Ballet Pointe Shoes - Ballet Teachers and Starting Pointe

by Jacqueline
(America)

Ballet Pointe Shoes - Ballet Teachers and Starting Pointe

Hi Odette it's me again. Sorry I've been bugging you so much lately.Yesterday after my hour long ballet III class my mom talked to my ballet teacher asking her if I should stay in ballet III even throughout next semester and not do ballet IV and my ballet tecaher said yes and that I was right where she wanted me to be. I felt absolutely devastated I can't even begin to tell you. I cried the entire night that when I woke up this morning I had giant circles under my eyes. I thought that at least I would be able to do ballet IV, but no being able to do pointe or balletIV?!! My teacher did tell my mom and I that I made sooo much progress in just the few weeks I was there just watching me as I stand by the barre, but I'm still so upset. I feel like those three years I spent at that recreational dance studio was SUCH a waste of my time. Looking back tehre are SOOO many things about ballet i would have done differently. I would have started ballet at least one year earlier (at age 8), I would have danced at my current ballet school all along, or I at LEAST would have always done 2-3 ballet classes a week even while I was starting out. Now, at this rate I most likely won't go en pointe until I'm 13 and the summer going into 8th grade and I feel like that's SOOOOOOOO old. I've heard of dancers who go en pointe when they're in 5th grade!! It breaks my heart because I had made so many wonderful plans right after I got my pointe shoes in January like to audition for summer intensives at the Joffery Ballet in Chicago or Milwaukee Ballet or even for good experience the Boston Ballet, but now I feel like all my hopes and dreams have been crushed. I know no school will look at a 12 or 13 year old who hasn't had any good pointe experience yet. I'm even considering continuing at my wonderful current ballet school while also asking a local dance school if they would just let me do a beginining pointe technique class starting in January for like 30-45 minutes or asking a private teacher to give me a 30 min-45 min. private pointe class. I don't know because I'm not sure if they would let me start pointe. There's no reason I see , however, why I'm not en pointe yet. Oh well I'm going to see what to do. I'll keep you posted ad if there's an advice you can give me it would AMAZING!!! Thank you SOOOOOOOOO much, Odette you always help me a TON.

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Reply by Odette
To:- Ballet Pointe Shoes - Ballet Teachers and Starting Pointe

Hello Jacqueline,

Thank you for keeping me in touch, you know I am always here to guide you. Firstly, I feel for how upset you are and I understand how you are feeling. However, you must try to turn these thoughts around and remain positive.

The good news is your teacher thinks you have progressed and this is fantastic. You are a talented young dancer with great ambition and you know what you want. It is easy to think about what you would have done, or what you would have changed about your past, but you must move forward and think about what you still can do in the future. It sounds like you had a great plan ahead of you, and I still think it is a good idea to audition for summer intensives. Even the experience of auditioning holds a worthy opportunity and if you are lucky enough to pass, you will learn so much from the intensive during the summer.

I understand you really want to start pointe, and does your teacher give you a reason why you can not start pointe yet? Or when it is likely you can start? Perhaps she still wants you to improve or strengthen in a certain area, but it is beneficial to find out the reason so you can work to improve it.

Best wishes,

Odette


ps. To become the best dancer you can be, learn the Seven Secrets ..... go to my 'Seven Secrets of Ballet' page