Ballet Pointe Shoes - En Pointe After Sprained Ankle?

by Jaelle
(Healy, AK, USA)

Ballet Pointe Shoes - En Pointe After Sprained Ankle?

Hi Odette!
I sprained my ankle the day after Christmas and a week after I got my first pair of pointe shoes. It doesn't hurt at all after ten weeks. But when do you think I can go en pointe? I'm absolutely crushed! I KNOW I will end up having a dance related career. But everything is going wrong! I live in a small town in Alaska (so small the only dance studio is in the teachers garage/studio), I'm 13 and my parents said they refuse to pay for dance so I am paying nearly $7,000. Help!?

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Reply by Odette
To:- Ballet Pointe Shoes - En Pointe After Sprained Ankle?

Hi Jaelle,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me, it’s great to hear from you. To start with, these things happen! Ballet dancers DO get injuries or hurt themselves, even though it is the one thing you try to avoid. Yet you have to do your best to let it heal, strengthen it up again and push forward to get even stronger.

I know it could feel like a setback, but do everything you can now to make that ankle better so in the long term it won’t be so much of an issue.

You need to be cautious when starting pointe work, especially because of your ankle. First, you need to be absolutely sure your ankle is not only healed but back to the same strength in your usual ballet class on flat shoes. It’s no good jumping straight to pointe work if the strength isn’t there.

I would give yourself time and be patient, but also talk to your teacher about pointe work. It would be really good to see a physiotherapist to give you strengthening exercises and help manage your ankle, but I know that might be hard to find.

If you parents really do refuse, then you need to try to find a solution if you really want to dance. Can you find sponsors? Can you help your parents so that they are willing to pay? Can you ask any other members of your family? I know it’s hard to find enough money for classes, but you need to think outside the box and win your parents approval for you to pursue what you want.

Let me know your thoughts and keep in touch.

Best wishes,
Odette