When will I be ready for pointe? Here is a post from Terpischore to Jilly that I wanted to share with everyone. I think it answers the question perfectly. Enjoy and thankyou Terpischore. Jilly: That's great that you're getting back into dance! Woo hoo for you! Regarding starting pointe work, Blochangel is right, and I'm sure everyone will agree: your teacher is the best person to answer that question. Being prepared for pointe has a lot more to do with technique, physical strength, and physical development than age or the number of classes one takes in a week. The technical question is mostly looked at in terms of alignment/posture, as well as use of the foot in tendu, degage, landing from jumps, etc. Can you hold appropriate alignment and turnout (using the correct muscles) throughout a class, almost to the point where it's second nature? Can you articulate your foot enough through tendu, degage, etc...have your bones and tendons reached the appropriate level of development to handle pointe work? Even if you may be able to answer "yes" to these types of questions, it's not a matter of meeting some criteria on a checklist. Your teacher (and maybe your doctor if he/she is really knowledgeable about dance) really are the only people who can determine whether or not you're ready, as they see you in class and are familiar with your body, how you move, etc. I have "inherited" students from other schools who were put on pointe too early and it is now questionable as to whether or not they will be able to safely continue dancing, even in soft/flat shoes (slippers). In addition to the physical readiness, maturity and attitude play a big role. Pointe requires a different kind of dedication (not necessarily more, just a different kind). It is a big responsibility and requires consistent, patient practice; as well as appropriate care for the shoes, your body, etc. Once you get your first pair of pointe shoes, most likely (depending on your school) you will spend 15 minutes a couple times a week doing some admittedly repetitive, "boring" stuff: releve's facing the barre in parallel and first, etc. It is to lay the foundation for good pointe work later on. It seems kind of lame if you're used to being in a technique class where you can do "fun" stuff like pirouettes and big splashy leaps across the floor, but it is an investment in being able to do really wonderful stuff later on. You have to be able to take the long view, which is why attitude and maturity are so important. I have many students who are physically ready for pointe, but they don't always come to class consistently, they have not regularly done the pre-pointe exercises we require at my studio, etc; so they are not yet allowed to take the pointe class. This is not to say you shouldn't do anything to work towards your goal of going up on pointe. You should! Practicing at home, taking care of your body and your feet, etc. are all wonderful habits to develop to improve your dancing, independent of pointe work. Just make sure you're practicing things *correctly* outside of class. It's hard sometimes when the teacher isn't there to watch and correct. Ask your teacher for advice, and most importantly, when the teacher gives a correction in class, whether or not s/he is correcting you, *try* the correction! We learn dance by dancing. There is no way to learn from a correction by just standing there listening to it. You must try it. As Balanchine said, "Just do, dear." It's a really big deal, and in my opinion there is no such thing as going up on pointe "too late," although there is definitely such a thing as going up too early. Enough of my "preaching." Hope this helps! Good luck to you. Dance Forever! ---------------------- ---ajb 100 posts = star surprise ! Members can be awarded a green star for reaching 100 posts. 250 posts = blue star 500 posts = red star 1000 posts = gold star 2000 posts = big gold star 5000 posts = Addict ! Private Messages I have noticed that alot of members do not have the private messaging activated in their profiles. If this is by choice thats fine, but I suspect it is because it needs to be activated by each individual. If you wish for private messging to be available to you, please select "allow private messages" to "on", in your profile menu. thanks all and have a great day !
100 posts = star surprise ! Members can be awarded a green star for reaching 100 posts. 250 posts = blue star 500 posts = red star 1000 posts = gold star 2000 posts = big gold star 5000 posts = Addict ! Private Messages I have noticed that alot of members do not have the private messaging activated in their profiles. If this is by choice thats fine, but I suspect it is because it needs to be activated by each individual. If you wish for private messging to be available to you, please select "allow private messages" to "on", in your profile menu. thanks all and have a great day !
Private Messages I have noticed that alot of members do not have the private messaging activated in their profiles. If this is by choice thats fine, but I suspect it is because it needs to be activated by each individual. If you wish for private messging to be available to you, please select "allow private messages" to "on", in your profile menu. thanks all and have a great day !
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Saturday, March 20th 2010 5:00 AM.