What should I do to get ready for pointe?

Question:First off, THANK YOU for all of your wonderful answers to my last dancing question, I wish that i could have chose all of you!!!

Okay, so i'm in 8th grade & this is my 1st year doing ballet. I am taking one weekly class and a lot of you have said (in my last question) that i could probably take pointe next year if i work hard enough. So what should I do to prepare myself for pointe next year??? Also, what am i supposed to say to my teacher to ask her about if i am ready for pointe next year/ what i need to work on to get there????

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: First off, THANK YOU for all of your wonderful answers to my last dancing question, I wish that i could have chose all of you!!!

Okay, so i'm in 8th grade & this is my 1st year doing ballet. I am taking one weekly class and a lot of you have said (in my last question) that i could probably take pointe next year if i work hard enough. So what should I do to prepare myself for pointe next year??? Also, what am i supposed to say to my teacher to ask her about if i am ready for pointe next year/ what i need to work on to get there????

OK this is simple. Well you might be able to work on pointe but I would say that you need to take classes more than once a week and you need to practice at home too. Pointe is hard work and you want to show your teacher smiles and effort! Go for the gold! Ok so0o here you need to learn the basics of pointe first:

Your ribbons should be tied neatly tight enough to support you but loose enough to leave your ankle free to move. Make sure your draw strings are tucked in.

Darning pointe shoes- This makes the pointe shoes look new. Every month or so darn the tips of your pointe shoes by taking a needle and sticking it through the threads.

Than here is what you do to strenghten yourself for pointe:

Strenghten your feet, body, and legs- Sit on a chair and put marbles on the right side of you on the floor. Pick up the marbles with your toes. Do this until all of the marbles are on the left side. Then bring them back to the right side. Keep your back straight and your toes pointed.

Than here is what you do when you are on pointe:

Some exercises you can do at home are:

Glissade- Start with a demi-plie in fifth position and slide your leg forwrd. Transfer your weight forward exactly onto your right pointe at the spot reached by the toes. Close your back foot tightly behind to form fifth position on pointe.

Releve- Stand in first position. Move smoothly into a demi-plie keeping your heels firmly on the floor. Holding your turnout, push strongly up onto pointe. Roll through your feet carefully back into a demi-plie.

Echappe- Demi-plie in fifth position, then spring up lightly onto pointe in second. Skim your toes across the floor to escape from demi-plie. Keeping lifted and light, close your legs simultaneously back to demi-plie in fifth position.

I would increase the number of days you take. If you really want to do pointe I would do at least 3. Also make sure that u stay focused on your goal. Hope you make pointe=]

I did ballet for 10 years, and I also did one night a week. At my company, you had to be taking more than one night a week to go to pointe because it was said that your legs would not be strong enough. In your case, I would make sure you tone and work your calf and thigh muscles as much as possible. It takes an extreme amount of strength to go on pointe, and you will end up hurting yourself if you do not have the muscle strength.

If this is only your first year of ballet training, then you probably are not ready for pointe yet. Pointe requires many years of ballet technique, and if your ballet technique and muscles are not perfected, then you could sustain serious injuries. You should talk to your teacher and see what she thinks you should do to prepare for classes en pointe.

Pointe is all about strenght. You need to have super strong supple ankles and you need to have very strong leg muscles so you need to tone up ya legs and keep very flexible. I would also work on your posture and how you conduct yourself in a routine because pointe is totally different to regular ballet in that respect. Just try hard in all areas of ballet that you are doing at the minute and generally improve. Good luck !!xx

A lot of my friends had never been on pointe before, and they used demi-pointe shoes. If you practice on those for several months, then your feet will get accustomed to the feel (especially if this is your first year). I never used demi-pointe shoes, I went straight to pointe, and I actually have more problems starting than my friends. Remember, practice, practice, practice, and I hope you have fun on pointe!

1. tell your teacher you are interested in pointe work. Each teacher has their own requirements, and your teacher can only help you get there if she knows that is your goal.
Don't give her a time frame (1 year), but rather ask her what she thinks an appropriate time frame would be for you at your current rate.

2. increase the number of classes you take. I require my students to take a minimum of 3 ballet classes per week for one year before I will even consider putting them on pointe. The more classes you take the stronger you will be, and your body needs to practice to develop the muscle memory needed to be a great ballet dancer.

3. Show your teacher that you are committed, polite, and responsible. Listen in class, show good manners, help out at the studio (cleaning, organizing, assisting younger students, etc). Pointework adds a whole new element to your ballet studies, and it also adds an element of danger as well. You can seriously hurt yourself if you do not listen and work correctly, and your teacher will be more comfortable putting you on pointe if you show that you are mature and responsible enough to handle it.

4. Work on creating strong flexible feet and ankles. If you have stiff feet work on flexibility, if you have bendy feet work on strengthening them. Once you get on pointe, this will allow your foot to be in the correct position, and make the transition much easier. Talk to your teacher about your feet and which kinds of excersises you should be doing a home.

5. You need strength in your legs and back. This will mostly come from adding more classes, but during class you need to work on a strong straight back, engaged core muscles, and active leg muscles. Any major posture issues should be fixed before pointe work is attempted. In Tendu your toes should be straight (not curled under), your ankle in line with your knee and hip, knee straight (but not hyperextended) your hip properly rotated out, and your weight completely on your standing leg.

6. Remember that the more prepared you are for pointe work, the easier it will be. Students that start pointe before they are ready are often frustrated and struggle with pointework. It really pays to be patient, and to do the work beorehand.