For our series Ask A Dance Teacher, we asked ballet teacher Johanna Hadley some common questions about ballet training.
Our question was, “At what age should ballet dancers begin pointe work?” As well as, “What age should you get pointe shoes?”, “Can children wear pointe shoes?” and “Can starting pointe training too young damage the feet?”
Johanna says:
These questions get asked many times! Firstly, it’s important to understand that dancing on pointe is not a rite of passage, where all children go on pointe at a set age – there are many more aspects to consider.
Although most teachers use age 11 or 12 as a guide, there are nuances to this. The first thing to explain is probably the reason behind this age guidance.
There is no ‘best age’ to start pointework
When children are growing, their bonesare soft. When a young child falls, instead of the bone breaking, it usuallyjust bends. This is called a greenstick fracture. The same thing happens when achild goes on pointe when they are too young – their bones bend. Unlike aone-off fall, the prolonged and repeated nature of pointe tuition means thisputs the child at risk of serious foot problems when they are older causingirreversible damage. These problems are often painless when the child isyounger and students are able to dance quite happily in pointe shoes, but theproblems present themselves when the dancer is older.
When a child reaches around 11 or 12years old, their bones start to harden. This means that their bones arestarting to become strong enough to withstand their body weight on the end oftheir toes in pointe shoes without causing any changes to the shapes of thebones. The growth plate between the bones also begin to close up. Having saidthis, the type of pointe work performed by an 11 or 12 year old is vastlydifferent to that of a 16 or 17 year old. At 11 or 12, pointe work should onlybe basic steps like rises, courus, basic relevé at the barre. It certainly shouldnot be full solos or demanding sequences.
It’s important to remember that delayingpointe work does not affect a child’s progress – they will always catch up withtheir peers. What will affect progress, however, is rushing a child on pointetoo young and when they are not ready, which could result in future injuries.These injuries could even prevent them from achieving their dream of dancingprofessionally.
Considering the child’s growth for pointe work
Think of an average academic Year 7 classwith children who are age 11 and 12. There can be some children whose physicaldevelopment is still that of a 9 or 10 year old whereas some children will havealready started puberty and are as tall as adults. So when a child is around 11or 12, it’s best to speak with your dance teacher and ask them where theyconsider your child’s skeletal development and about their readiness for pointework. If there is any doubt, you can go for an x-ray which determines howdeveloped a child’s bones are and their readiness for pointe.
Other factors to consider for pointe workreadiness
A factor to consider is how many balletclasses a week the student is taking. Pointe work shouldn’t be taken on bystudents who only take one ballet class per week because of the strength andtechnique required. The maturity of the student is also a significant factor aspointe work isn’t comfortable – you need to be sensible, focused in classes anddetermined. A slip of focus in class can easily result in injury.
The level of commitment from the studentshould also be taken into account. Are they a dancer who attends class one dayand then misses the next two? A teacher should also look at how many years astudent has been dancing for and the standard of their dancing. Pointe workisn’t normally started until just before or during training for vocational grades(usually Grade 5/Intermediate Foundation). Vocational examinations with all themajor ballet exam boards are the first time that pointe work is examined. Itneeds many years of good training to reach vocational standard. Teachers oftenget students to take pre-pointe classes and wear soft pointe shoes for aminimum of six months before pointe work is considered, in order to strengthenthe feet and prepare the students for the demands of pointe work. The core, legand foot strength of the dancer needs to be reviewed.
I find it deeply worrying when I hear ofdance schools that promise pointe work to all students in the class when theyreach a certain age. Parents and students should never be offended if otherstudents are told that they can go on pointe but their child can’t – this isactually a sign of a caring teacher who is thinking about the longevity oftheir student’s dancing. Most dance teachers now use pointe assessments so thatdancers can clearly see which areas need improvement before they can go onpointe. This can help the teacher, student and parent look practically at thesituation, rather than it feeling like favouritism with the ‘chosen’ dancersgoing on pointe first.
Remember that feet are for a lifetime and need to extend well past the length of a dancer’s career.
Pointe safety resources
A useful resource for guidance about thesafety and risks of pointe work is the International Association of DanceMedicine and Science (IADMS):https://iadms.org/media/2945/iadms-bulletin-vol6n1.pdf
Johanna Hadley
Johanna Hadley is a fully qualified dance teacher at the Janet Lomas School of Dancing in Bury, Lancashire.
She regularly teaches children from beginner to advanced levels, with students gaining places at some of the UK’s top full-time ballet schools.
Her Silver Swans® ballet class have been widely featured on TV, radio and in national newspapers.
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