The Parent Toolbox: What you need to know about Pointe shoes

Here it is... our last January post... in February! 

Pointe shoes are an inevitable part of a young ballet dancers training. Some dancers will be given the “okay” by their teachers and some dancers may never reach the stage of getting pointe shoes. Either way, this time in the ballet class is one of change. As a parent of a ballet dancer, pointe shoes may be something completely new to you, or perhaps you have experienced this process before. This article is designed to give you some basic information, all of which the students will be learning in class, to help give you a greater understanding of this process.

To begin with, some students will be selected to begin training on pointe while others are not. This is due to several factors. Age is a big one. As the process of dancing on pointe is very impactful on bones, students are not given permission until they reach an age where their bones are fully formed and less likely to damage. This is around 11-14 years. The second reason is due to strength. Dancing on pointe requires a very specific set of muscles in the feet, these muscles most work in conjunction with the legs and abs, among others. At Pegasus, we require dancers who are interested in going on pointe to take a preparation class. This class is spent doing simple exercises such as a basic rise and lower. Although it may seem like your 12 year old is going back to the 4 year old class, they are actually articulating and building strength in the muscles needed for pointe work. Until these muscles are at a certain level it is dangerous for a dancer to attempt pointe work. The assessment of the teacher of who is ready is perhaps the most important part to keeping dancers safe in the beginning of training on pointe.

The next step will be to purchase a pair of shoes. The fitting of pointe shoes is the second most important part to keeping dancers safe. A shoe that does not fit properly can cause significant damage to the foot. The key to getting the right shoe is going to the right people. Your teacher can point you to the right place and if possible it is ideal that they attend the fitting as well. Shoes should never be too big, growing room means room for the foot to slide around. The reason that a shoe must fit so precisely is that the shoe in fact does quite a bit of the work for the dancer. The box of the shoe (the area that incases the toes) is designed to protect as well as support the toes. This area provides added strength to the toes through its material and tight fit. The shank is another important area. The shank runs along the length of the foot, mirroring the sole on the inside of the shoe. The shank supports the arch of the foot which actually carries a significant part of the weight of the dancer, thus making it a vital part of the shoe. If these, or any of the other features of the shoe, do not fit like a glove, their benefits will be lost, leaving the dancers foot without support.

The decision and opportunity to train on pointe is a big one. It will be a new and often difficult technique for dancers. Remember, what will make a ballet class on pointe a good experience is if the dancer is the right age, they have the proper strength and the right shoe. Pointe shoes are an inevitable part of a young ballet dancers training. Some dancers will be given the “okay” by their teachers and some dancers may never reach the stage of getting pointe shoes. Either way, this time in the ballet class is one of change. As a parent of a ballet dancer, pointe shoes may be something completely new to you, or perhaps you have experienced this process before. This article is designed to give you some basic information, all of which the students will be learning in class, to help give you a greater understanding of this process.

To begin with, some students will be selected to begin training on pointe while others are not. This is due to several factors. Age is a big one. As the process of dancing on pointe is very impactful on bones, students are not given permission until they reach an age where their bones are fully formed and less likely to damage. This is around 11-14 years. The second reason is due to strength. Dancing on pointe requires a very specific set of muscles in the feet, these muscles most work in conjunction with the legs and abs, among others. At Pegasus, we require dancers who are interested in going on pointe to take a preparation class. This class is spent doing simple exercises such as a basic rise and lower. Although it may seem like your 12 year old is going back to the 4 year old class, they are actually articulating and building strength in the muscles needed for pointe work. Until these muscles are at a certain level it is dangerous for a dancer to attempt pointe work. The assessment of the teacher of who is ready is perhaps the most important part to keeping dancers safe in the beginning of training on pointe.

The next step will be to purchase a pair of shoes. The fitting of pointe shoes is the second most important part to keeping dancers safe. A shoe that does not fit properly can cause significant damage to the foot. The key to getting the right shoe is going to the right people. Your teacher can point you to the right place and if possible it is ideal that they attend the fitting as well. Shoes should never be too big, growing room means room for the foot to slide around. The reason that a shoe must fit so precisely is that the shoe in fact does quite a bit of the work for the dancer. The box of the shoe (the area that incases the toes) is designed to protect as well as support the toes. This area provides added strength to the toes through its material and tight fit. The shank is another important area. The shank runs along the length of the foot, mirroring the sole on the inside of the shoe. The shank supports the arch of the foot which actually carries a significant part of the weight of the dancer, thus making it a vital part of the shoe. If these, or any of the other features of the shoe, do not fit like a glove, their benefits will be lost, leaving the dancers foot without support.

The decision and opportunity to train on pointe is a big one. It will be a new and often difficult technique for dancers. Remember, what will make a ballet class on pointe a good experience is if the dancer is the right age, they have the proper strength and the right shoe.