1. When can I start pointe?
I don't know. I don't know you, and even if I did I couldn't tell you. What I can tell you is that you generally need about 3 years of 3 classes a week to start pointe, and you should be 12 or older. There is no set rule though, I began pointe after 2 years of classes at the descretion of my ballet teacher and artistic director. I know girls who have been dancing for years but are still not ready, whether they are still growing or too weak.
2. What shoes should I get?
You need to be fitted for pointe shoes by a professional fitter. There are tons of styles for high arches vs. low arches, long toes vs. short toes, tapered toes vs. squared toes, ect. No brand is really better than the other. I have Bloch Serenades and love them, they're nice and hard, durable, and pretty. They support my feet well, but they may not work for you. It might take a few different models and brands before you find your "perfect shoe".
3. What kind of padding?
It depends. I'm writing a padding post tomorrow so you can compare and contrast. I use gellows by pillows for pointe, and like them a lot.
4. Does it hurt?
Well, sort of. It's uncomfortable, but only if you have injuries. For example, I get really bad ingrown toenails (gross I know, sorry!) and it causes a lot of pain en pointe for me when they are bad. However, when they aren't ingrown, it is not painful. At first it will feel foreign, because lets face it, people weren't built for dancing on their toes. With the proper toe pad and pointe shoe combination, it shouldn't hurt.
5. Will my feet get blisters/bruised toenails/ect?
Probably, they will. Embrace it! Gross feet are the mark of a dancer. Ingrown toenails, bruised toenails, cracked toenails, blisters, and bruises may occur. If your feet aren't too bad, you may just get some callouses.
6. What can I do when I first start pointe?
Well, unless you're getting pre-professional training, you'll start with a lot of eleves, releves, and eschappes. Then you'll move on to passe and coupe balances, and things like bourrees and pas de bourrees. Then maybe chaine and pique turns. Rome wasn't built in a day!
7. Is it worth it?
To me it is, or I wouldn't be doing it! If you love ballet and a little discomfort doesn't bother you, go for it!
| Bloch Serenades! |
Glad to see you are back! I really missed the posts! I was wondering what your pointe evaluation was like. What specific excersises or skills did your examiner have you do? Also what was your first pointe shoe fitting like. I know you have older posts on these but can you give any more details? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, and thanks, I'm glad to be back! My pointe evaluation was sort of like a regular ballet class, with a few extra combinations like longer balances. My dance teacher/artistic director invited another professional dancer (who bought the studio at the end of last year) to come watch, so he could help evaluate as well. The two of them watched the class, and the best dancer in the Sr. Company taught the class. I believe it was 2 hours long instead of the normal 90 mins.
DeleteMy first pointe shoe fitting was a little dull, I literally tried on 2 pairs of shoes, and the first ones fit so perfectly we I didn't even really need to try on any more. I'm having my next pointe shoe fitting on friday, I'll make a new post then!
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