Colin Peasley, The Australian Ballet’s Education Manager and in-house raconteur, answers all your ballet questions.
“How long does it take for a dancer to get up on pointe?”
Caitlin, 9
Dear Caitlin,
When I first joined The Australian Ballet in 1962, it was considered normal for female dancers to have misshapen feet from pointe work – luckily this is no longer the case. We now know that if a student is correctly prepared for dancing on pointe then foot problems will be rare.
Correct preparation is the key consideration. A student will have been taking at least two ballet classes a week and will have gained strength in her calf and ankle, her abdomen and lower back and she will have learnt to plié and relevé correctly while maintaining turn-out. Most importantly, she will have learned to hold her body so that the weight is lifted off the feet with straight knees and perfect balance.
This moment arrives at different times for each student, not only because of the amount of training they have had but also because of their physical type including their bone age. For this reason it is imperative that a student consult their teacher before buying their first pair of pointe shoes. At The Australian Ballet School no student is given pointe work until age 12 and then only with 15 minutes of exercises at the end of each class.
So, Caitlin you have a few years yet before you discover the joys of dancing on pointe. In the meantime, remember that dance does not injure feet, misuse does.
Colin
You can email your ballet questions to Colin at hello@behindballet.com
Dear Colin,
I am 14 years old and I have danced for 11 years and went onto Pointe last year. I was told that my feet were to wide for Bloch pointes so I was given Sansha’s. In the year that I have had them they just don’t seem to be doing anything for my feet, they do not bend when I point them and I am not able to go all the way over onto Pointe even when I am in 5th position. My dance teacher has told me that they are the wrong type for my feet and that I need Sansha Split Soles. I have had a look at these on the internet and seen other people use them and they look like they would be right for my feet. I was just wondering if you would be able to tell me of any other brands that are suited for people with wide feet?
And also if you have anything that would help to strenghten my feet to be able to hold myself en pointe for longer?
Thanks Chelsea