You need years of training to go en pointe. If you are not strong enough (that is, not able to use the muscles in your feet and legs to keep yourself from "sagging" while en pointe) you can do serious damage to your joints.
While the initial pain may become manageable, dancing in pointe shoes may never feel as comfortable as lounging around in your house slippers. “There is no such thing as pain-free in pointe shoes,” Carpenter says.
The dancer who is not able to stand on the tip of her pointe shoes should not be allowed to attempt pointe work. A foot that has an extremely flexible ankle and/or an extremely high instep will need special care and consideration from a teacher with a watchful eye.
Pointe-work is difficult and requires years and years of training to become proficient. To start pointe-work, the dancer must be extremely strong and well trained in basic ballet techniques. You must be physically and mentally prepared to start this kind of work.
Student should have enough strength to push themselves onto half-pointe. This step is harder to do en pointe and a bent leg is usually a sign of weakness or improper step preparation. Be able to do 16 relevés in the center without stopping. Strength for pointe work is achieved by repeating exercises.
Buffer Trenouth shares that the average age for starting en pointe is 12 years old. In terms of physical condition and technique at that age, when pointe readiness is a highlighted question, she underscores the importance of pelvic alignment control – not just in standing, but in moving and dancing with it.
The most important question is not “Am I too old?”, but rather “Am I ready?” Pointework is challenging at any age and should not be taken lightly. However, adults often come to ballet with the determination and focus needed to succeed. With proper training and dedication, you are never too old to start pointe.
Despite the fact that women's feet and legs are oftentimes more flexible than men's, according to professionals in the field of dance medicine and science, there is no physical or medical reason that men should not perform en pointe. It is purely an aesthetic choice.
The feeling can be best described as pressure on your feet and toes, including the sides of your toe joints and maybe even your ankles depending on your ankle range. While pointe shoes definitely do not feel like traditional ballet slippers, do not expect to be in excruciating pain.
The truth is- dancing en pointe while overweight is hard.
But if you're ready to put in the effort, then it is SO worth it. Your weight doesn't have to stop you- and I have collected a few tips and tricks to make dancers more successful en pointe.
A student who is overweight risks damage or injury from the extra pressure placed on the toes and should be encouraged to lose her extra weight slowly and sensibly before beginning pointe work.
“Trigger toe” is a common injury that occurs during ballet or when dancing en pointe. Because a ballet dancer supports their body weight with their toes, particularly the big toe, the muscles in the big toe and the tendon controlling the toes can be damaged, resulting in this condition.
En Pointe. The “en Pointe” technique in classical ballet is one of the most challenging to execute. In this move, a dancer has to support their entire bodyweight on their feet, which are fully extended.
The unfortunate reality of ballet is that most professional dancers who train on pointe, will have a foot or ankle injury through their career. Ballet dancers face acute and chronic conditions such as blisters, bunions, bruised toenails, achilles tendonitis, and degenerative joint disease.
Do male ballet dancers wear pointe shoes? Not normally. Sometimes men will wear pointe shoes for comedic effect, such as for the Stepsister characters in Cinderella (men are often cast as the sisters).
If one disregards weight as an excuse, there really is no good reason why more men don't dance en pointe. The general consensus is simply that one doesn't see male ballet dancers on their toes because choreographers don't tend to come up with compositions for them.
Ballet IV (ages 9 to 11 years)
Basic pointe work includes learning how to prepare the shoes for dancing and developing strength in the feet, ankles, legs, core and upper body with exercises on two feet facing the barre.
Pointe work isn't normally started until just before or during training for vocational grades (usually Grade 5/Intermediate Foundation). Vocational examinations with all the major ballet exam boards are the first time that pointe work is examined.
Most ballet teachers believe that pointe work is not suitable for students under 11 years old. Some believe that even 11 is pushing it. “The earliest age a child should be dancing on pointe is 11. However, 12 or 13 is more common,” warned the Royal Academy of Dance in a 2016 statement.
No, beginner dancers cannot wear pointe shoes. Dancers must have at least 3-5 years of serious ballet training under their belt before going en pointe. Be sure to get approval from your child's teacher before purchasing pointe shoes, and do not purchase shoes for children “just for fun”.
Svetlana Zakharova (dancer)