Every little girl who starts ballet dreams of getting her first pair of pointe shoes and taking that next step to becoming a prima ballerina! While this is an extremely exciting time for young dancers, it is also one where the utmost caution needs to be taken to ensure that the transition to pointe work is safe and injury free.
Who it is for:
Most girls will progress to pointe work between the ages of 11-13. This is a very important period of growth and development of bones and other structures around the foot and ankle. In her publication Anatomy and Ballet: A Handbook for Teachers of Ballet, Celia Sparger writes: "It cannot be too strongly stressed that pointe work is the end result of slow and gradual training of the whole body, back, hips, thighs, legs, feet, co-ordination of movement and the ‘placing’ of the body, so that the weight is lifted upwards off the feet, with straight knees, perfect balance, with a perfect demi-pointe, and without any tendency on the part of the feet to sickle either in or out or the toes to curl or clutch”
Sounds like a lot of work!! But it highlights the importance that pointe is more than just having strong feet and ankles! You have to have a strong and stable platform to work from before you start adding all the extras.
How it Works:
In a usual Pre- Pointe assessment the following areas are reviewed and monitored to assess a dancer’s readiness for pointe:
- Classical Ballet Technique
- Foot and Ankle Strength and Flexibility
- Postural Control
- Core Stability Strength
- Turnout Range and Strength
- Stage of Physical Development
- Duration and Frequency of Dance Training
A letter and summary of the assessment will then be written up and given to you and your dance teacher. This is our way of communicating our findings of the initial assessment, key areas that need to be addressed and how we can progress these. Getting immediate approval to start pointe is unusual unless you have had previous experience. At SquareOne we use a staged learning approach to ensure that dancers are using correct technique and developing correct habits so they can start on pointe safely and hopefully extend their careers long into the future.
If you have children who are looking at progressing to Pre-Pointe work and would like an assessment with Steph, or if you have questions regarding what Steph can offer in terms of a safe progression then please don’t hesitate to call her on 02 9968 3424 and she will be more than happy to answer your queries over the phone.
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