Ballet moms

[Freyja]

How old were your daughters when they started practicing en pointe for the first time?

 

[cabanafrau]

13. It is not a question of age as much as it is a question of development and experience. The growth plates in the feet need to be fully developed, the dancer needs to have appropriate core strength, ankle strength and be well-versed in proper positioning.

 

[Freyja]

My daughter is 9 and her teachers just told me that next school year she will be doing pointe work once a week (and 2 "regular" classes). She seems so young to me but her ballet school is highly respected and probably the second best in our country.

 

[cabanafrau]

From my experience that frequently happens with "top schools". Your daughter may indeed do very well.

What's important to remember is what happens ten, 15, 20 years later to these young phenoms who are moved en pointe before they are developmentally ready? You can't only look at the issue from the perspective of now. IMO improve your daughter's odds of greater mobility for the rest of her life by using caution now.

 

[Hannathy]

My DD was about 13. I would think 12 is the youngest I would go. Even at 13 my DD has little to no nail on her small toes, and they fall off regularly. (she doesn't have any bone problems tho , which is more worrisome with a young child)

My sister is a dancer and as an adult she has horrid feet from years of pointe.

What is the hurry? is she going to dance professionally? Is she being accepted into a ballet company? if not I would want her to be older so she doesn't pay for it as an adult because even doing it right she will have problems later as most serious athletes do related to their sport.

 

[Freyja]

It´s pretty much a question of going en pointe or not dancing at all anymore. That is, if she doesn´t follow her group she will probably need to attend another (not as good ballet school) with girls she doesn´t know. She´s been at this school since she was 3.

 

[DSNY4ever]

Not a mom, but I did ballet for 18 years. I started pointe when I was 10, I was one of a few girls in my class who was pulled to start early. Our teacher added new girls when she thought they were skilled enough and strong enough, and we started off slowly and worked our way up.

Get ready for expensive shoes! And just wait till they get old enough to know how they like to wear them/break them in, and then you'll buy them a brand new pair and they will go in the garage and tear them up and hit them with a hammer, cut pieces out etc. My mom used to have a heart attack when I did that

 

[punkin]

I think generally 9 yo is too young. Can you speak to her instructor about your concerns?

 

[X and G's mom]

My DD has been in ballet since she was 3. She is almost 13. Next school year she will be in Pre-Pointe class. This class will be for 1 or 2 years, then she will move to regular Pointe class. She did a lot of growing last summer. She is now taller than me and she hasn't grown or needed bigger shoes since the start of school (knock on wood). So, from what our studios owner told me it is a combo of years of experience, the body being ready, dancer strength, and the teachers placement.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

I was 13 or 14 when I started en pointe----I had 6 years of ballet b/f that

 

[RockAndRollBallerina]

Not a mom.

I started taking Ballet at age 3, and went En Pointe at age 13. At which age I spent 1 year, including the summer months in a Pre-Pointe class, after that I was in the level 1 Pointe class at my studio. I also went to a studio where 13 was the minimum age to go En. I'm now in my early 20's, and I still very actively dance.

As far as age goes, while 10 is young, it's not uncommon for girls that young to go En Pointe. All though I will say that going En Pointe is not something to be rushed. It differs from girl to girl when they are ready to go En, just because you have a class of 12 girls it doesn't mean all 12 are ready at the the same time, for some it's earlier and others it's later.

 

[AboutTheMouse]

My DD is 12 and just started this year. In addition to teacher recommendation, I would highly recommend checking in with an orthopedic doctor for an evaluation. DD has had many ankle problems in the past and has an extra bone in her one ankle that causes her problems. We know this doctor on a first name basis since we have seen him so much.

The doctor checked her out from her hips to the tips of her toes before I allowed her to begin pointe classes. He objectively looked at her strength, flexibility, joints, body type and made recommendations for the areas that she had weaknesses. He also looked for muscle balance - for example the strength and flexibility of her hamstring vs. her quadriceps muscles. The flexibility of the inside / outside of her ankles.

I say he gave me an 'objective' opinion - there was no financial benefit to him whether we chose to do or not do pointe. As much as I love her studio, they are still in the business of making money. I wanted to make sure she was physically ready without regard to my open checkbook.

Good luck! Pointe is challenging and can be painful but DD absolutely LOVES it!

 

[olwyngdh]

My Daughters school has a form that has to be filled out by an orthopeadist (or however you spell that) before the studen is allowed to go en pointe

 

[Darcy03231]

DD was 3 when she started dancing. She was 12 when she started the pre-pointe class and 13 when she moved into a pointe class. The studio she danced at wouldn't start them in the pre-pointe until they were at least 12 and had a minimum of 5 years of ballet. The dance teacher explained it as being about bone development, strength and muscle development. Some of the girls in her pre-pointe class didn't move up to the pointe class the next year because the instructor felt they weren't ready.

 

[karenos]

My DD is 12 and she started pointe this year. She is also required to take at least 4 hours of dance instruction a week - plus she has been dancing since she was 3. I trust her instructor to not start her too young.

karenos

 

[autumnpalm]

Not a mom, but I started pointework when I was 10. I have had a lot of problems with my feet, ankles and knees but it is hard to say whether that is from being put en pointe at a young age or whether it was the effect of ballet in general.

I agree with the posters who suggest visiting an orthopedic doctor before your daughter begins.

 

[Art 1]

13. The usual age.

 

[NewCrew42]

My DD has been dancing since the age of 3.

Last year, age 11-12, she was in pre-pointe. This year, she takes pointe.

I will say I like the way our studio gradually breaks the girls in. While they have pointe shoes, they where them for very small amounts of time during their class and sometimes not at all. The class is an hour and half long, but little of that time is spent in pointe shoes. Next year, I think they make a much more serious leap.

 

[lpereira]

My daughter is no where near pointe work yet. She is almost 5 and started when she was almost 3. When we were school shopping we found a great instructor who is ABT. Her rules for pointe are doctors exam, several core skills that indicate strong back, thighs, and calve muscles, normal weight for age, no earlier than 12, successful completion of pre pointe classes, and a high arch on her in step.
That last one was what sold us. She said the most talented, dedicated ballerina cannot overcome genetics in the end. Without the arch she won't put a child en pointe.
That isn't to say that other studios are wrong or the one we go to is any better. It just gave us peace of mind to know our daughter wouldn't end up feeling pressured to engage in activity that could damage her.

I can't get my phone too go back. Calve =calf.

 

[Green Tea]

Mine was 11, which was a year or so earlier than the teacher generally allowed.