Expert: treivilo - 3/11/2010

Question
hi ummmm my question is well me and i friend wanted to do ballet and we did colorguard together for two years and i'm 17 and she's 16 is it to late to start classes and get into pointe shoes?

Answer
Hello Katia,

First of all, thanks a lot for your question.

You've been taking colorguard for 2 years, and would now like to start ballet and, eventually, take pointe shoes lessons.

Having taken those 2 years of colorguarding, I am pretty sure you have acquired a real choreographic and body placement habit, which is a very good starting point for ballet. You will probably have to forget the steps you've learnt and the way of moving in colorguard, as ballet steps and moves are a bit different.

Now, about pointe shoes. There are no reasons that, within a few years (usually 2 to 5 years), you may be able to dance en pointe. But keep in mind that you can be a wonderful ballerina without pointe shoes, despite the fact that pointe shoes dancing is an initiatic rite in ballet dancing, and a part of the learning path, it is not an achievement.

What is the most important is that you enjoy what you do, dancing is the best part of the ballet, with or without pointe shoes. In any case, do not try to learn pointe shoes by yourself, talk about your wish to do take pointe shoes lessons to your ballet teacher, he/she will be able to explain you the learning path to get there, and you will have all cards in hands to get there.

Enjoy dancing,

Olivier