For our series Ask A Dance Teacher, we asked ballet teacher Johanna Hadley some common questions about ballet training.
Our question was, “At what age should ballet dancers begin pointe work?” As well as, ""What age should you get pointe shoes?"", ""Can children wear pointe shoes?"" and ""Can starting pointe training too young damage the feet?""
Johanna says:
These questions get asked many times! Firstly, it’s important to understand that dancing on pointe is not a rite of passage, where all children go on pointe at a set age – there are many more aspects to consider.
Although most teachers use age 11 or 12 as a guide, there are nuances to this. The first thing to explain is probably the reason behind this age guidance.
There is no ‘best age’ to start pointe work
When children are growing, their bones are soft. When a young child falls, instead of the bone breaking, it usually just bends. This is called a greenstick fracture. The same thing happens when a child goes on pointe when they are too young – their bones bend. Unlike a one-off fall, the prolonged and repeated nature of pointe tuition means this puts the child at risk of serious foot problems when they are older causing irreversible damage. These problems are often painless when the child is younger and students are able to dance quite happily in pointe shoes, but the problems present themselves when the dancer is older.
When a child reaches around 11 or 12 years old, their bones start to harden. This means that their bones are starting to become strong enough to withstand their body weight on the end of their toes in pointe shoes without causing any changes to the shapes of the bones. The growth plate between the bones also begin to close up. Having said this, the type of pointe work performed by an 11 or 12 year old is vastly different to that of a 16 or 17 year old. At 11 or 12, pointe work should only be basic steps like rises, courus, basic relevé at the barre. It certainly should not be full solos or demanding sequences.
It’s important to remember that delaying pointe work does not affect a child’s progress – they will always catch up with their peers. What will affect progress, however, is rushing a child on pointe too young and when they are not ready, which could result in future injuries. These injuries could even prevent them from achieving their dream of dancing professionally.
Considering the child’s growth for pointe work
Think of an average academic Year 7 class with children who are age 11 and 12. There can be some children whose physical development is still that of a 9 or 10 year old whereas some children will have already started puberty and are as tall as adults. So when a child is around 11 or 12, it’s best to speak with your dance teacher and ask them where they consider your child’s skeletal development and about their readiness for pointe work. If there is any doubt, you can go for an x-ray which determines how developed a child’s bones are and their readiness for pointe.
Other factors to consider for pointe work readiness
A factor to consider is how many ballet classes a week the student is taking. Pointe work shouldn’t be taken on by students who only take one ballet class per week because of the strength and technique required. The maturity of the student is also a significant factor as pointe work isn’t comfortable – you need to be sensible, focused in classes and determined. A slip of focus in class can easily result in injury.
The level of commitment from the student should also be taken into account. Are they a dancer who attends class one day and then misses the next two? A teacher should also look at how many years a student has been dancing for and the standard of their dancing. Pointe work isn’t normally started until just before or during training for vocational grades (usually Grade 5/Intermediate Foundation). Vocational examinations with all the major ballet exam boards are the first time that pointe work is examined. It needs many years of good training to reach vocational standard. Teachers often get students to take pre-pointe classes and wear soft pointe shoes for a minimum of six months before pointe work is considered, in order to strengthen the feet and prepare the students for the demands of pointe work. The core, leg and foot strength of the dancer needs to be reviewed.
I find it deeply worrying when I hear of dance schools that promise pointe work to all students in the class when they reach a certain age. Parents and students should never be offended if other students are told that they can go on pointe but their child can’t – this is actually a sign of a caring teacher who is thinking about the longevity of their student’s dancing. Most dance teachers now use pointe assessments so that dancers can clearly see which areas need improvement before they can go on pointe. This can help the teacher, student and parent look practically at the situation, rather than it feeling like favouritism with the ‘chosen’ dancers going on pointe first.
Remember that feet are for a lifetime and need to extend well past the length of a dancer’s career.
Pointe safety resources
A useful resource for guidance about the safety and risks of pointe work is the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS): https://iadms.org/media/2945/iadms-bulletin-vol6n1.pdf
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