Stepping up to Pointe

How do you know if your child is ready to progress from ballet work to pointe? Does it make a difference in a future career in ballet if you start pointe later rather than sooner? How many days a week should a child take ballet or pointe? If you have a child who gets starry eyed everytime she sees a pair of pointe shoes it is sometimes difficult to say not this year, so it is important to understand what makes a dancer "ready" for pointe. Primarily readiness is determined in three ways. First the teacher will evaluate the ankle and foot strength of the dancer. The ankle becomes the primary support for the body when working on pointe. The foot becomes an extention of the ankle, so it must also have sufficient strength to maintain the line of the foot from ankle to toes. Next the teacher will evaluate the level of the student's technique. The technique evaluation and strength evaluation are the sole perogative of the teacher. Finally, it must be determined if the bones of the feet are sufficiently developed to prevent damage. Most teachers will also evaluate this aspect of the student's development, but some don't and rely on the pointe shoe fitter to evaluate the bone development. That is why it is so important to buy that first pair of pointe shoes from a dealer who has sufficient training to evaluate the bone development and either proceed with the fitting or if there is a doubt, to refer the parent to a podiatrist for evaluation. In my store, if we have any doubt about the bone development we recommend the parent take the child to a podiatrist for evaluation before the fitting. It is much easier to tell your child we have to wait another 6 months or a year than to tell your child two years down the road, no more pointe.