Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 11/18/2009

Question
Dear Dianne,

I write to you beacause I'm a bit confused. I'm 15 years old and I have been danceing for 4 months in biginner classes for adults and teens. I'm quite flexible (I can do the splits and such) and lean (1,64m tall and I weigh 47,5 kg). My teacher says that it looks like I've danced far longer than I have. Because of this she is putting me en pointe as the only one in my class!
Well my problem is that I'm not sure what this means? Am I now good enough to join a class where the other girls are en pointe too, but have had a lot longer time to learn the steps?.. I really want to get into the more advanced classes, but I don't think I'm good enough for that...

Kind regards
Mathilde

PS: You possibly think that my teacher is wrong about me going en pointe, but I've been working my butt of the get where I am now ;)

PPS: One final question... How high is the leg supposed to go in developpe to the back?.. I can only get i 90 degrees over the floor...

Answer
Hi Mathilde.

I cannot see you dance, but can imagine that if you are slim and flexible, it is very easy for you to "look the part" of a ballet student who has trained for longer than you have.

The general guidelines for putting students into pointe shoes is three years of training, with three classes a week in the past year. Naturally, less training for some, and more for others.

If your teacher is having you do basic press ups, releves and echappes in pointe shoes, and is satisfied with your posture, turnout and strength with these basic movements, it is likely that you can work with this way with no injury at some pointe.

If you are doing movements on pointe that have not been strengthened off pointe, then there is risk of injury.

And of course taking a class a day makes a difference in your progress than once a week.

So I am just talking about variables here, but really have no concrete answer to your question.

You can test yourself if you get The Perfect Pointe Book. It is a download that you can get at

http://www.linkbrander.com/go/70655

which takes you directly to the author's, Lisa Howell's site.

This manual tells you how to test your strength for different foot muscles, and more, and also gives you home practice routines to do to build strength in exactly the way you need it for dancing in pointe shoes. It provides progress charts and photos and video footage.

It will help you review your ballet technique in all the basic areas as you train. I recommend you use this as a marker for your advancement. (I think every ballet student should). Since you are being pushed ahead in an unusual manner, knowing an exact method of strengthening will give you a safety net.

I think any ballet teacher answering this question would have reservations about you getting into pointe shoes after 4 months of ballet.....

As for your arabesque, or extension to the back, it sounds like you are in the wrong alignment if you can do the splits yet cannot lift your leg above 90 degrees. It should be easy for you to get it much higher.

Deborah Vogel is a dance expert who has written a book exclusively on arabesque. If you go to
http://www.balletshoesandpointeshoes.blogspot.com/

and scroll down the left side, you'll see a lovely arabesque photo - click on it and you'll get to the site showing her books. It is not expensive, and solves the mystique of doing a beautiful arabesque correctly.

I hope you enjoy researching this way - you can potentially get some good results with this expert dance education.

All the best, Dianne