When can I go en pointe?
Julia asks:
Hi Miss Marisa,
I have been doing ballet for 6 months and I was wondering when do you think I can go en pointe? I started kind of late for my age but I have grown quickly to become one of my teacher's favorite and strongest dancers (She told me).
I am very strong and very flexible, I can balance passe releve on one leg for a long time with no wobbling. I can do a lot of other steps that some of the dancers older than me and have been dancing for over 10 years can't do.
I also pull up like I am supposed to. I have muscles that I am not "supposed to have".
I am probably going to go en pointe this summer, I just wanted to know what you thought. Sorry this was kind of a long question
Answer:
Julia, not a long question at all!
The "official" advice, which most ballet teachers will give you, is that you certainly can't go on pointe after only6 months. Unofficially, I have to say that I identify with your experience!
I started ballet very late too - and I was on pointe within 6 months, too, because I had natural strength in the right places. Of course I worked very, very hard for those six months!
Of course it's unusual and not something I would normally recommend - but it's not unheard-of, especially if you start ballet when you're older and have done other sports or dance before. For me, the biggest question mark is your turnout - it's really important to be able to hold your turnout when on pointe, and that's a fairly specialized thing which you only learn in ballet. So I would be questioning whether those muscles are quite ready yet. But if you're able to pull up properly and hold your turnout, you should be fine. Trust your teacher's advice and good luck!
4 Responses to When can I go en pointe?
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Oh OK! What are the pointe shoes that you think I should get. My second toe is almost as long as my first one but not quite. I have medium-wide feet and super high arches.
Sorry I keep bothering you! You just seem to know everything about pointe shoes.
It’s very hard to say what shoes would suit you, without seeing your feet. As it’s your very first pair, it’s really important that you go to a shop with a good pointe shoe fitter and get fitted professionally.
The first thing to work out is what foot shape you are – that will narrow down which shoes might work for you. Have you read this post?
http://pointeshoesonline.com/3354/foot-shape/
I guess I have an Egyptian foot! Last questions (I promise!):
1)My arobesque is about 125-130 degrees without even trying. Is this normal?
2)What does it feel like to be on full pointe?
It sounds like you’re naturally flexible. That’s great but it can mean you have some hidden weaknesses – never stretch before class, and be especially careful to do exercises with perfect form, to guard against injury.
What does it feel like to be on full pointe? That’s hard for me to say, because I just got up on my toes on my first pointe shoes and started dancing – I only used lambswool, no padding, and I never got bleeding toes or blisters. I think I was just lucky with the shape of my feet and choice of shoes. When I got up on pointe I felt I’d been given an extra freedom, because it felt like I could fly across the floor without hardly touching it.
Most dancers don’t find pointe such a pleasure!