DD and pointe shoes

Demi-pointe shoes are fine - if you are in a pre-pointe class and that's what the teacher has asked you to get - but I know from what one of DD's friends did (who went to another dance school), that there can be too much temptation to try and go on pointe in them whilst wearing the shoes at home. And they aren't designed for that.

I’ve danced for 29 years and I went en pointe at 12 (but I did do a lot more lessons than your daughter). I used demi-pointe first which I would recommend for your DD, and this is what the teacher should be encouraging too. But pointe class was separate to normal ballet - we chose to be there in addition to our usual classes. Now I’m older I only do en pointe. Feet are fine

I have ballet experience - only one hr a week would often be seen as not quite enough for pointe, however if her feet and ankles are strong enough bc of the other classes she does it cloud very well be fine. It's all down to if her technique is good enough and if she's strong enough. Of course pointe work will develop strength too.

Will the pointe work be an additional class or within the one hour?

Yup, @taxi4ballet (love the name!!) When you first wear pointe shoes, you have to get used to the much more solid sole, and learn to balance on a flat foot, as well as en pointe. Adage in pointe shoes is damn difficult even on a flat foot. I actually found it easier to balance in relevé and turn, rather than arabesque on a flat foot. But I was more than usually strong (because I never had the ideal ballet body!!)

15 minutes of that would be pointe prep exercises in flat shoes, 5 minutes changing and 10 minutes at the end doing rises at the barre. I wouldn't expect any respectable teacher to allow students to move away from the barre and into the centre for some while.

More senior dancers who have been en pointe for some time might go straight from their regular grade class into the pointe class following immediately after and do most of it in pointe shoes, but that would be from Intermediate vocational grade upwards really.

30 minutes a lesson on pointes at the start? My daughter was allowed to start off with 10 minutes with rises at the barre. 30 minutes is a long time.

As I said, I was very strong, and had been doing ballet class 3 times a week. And I didn't (don't) have "banana feet" or hyperextended knees, so my legs & feet are also (still) very strong.

This isn't a ballet class.

A ballet class for a 12-13 year old should be at least an hour long, and they should be working towards building fitness & stamina to do a 90 minute class (professional standard, although I've been in classes with master teaches where we go for 2 hours and only stop because there's a rehearsal!)

A class should be for at least 60 minutes JUST ballet, and she should e doing at least 2, preferably 3 a week.

And exams are useful only in so far as they give an indication of the standard a child has reached, but they mean pretty much nothing (certainly in the profession).

30 minutes a lesson on pointes at the start? My daughter was allowed to start off with 10 minutes with rises at the barre. 30 minutes is a long time.

I come from a dance family & went on pointe at age 13 with 3 classes a week. I was (still am) very strong through and was able to get up over the box pretty quickly.

You may not know the answer to these questions, but: can she hold her turn out on demi-pointe? and in a relevé in seconde? How are her pirouettes? Can she do a retiré en relevé with a straight supporting leg? Can she work well on one leg without a bent supporting knee or misaligned pelvis?

Will it be one class a week, plus a dedicated pointe lesson of about 30 minutes?

I think you should take tour question to BalletCoUK where there are some very qualified teachers & a lot of knowledgeable ballet parents - far better than Google!

My daughter was 11/12yrs when she got her first pointe shoes with her RAD teacher. It started at 10mins a week just with rises at the barre and then gradually increased. She is 18yrs now, stopped at 16yrs and you couldn't tell looking at her feet that she had ever been on her pointes.
The key is they need to be fitted by someone who knows what they are doing and can assess them is a safe way, when shoes are past there best they need to be replaced asap.

This is not sensible. Our ballet school does not allow pointe unless the child is pursuing a vocational path. It's just not worth the potential ligament damage if you're doing ballet as a hobby. Professional opinion has really shifted on this over the last few years - I was quite surprised myself.

I can't remember who said it, but there is a quote from someone renowned in the ballet world who said something along the lines of:

"It's no use putting a child on pointe if she can't do anything once she gets there".

Actually, no, my 13yr old isn't an athlete, it's my 10yr old who is, she's been competing nationally since the age of 7yrs old.

Yes she's been an athlete since the age of 7 actually.

Lots of young people are on an elite athlete pathway by age 13.

I think if you want to do ballet at a higher level then a lot of them would be looking forward to having pointe shoes. But if you don't want her to have them just say no.

And obviously use the fact that she only does ballet once a week or whatever as the reason why she doesn't need them. As well as saying that they can sometimes damage people's feet.

She's an athlete at 13? Really?

I think age alone does not mean a child is ready for pointe, people shouldn't blanket say "a 13yr old can do pointe, no issue". I also have a 13yr old, but developmentally, her body is very small and slight, she's often mistaken for considerably younger than she actually is. There's no way I would allow her to start pointe.

I am concerned about damage to my children's feet if they ever do pointe, I know my youngest can't wait, but I'm worried about damage and as an athlete, it could really damage her competitive career in her sport.

This is very similar to what dd2 does so it seems a good progression point no pun!

I did one hour ballet a week and went en pointe at 13 and did a further five years. It’s not great for your feet obviously although I have no long term side effects. If it’s like my class everyone did en pointe so if she isn’t it may be that she drops the class

I would be cautious and discuss with her teacher. Dd was a dancer and was on point from 12. She had danced since she was 3 and pre point was grade 5 or 6 RAD and had done a second 1.5 hour class for vocational RAD exam class weekly for 18 months first . She has very stong but flexibke feet and a high arch her dance teacher was very ,very fussy about fit and allowed only 2 places she trusted to fit and then checked them. Dd feet were so challenging we ended up at bloch in covent garden to fit them with a senior fitter who found her perfect shoe. I am.a.physio so did have concerns and had to be convinced she was ready too. Sadly she no longer dances at 19 but her feet are fine. If your dd teacher is as fussy as ours was you will be fine , if not be very cautious.

Ok so that’s looking more like it. That’s a LOT of classes and genres such as modern/jazz & lyrical will contain strength training.

However it wouldn’t be unreasonable to ask the teacher about pointewirk, how it is being introduced & is your Dd being given any excercises in between class that she is expected to do.

Right, so she does one hour of ballet & what other classes?