Too early to start pointe?

Question:I am in 7th grade and I have taken ballet when I was five, then I moved, then I didn't take it again until I was 10, until now. My total experience is 3 years. My instructor is Jefferson Baum, and I don't know how to ask him if I am ready for pointe. Can anyone with experience give me their story? thanks

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I am in 7th grade and I have taken ballet when I was five, then I moved, then I didn't take it again until I was 10, until now. My total experience is 3 years. My instructor is Jefferson Baum, and I don't know how to ask him if I am ready for pointe. Can anyone with experience give me their story? thanks

i thin its about ok to start. i started too early when i was 10 4 years afetr i started dance and it ruined me. my toes arebent and not long. my feet are big but when your that young you bone is still soft and so thats why it effected me. i think that if your a 7th grader that its well into puberty and your fett are atleast a size 7 than you can start.

How about this, "Mr. Baum, do you suppose I'm ready for pointe?" If he says no, ask, "What should I be doing to prepare for it?"

Mr. Baum, how longer do u think it would b until i might b ready to try pointe? Or, what could i be doing to improve to go on pointe?

It all depends on the person not really the expierience... see I have never been on point shoes...a few days ago I had to go on TV for this dance thingy and they put my on point shoes even tho I have never even tried them on. I went on and they were shocke because I have a really good stance...I am also in the seventh grade and now I am doing point. Try the shoes on, and get some tips. It's never too early

I think you probably aren't ready yet because it takes a lot of ankle/calve strength. Try asking your teacher when he thinks you will be able to start pointe or if he thinks you should enroll in a pre-pointe class. He knows how strong your ankles are and will be able to assess if you are prepared for pointe. Try doing some pointe exercises at home (flat footed) to prepare you. Check out some of my other answers for exercises. I hope I helped! Good luck and have fun ( :

OK, I'm in pointe. I'm 11 years old been in dance for 9 years. it took me 6 years to make it to pointe. i say that you wait a little while because maybe ur not ready yet!!! iT depends on ur ability!!! 7th grade is a good grade to start it but your only there since 3 years so prove mr. baum u can do it gurl!!!! go get em!!

Well my teacher made me wait till i was fourteen I was actually a day from fifteen when we got them. But I would just say "Mr. Baum is there any way that i might be strong enough to do pointe? and If not is there anything I can do to improve my strength?" Hope this helps and good luck!

if you start pointe work before your muscles are trained properly, you will overdevelop thigh muscles and when you want to turn professional, they will take one look at your legs and turn you away. those muscles will then turn to fat without work and you'll be unhappy. advice from your teacher is worth alot, so if he recommends patience, value his words.
anyway - enjoy dancing and good wishes for the future

really you should have more in general...but if you are good and have good muscles and are strong you could.

if you really want it it shouldn't be a problem to ask. just go up and ask, its very simple.

"Mr. Baum, i would absolutely love to go into pointe. do you think i am ready?"

and he'll tell you...good luck! :)

i started ballet when i was six and steadily increased my hours over the years!! I started with a a very strict who concentrated a lot on technique however she retired when i was twelve and my new teacher put me onto pointe one term later!! Before we had lots of strengthening lessons so that we could strengthen our ankles to be ready to go onto pointe!!

The things you need to think about are:

Are there many girls in your dance school on pointe...how old were they when they started pointe??
Has your teacher asked other students in your class to go on pointe??

I don't believe that experience is the key to going on pointe!! If your posture, technique and ankle strength is strong then politely ask your teacher what he thinks!!