to practice. I can do simple turns, bourres releves, tendus and all of the basic stuff. I have never had any professional training on pointe before. Do you think that i should keep teaching myslef or go and risk my teacher.
Comment by Emily — May 6, 2008 #
emily, this is a very bad idea. if your teacher has not put you en pointe yet it is because you are not ready yet.
your feet may not be developed, you might need to improve your strength or balance, or you may simply need more practice. (there could be other reasons aswell).
you also wasted money on your pointe shoes as you may have grown out of them by the time you ARE ready to go en pointe.
regards,
taylah
Comment by taylah — May 30, 2008 #
hey,
I started doing ballet when I was very young. I continued untill age 9 and then I became interested in gymnastics. My gymnastics coach was terrible though so i decided to quit. Then I started to dance modern. I am now 12 years old and will be taking ballet at the beginning of next year. I am 5 foot 5 and 115 pounds. Is this too big? My teacher told me that I was very strong with good posture and that I would be good in ballet so thats why I am doing it again. Is it possible for me to go pro? Or at least open a studio?
Comment by lucy — June 1, 2008 #
Heyy, i kno this might be dangerous maybe =[
but i don't quite go to any ballet classes but practice at home the basics over and over.
i look at some professional videos on how to do them too.
i can go on releve very good about 34 of them and is very flexible. I do gcse dance and practice a lot at home 3 hrs.
do you think it is safe to continue
i might do some classes in summer and stuff. =]
Comment by Shimmie — June 24, 2008 #
I am 11 and I am going en pointe this year, and I have only taken ballet for 3 years. Go to a doctor and have your feet checked to make sure that your muscles and bones are strong enough to hold you up. Good Luck!
Comment by Emilia — July 27, 2008 #
BTW, my ballet teacher told me I could go en pointe.
Comment by Emilia — July 27, 2008 #
I asked my teacher if i could go on en pointe and she said yes (Cheers!!!). Anyway, before she could start training me the in depth stuff i had to change classes. My new teacher teaches pointe classes and i understudy in them when they do the barre exercises but she has not taken notice of me and asked if i would like to be in the actual classes. Do you think i should ask her or wait until she asks me.
Comment by Emily — July 27, 2008 #
I really want to do pointe i know its stupid and unsafe but my friend lent to me her old pointe shoes and i wore them for hours and i am flexible and i figure skate and i have been teaching myself for a while and i want to take a real pointe class because i have never taken any classes b4 since i was way little now i am 14 what should i do? i am really good at pointe my friends shoes. i know its a bad idea to wear them tho.
Comment by Laura — September 22, 2008 #
I am 12 now and weigh 6 stone 8. I have been dancing since I was 3 and would love to go on pointe but at my dance school, the minimum is 13 years old! But all my friends have started to go on pointe at other schools. Is this normal?
Comment by Emily — September 27, 2008 #
I HIGHLY recommend that anyone under the age 15 NOT to be put en pointe. Your feet, most likely, aren’t fully developed yet, and you are more likely to get bunions and crooked toes. Trust me, it is not a smart choice.
Comment by Lauren — January 30, 2009 #
I to am like you i mean i really want to go on point but im not ready yet and you might not be either so you just have you have paitence and practice your excersizes but dont wear your sisters point shoes there not right for you and you could bafley hurt yourself.
Comment by Allana — February 10, 2009 #
I’m 13 and have been doing ballet for a few years now, my friend that joined ballet the same time as I did, is now on pointe but I’m not,and she is always getting told to do 100% in class.. my teacher always looks at my feet when im on demipointe and she says i have very strong calf muscles, and ankles, but yet she hasn’t said im able to go on pointe, my level 9 ballet class is going on tour soon, and there are only 2 of us going that arn’t on pointe..i would love to go on pointe, and all my friends are saying i should go on…but i don’t want to ask my teacher…
Comment by Reine — June 21, 2009 #
I am 10 years old and have been doing Ballet since i was 2. I am really looking forward to do pointe. How long do you think i should wait, or how long do you think my teacher will tell me. I am 74 pounds and is 4/11 I am strong and flexable. Thanks, Josie
Comment by Josie — August 8, 2009 #
I am 14 and I only started dancing last year. I really want to go en pointe. I do 100 releve a night and I also run cross country so I have great endurance, strengh, and balance. Is it too soon to go en pointe?…Im clueless because I have asked my teacher and she doesnt know. I need help!
Comment by Miranda — October 26, 2009 #
I’m 11 years old and weigh 95 pounds. i really want to go on pointe and my teacher probably thinks i’m ready, but i haven’t been able to ask her. someone in my class, when i asked her, said we were going to go on pointe this january, but i’m not sure. when i asked someone else, they said we would go on in 2011. i’m really confused. can someone help me?also, i read that you’re NOT supposed to wear other peoples pointe shoes or go on pointe if your teacher hasn’tt told you you can.
Comment by Stephanie — January 1, 2010 #
I started lyrical at age 12 and then at age 13 I decided to go onto pointe even though I didn’t take formal ballet. I have been doing great with it but I do encourage ankle strengthening! Good luck! By the way, I am five foot and I weigh ninety-four pounds.
With pointe shoes though, I wear Gaynor Minden’s.
Comment by Maura — January 18, 2010 #
hi i would like to know how old you have to be to go on point work in ballet? i am 11 years old and i go to riegate school of ballet. i am in grde 4 and i wounderd how old i have to be to go onto my point work in bballet. xxxxxx
Comment by danielle newman — January 23, 2010 #
thanks for posting this onto this website. thanks from danielle newman. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Comment by danielle newman — January 23, 2010 #
by the way i have done ballet scince i was 2-3 years old. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Comment by danielle newman — January 23, 2010 #
hmmmm sounds like you’re a great dancer who’s ready for pointe
Comment by ace — June 24, 2010 #
My daughter has been dancing since she was 2. She is just 10 now. She is taking ballet sessions with a new teacher who is willing to put her in pointe (even though it is called pre-pointe). She will be on her toes. Is her body mature enough?
Comment by Mrs.B — July 11, 2010 #
Hello, I too am very excited about going en pointe, if you feel you are ready then I think it would be worth plucking up the courage to ask your dance teacher if he/she thinks you are ready.. they’ll have ways of determining this as they don’t just look at your feet because other factors can determine how you dance en pointe. I started Ballet in December of 2009 and after six months or so was told I was ready for pointe(remember though, all dancers are different and become ready at different times) and will be starting classes in September, obviously my teacher thought I was ready for it. It’s incredibly nerve racking, and as many other commentors have stated it’s not to be entered into light heartedly, it requires a lot of strength and determination, so if you just want to go en pointe because you think it’ll look cool and pretty then maybe now isn’t the best time to start, however if you’re serious then I wish you the best of luck. I’m going to get shoes fitted on Saturday and am extactic! It’s every ballerina’s dream and is almost a rite of passage, so good luck and best wishes for whenever you get en pointe.. keep us updated!
Chloé
Comment by Chloé — August 4, 2010 #
I really want to go en Pointe. I will be turning 11 in september, and I’ll be old enough! My teacher keeps on complimenting me and says I’m doing a great job. Any advice?
Comment by Jaimie — August 21, 2010 #
I think I’m getting closer to the dream I’ve always wanted! My teacher is really nice to me and says I’m beautiful at this! Does anybody have any ankle-exercises I could do? Wish me luck!
Comment by Jaimie — August 30, 2010 #