Expert: Jennifer - 6/3/2006

Question
hello im lucy and im desperate to go on pointe shoes. my dance teacher thinks that we are not ready, that my ballet isnt as advanced as it needs to be but then she and the panel are always complementing my 'grown up adn eleant style ... please help what can i do myself to make my ballet just that much better.

lucy 13,  

Answer
I can tell you exactly what you can do -- talk to your teacher about the specific things that you need to work on to be ready for pointework. You may have very elegant style, but you may also have weak ankles that you need work on strengthening, incorrect posture, or sickled feet -- whatever the issue or issues may be, you'll need to correct it before you can safely begin your pointework.

Just make sure that your teacher knows how desperate you are to earn your pointe shoes -- and ask her exactly what you need to do to get there!