Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 1/24/2008

Question
How old should a child be when starting pointe work in ballet is there a set age.  My daughter is nearly 12 is at Grade 2 and has recently been doing some work on pointe and has just purchased her first pair of pointe shoes.  I have heard from other people that this may be too young, I am concerned in case she causes any damage to her feet or legs.

Answer
Hi Nicola. Generally the guide is this: a student should have taken three years of ballet, and at least three times a week in the past year. There are exceptions of course, but this is a good guide.
Strength and accuracy of technique is extremely important for pointe work. Yes, some damage can be done to the growth plates of the bones if a student is not strong enough for pointe work.

Dance medicine specialists recommend that you see a physiotherapist who is experienced with ballet, for an assessment. There is also a book available by a dance medicine specialist that provides self-assessment, in great detail, for dance students, and also week-by-week routines for strengthening the feet/legs/ankles for pointe work. She asks $47.77 US for the book, which you download from her at:
http://www.linkbrander.com/go/54727

It's a wonderful manual with photos, anatomy details, and I recommend it to advanced and pre-pointe students. Any dancer could refer to it at any stage of training.

Also, your daughter, if she likes, could read my articles and blog articles at http://www.theballetstore.com There are lots of detailed technical exercises for strengthening the feet also. She needs to get a user ID for the site to log in and read it all, and it's a no-cost site for that.

If you can get the book, you'll see that the self-assessment is accurate - any student can tell if she meets the criteria or not. And if not, all the routines she needs are outlined with progress charts. If your daughter is serious about dance, she will love it, because she'll be able to get as strong as she needs to be and she'll have excellent technique!

All the best, Dianne