My First pair of pointe shoes

by Kayla
(Sydney, Australia)

My First pair of ballet pointe shoes:- Hey girls! This is my little story of how i reached my dream of pointes.

I had never danced before, i was quote nervous and still to this day have not taken a class.

I was 18 when i developed a passion for ballet. Quite bizarre seeing as though no one in my family had any interest in dance.

So i tried and tried to find dancing classes near me,. i tried for 6 months. Just when i nearly gave up on my dreams, i looked up on google, and youtube, and found ways to strenghten my ankles, after 6 months- 1 year of this i brought my first pair of pointe shoes, little by little every day i would releve, after 6 months of increasing my turn out, i could successfully do every move they tried on youtube.

Eventually, i learned to pirouette, it was tough, but girls, it is possible.

I can now walk from one end of the room to the other, i make breakfast in pointes, and, i am even going to walk the aisle on pointes!!

It was probably bad for my ankles, but i see a physiotherapist regularly and they are fine, i guess i took it slowly, and my body kept up with the training!

Keep on it girls,
anything is possible!!

(although, i do NOT recommend this for anyone else, chances are you won't be training your ankles properly..)

Kayla XX

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Reply by Odette

To:- My First pair of pointe shoes

Hey Kayla

Lovely little insight to your determination and love for ballet.

When you say anything is possible, you are right. There are many different ways to succeed - it doesn't just have to be the conventional way - although its often a good idea to get an experienced teacher or physio to check your safe development.

I was a gymnast before I went into ballet. I was a bit too slim to go into the top level of gymnastics (not strong enough on the upper body). I loved the floor routines and so ballet seemed the way for me to express myself!

I never looked back.

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).

Come on girls, let's hear more of your stories like Kayla.

Kayla, are you dancing now? - tell us more, we are all interested.

Just do another submission (part 2) - as many as you like.

Odette