dance moms -- ballet question

[Briar Rose 7457]

at what age is it considered "safe" to allow a child to go on pointe?

 

[Pop Daddy]

your being sexist, cant a dance dad know this

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

Definitely ask the teacher.

I danced for almost 14 years and I was put on pointe in 9th grade.
I didn't go on toe until my teacher said it was okay.

A lot of girls however go on earlier.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

that's what I thought. my daughter is 11 1/2, her class isn't allowed on pointe. but there's one girl, the same age as they are, she was doing barre work with the older class. well, the teacher took a leave of absense and someone else took over the class -- and the girl was allowed on pointe. it's caused a bit of a problem at the studio.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I was in a class with some younger girls because it was the only one who worked for my schedule and wasn't for diehard dancers.

Half of the clas was done on flat and half on pointe only doing exercises.
Eventually the teacher let me take the entire class on pointe but the younger girls had to split the class in half.

 

[MarthaB]

At my daughters' dance studio, girls generally don't go on pointe until 6th grade. Some parents hold off a bit longer for orthopedic reasons.

 

[phisigprincess]

It also depends on the girls' skill levels. Some girls may be old enough, but not considered advanced enough in their technique to go en pointe.... and vice versa.

 

[janette]

At my DD's school they are about 12yo. There are certain skills required before they do pointe, some are younger but must have the skills and are usually pretty advanced dancers.

 

[WDWfan uk]

It does/should depend on the child - not only their feet but on their deportment and general ability.

I was en pointe at around 9 but that really was very early.

I would want to know that the ballet teacher taking pointework really knew what she/he was doing and had the qualifications to teach the children pointwork as it can have bad effects on young growing feet.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I just had this discussion with the ballet teacher at my DDs' school (they don't take ballet, just lyrical, tap, jazz. and hip hop for DD#1). She said about 7th grade. She also said she has lost several students over the years whose parents insist they should go on pointe, but miss Jenny won't ruin their feet by letting them start before they are ready.
Robin M.

 

[PrincessDeb]

I took ballet for years and not only do you have to be at the right skill level to handle the pointe techniques, but you should really be at least twelve. Otherwise, the bones in your feet are not developed enough and the pointe shoes can cause serious damage to the development of your foot.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I would think there are a lot of considerations...not everyone's bodies develop and grow at the same rate, nor are their skill levels the same at the same age. It should be an informed decision between the dance instructor, the dancer's parents, and the dancer. Can't imagine why it would be "a problem" for "the studio"...everyone is just concerned about this girl's feet?

Is she really 11.5, or is she perhaps closer to 12? Maybe 11.893645732 .

 

[Mimi Q]

I was just wondering the same thing. My daughter wants to do pointe so badly. She will be 12 in May.

 

[froglady]

My daughter's teacher allowed students to go en pointe when;
1. they had the technique...what's the purpose of getting them up there if they can't do anything?

2. they had the strength and physique...if they were overweight or didn't have muscle strength, it could cause foot or leg damage.

3. they had started entering puberty, an indication that their bones were maturing, and less likely to be injured on a growth plate.

All three criteria had to be met, UNLESS a dancer was unusually strong and talented. No student, despite ability, was allowed en pointe until age 11 or older.

 

[helenabear]

I was talked to by my instructor when I was going into 6th grade about working into en point. I have to admit, other things came up before I started though and I dropped dance for music & running instead. I would have done it by 7th grade I believe.

 

[noel]

I started ballet and tap lessons at age 3 and went on pointe at age 11.
I don't know if it was bad genetics or if it was just too early, but it ruined my feet. More than likely it was that toe shoes weren't meant for my feet (not that anyone's feet really should be squeezed into a shoe that is 3 sizes to small!)
After 2 years of agony I had to quit dancing altogether and still to this day have foot troubles.
My advice is to proceed with caution and listen to your daughter once she starts on pointe if she complains that it hurts. It will be uncomfortable, especially at first, but swelling and constant pain is not normal.

 

[antkim]

They really shouldn't be allowed to go en pointe until they are at least 12. Like a previous poster said it has to do with their bone developement. They could be skilled enough at 9 or 10 but should not be permitted until older. Serious damage to their feet could happen if started too early. I was a dancer for 20 plus years-en pointe for maybe 8 of those years. It's funny because when you are not en pointe you just wait and dream of doing it and THEN reality hits! LOL Lots of bleeding, blistering toes!!! It's worth it though! Many broken pairs of toe shoes also!

Kim

 

[Manda1219]

I have danced since I was two, professionally since I was 11. There is NO set age as to when a child is ready to go on pointe. It depends on the skill of the child, and how they are physically developed. Going on too soon can be damaging, as can wearing shoes that are the wrong fit.
Also, we were required to attend 3 ballet classes a week in order to take 2 pointe classes. There was also a mandatory warm up off pointe beforehand. (this was until you reached company level).

 

[grinningghost]

My DD went on pointe at age 11, but had been dancing since age 4 and the teacher felt her ankles were strong enough. I don't think there's a specific age, just when the teacher feels the child has developed strong enough legs - ankles especially.