How can you get over on pointe better...?

Question:

How can you get over on pointe better...?

How can you get over on pointe better, I have a thereband and stretch with it, but what else can I do? I am almost all the way over on pointe, but not quite.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: First, make sure your pointe shoes are broken in. Especially if they are your first pair, you may need to do a little bit more to get your pointe shoes broken in and ready for your feet.

Try this exercise (if you are not already doing it):
With your feet in 1st, demi plie, the slowly roll onto pointe. Staying in plie, stretch over your pointe then straighten your legs. Make sure you are really pushing your arches and forcing your feet to stay en pointe correctly as your do this, keeping them over the correct area of your shoe, and roll down to feet flat on the floor. Then do the exercise in reverse: stand, knees straight, roll up to pointe, then demi plie, roll feet down to flat, and straighten knees. You can also do this in a turned in first position.

Here are some more strengthening exercises you should be doing to get your feet and ankles stronger, do these daily:

**Stand with your toes on the edge of a stair or something to get your feet off the ground like a small step stool if you don't have stairs. Now do releves up to a nice tall 3/4 point position, pushing your arch and heel up and over as much as you can. Then lower your feet down below the step as low as you can go. Do these nice and slow at first, a full 8 cts up and a full 8 cts down. Try starting with 10 at a time and work up to more. Then do the same exercise quickly, like 2 cts up and 2 cts down. Start with about 25 of these and then add on.
**Sitting on the floor with you legs straight out or sitting in a chair hold up one leg at a time, use your big toe to "write" the alphabet, first in print then in cursive. Do this with both feet.
**Sit in a chair and put marbles down on the floor. Place all the marbles to the left side of your foot. Moving your foot in a side to side motion, pick up one marble with your toes then drop it off after you've moved your foot to the other side. Continue doing this until you've moved all the marbles from the left side of your foot to the right side. Now move them all back. Do this with both feet.
**Just pointing your feet as hard as you can and holding as long as you can is also a good exercise. Do this when you lay down to go to sleep, when you watch tv, when you are doing homework, anytime you can do it.
**Do sautes in first and second positions and make your feet do more work than your legs. Try to jump with as little bend in the knees as possible so your feet have to push off the floor harder an push all the way through your point when you leave the floor.
**Standing at a barre, behind a chair, or at the kitchen counter, place your feet in first then raise one foot to coupe, demi plie, lift your foot to 3/4 point, and then straighten your knee and hold the releve. Do about 10 of these on each foot to start, working up to more. Then do the same exercise in reverse, releve then demi plie, then lower to a flat foot. You can also just do releve and lower on each foot over and over until you feet and ankles are stronger. (this one is also great with your pointe shoes on, once you've started en pointe)

Keep working at it, you'll soon be en pointe and dancing beautifully!!