Ballet pointe shoes - Am I ready? Should I Ask My Ballet Teacher?

Ballet pointe shoes - Am I ready? Should I Ask My Ballet Teacher?

Hi :) I'm 15 years old and have been dancing for about 1 year and a half now,I take different disciplines of dance but ballet is by far my favourite.i was put In at grade 5 for ballet to begin and have worked on my flexibility so that I am easily in all of my splits,I know that I am probably to old to go into being a professional ballet dancer but I really want to build strong technique to get a better chance in being in theatre.
I'm absolutely desperate to go onto point as I really want to try to get a basic skill level on them,but I feel really stupid asking my teacher because of how little time I have trained in ballet i do pre point exercises every night at home and I'm fairly strong but I was wondering is it stupid/impolite to ask my teacher if I can start point?
Also I was wondering what' are the best exercises to increase turnout ?
Thankyou :)

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Reply by Odette
To:- Ballet pointe shoes - Am I ready? Should I Ask My Ballet Teacher?


Remember, just like I did before I went en pointe, ballet students MUST take responsibility for their own strengthening prior to beginning pointe work.
Australian dancer, Lisa Howell has made a video which explains how pre-point strengthening works.
Don't leave it to your teacher!
You can watch this pre-pointe video
yourself here (just wait for the page to load up then the video is on the top right of the page).

Hi,
Thank you for your message, it's great to hear form you. It sounds like you are very dedicated to ballet and it's really important to remember this passion, as it will drive your energy and help you progress as much as possible! In my opinion, it is a smart idea to ask your teacher about pointe and when is realistic for you to start. It's good for her to know you are interested so she can be focused on helping you improve to be ready for pointe. Even if you're not ready just yet, it is a goal you can work towards together and it shows initiative to ask her. I always liked to communicate my teachers, even if I felt nervous to talk to them at first, it builds a good relationship with them and shows you that they are there to help.

If you look at the video above, Australian dancer, Lisa Howell has made a video which explains how pre-point strengthening works. I would recommend you listening to the advice given here, as Lisa Howell gives some superb tips for pre pointe.

Also, take a look at this page for my tips to improve your turnout -

Tips for turn out

Keep in touch!

Best wishes,
Odette