Pointe work is a very advanced step in ballet, and usually, girls start around age 11-13. However, girls who are as young as eight years old (in the USA at least) do begin to try pointe ballet shoes. A professional Company Teacher will usually recommend girls to start pointe work around the ages of 11-13 for girls who have been properly trained in ballet since a very early age. Ideally, girls should understand their centre, turnout, and tendu before going en pointe. Some girls may not feel ready to go en pointe until their late teens.
Many have been dancing en pointe when girls go en pointe in their girls dance shoes for quite a while before going onto full pointe. So, girls can dance demi-pointe and sometimes even full-pointe (reaching the toe cap of the pointe shoe) at a much younger age than 11 years old. This takes a great deal of strength, balance, coordination, flexibility, and proper technique to accomplish.
How to actually determine whether your child is ready for Pointe Ballet
Parents or teachers can help girls determine if they are ready for pointe by looking at their body development. Girls should have strong backs and lift their legs to develop strong ankles and calf muscles. Girls need good flexibility and endurance for dance.
The girls’ age, size, and level of ballet training should also be factored in when girls decide if they are ready for pointe work. As girls grow, they will increase the strength needed to perform en pointe. Girls must actually have a minimum of two years of training in ballet before they begin pointe work. The girls’ body should be at least as tall as her age, and girls should have a strong core, in fact, to maintain proper body alignment when en pointe.
When is the right time to buy your little dancer pointe shoes?
Every dancer will have different ideas on when to purchase dance shoes. Some girls will wear girls dance shoes from a very young age. Some girls have worn their dance shoes for years before they start to use them en pointe.
As with dance shoes, every dancer will have a different preference on girls’ shoe fit and girls’ shoe feel. The shoes that are used en pointe also have a much stiffer box and sole, so they will not bend to the foot’s shape as normal dance shoes. This means it is much harder to break girls’ shoes without causing damage. Pointe shoes are made in a variety of materials, including canvas and satin. Pointe shoes should fit snugly around the toes and should be well-broken in to ensure pointe shoes that use in point the dancer’s foot are secure enough for dance techniques such as en pointe or relief. That is the reason why you should ask a professional dance store or a teacher what type of girls’ shoes they recommend for girls. Some girls may want girls’ shoes that use en pointe, but then girls want girls’ shoe comfort.
Mothers should buy dance shoes for girls at any age when girls are ready to use ballet shoes en pointe. Hence, your daughter’s dance shoes that use en pointe can be purchased at any time, but it is also advised to wait until your daughter has sufficient strength and flexibility in her feet before wearing ballet dance shoes that use en pointe. It is better to prevent weak muscles in the feet by purchasing dance shoes that use pointe at an early stage rather than suffering from problems later.
