Scared to go en pointe?
first of all, my mom is determined to get me en pointe when I don't have permission from my dance teachers. I've told her so many times that I don't want to get in trouble and she's still forcing me to. second of all, I am so intimidated by pointe shoes because they are so big and hard. my friend told me that the first thing she noticed on pointe is that it hurts. I want to go on pointe, but then I don't. help!
Help with straightening legs en pointe?
Th truth is you are just not really strong enough for pointe work yet if you cannot straighten your knees and get on your box. It is good you are taking extra ballet technique classes. Other genre doesn't really help with this. I suggest you work with a theraband for your feet and add some pilates to strengthen your legs and core. I have no idea how long you have been training prior to going en pointe. However, for a recreational dancer you need at least three consecutive years of taking three 90 minute classes a week in order to begin to be ready for pointe. For someone looking for a career it takes much more training as they are held to a higher standard before going en pointe. In order to be ready for pointe work you need strong feet, ankles, legs and core along with balance and the ability to engage and hold your turnout without sickling. Most important is strong ballet technique. There are no short cuts for that. You have to put in the time and work,
Does walking in releve help prepare for pointe shoes?
Walking in demi pointe will not help as much as you may think. If you are working to be on pointe you need to do lots and lots of releves. You can always ask your teacher for exercises you can do at home. I suggest doing as many releves in first, second, fourth, and fifth as possible. When you are doing these releves make sure you are turned out, your legs are straight, you are not sickling, you are way up on the balls of your feet, and you are balancing on your second toe. If releves are no longer challenging, try releves with one foot in coupe in all positions. If you are really determined to get en pointe I suggest taking a pre-pointe class. You will work on lots of exercises to strengthen your ankles which you can practice at home. I suggest you purchase a theraband because it will help improve your arch and even strengthen your ankles. They sell them at dance stores and even fitness stores. They look like elastic strings. Here are some sources to help you out: http://www.dance.net/topic/2211620/1/Pointe-General/3-exercises-to-strengthen-arches-ankles-and-feet-ANIMATED.html http://ezinearticles.com/?Use-of-the-Theraband-For-Ballet-Shoes-and-Pointe-Shoes&id=1598073 Best of luck!
Ankle strengthening exercises for ballet?
I had the same question you did when I was preparing for pointe. Let me start off by saying that pointe does takes lots of strength so please work very hard at it, because it really pays off. Okay, off to the tips! I suggest getting a thera-band (http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3410/3266873638_8ec783c225.jpg&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/megasaurus/3266873638/&usg=__4MNLo5nH0Xh33uVtQDtAR_tWrB0=&h=334&w=500&sz=62&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=RyxewRpyYvZgaM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=139&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpics%2Bof%2Bballet%2Btherabands%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSHB_ENUS406%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D597%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=858&vpy=169&dur=1326&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=137&ty=91&ei=kNDxTKnDM-LsnQfuiPSZCg&oei=kNDxTKnDM-LsnQfuiPSZCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0). These will help strengthen your ankles and also your feet. Next I would go up on releve 50 times and on the 51st time hold it and go another 50. It sounds like a lot of work, and don't get me wrong, it is. But pointe requires very strong and mature calf muscles. These releves with help with that. Also try floor points. Sit on the floor (must be a hard flat surface) and put your legs in front of you. Keeping your legs very straight point your feet down as hard as you can. You can even have someone push your feet down for you. This will most likely give a cramp in your foot but that's what's supposed to happen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NXY-oIBCO4&feature=related Hope this helped, and good luck with ballet in the future! -Babysitter
What is the quickest way to get pointe shoes in ballet?
I’m going to assume you mean to ask what is the quickest path to becoming ready to wear pointe shoes. You must be extremely strong in your core, ankles, and glutes before you can even consider wearing pointe shoes. How old are you? Most intensive dancers do not begin wearing pointe shoes until they are 10–12 years old. Before that, your bones are not fully developed yet and you are at more risk for deformity and injury.Do Theraband exercises. I recommend point, flex, turn in, and turn out exercises. Google each of those followed by “theraband” if you don't know what they are, and you will see the correct way to do them. Also do one-legged relevés on each side without plié to strengthen the feet (3 sets of 10–15 is good).Strength is only one part of the equation. You have to also have enough technique to support yourself on such a tiny square area. Your teacher should be monitoring and correcting you during class. When you are on relevé, your ankle should be lined up over your toes without rolling in or sickling out. Your standing leg should be completely straight and pulled up. If you are having issues with either one of these, you should work on having them down instinctually before advancing to pointe.When you are ready for pointe you will have to go get a shoe fitting. Talk to your teacher about the shoe they think would be best for you. Get a fitting at a dance store and try several different styles. The person helping you should be knowledgeable about correct fits.Once you are on pointe you will have to start with a lot of barre work. It will be a while before you can advance to center or variations. Don't get discouraged and remember that everything is about strength and technique when you are starting out, both of which your teacher will help you work on. In the meantime, get cracking on those Theraband exercises!
How do I practice a ballet on my own at home if I'm in the pre-pointe class, and what are some steps to do?
My teachers always told us not to practice steps at home while taking pre-pointe. However, there are at-home exercises you can do with and without a resistance band.Without a TheraBand:8 raise and lowers each in parallel, first, second, fourth, and fifth8 raise and lowers each leg, with one leg in coupéSit in straight-leg stretch, flex and pointe slowly, eight timesStraight-leg stretch, circle your feet one way eight times, then the other way eight timesGo into demi-plié, slowly roll up to demi-pointe, slowly straighten your legs and hold for 3 seconds and lower with straight legs. Repeat 8 times in parallel, first, second, and fifth.The above exercise, but in reverse, starting in demi-pointe with straight legs and bending into a plié (still on demi-pointe), then slowly lowering off demi-pointe keeping legs bend, then slowly straightening your legs. Repeat 8 times in parallel, first, second, and fifth.With a TheraBand:Sit in straight-leg and put the band around the ball of your foot, use the resistance as you move through flex, demi, and pointe; eight times each footSit in straight-leg and wrap the band all the way around your foot, where the ball is, and pointe. Pull your foot into a sickled position and try moving your foot against the band’s pull by only moving your ankle and foot, not the whole leg, repeat eight times each leg.Stay in the same position, but this time pull your foot into a winged position and try moving it back against the band, once more only moving your ankle and foot, eight times each leg.You could also do the standing exercises with light ankle weights (I wouldn’t recommend more than 3lbs starting off).
If I start ballet now, how long till I can do pointe?
As others have said, it varies.The most important thing is making sure your body is ready, particularly your feet and ankles.Going en pointe causes a huge amount of stress on your body. It is your instructor’s job to make sure you are ready for it.Factors in going en pointe:Strength. Not just in your feet and ankles. Yes, that is very important, but you need to be able to stay en pointe. A large amount of leg and core strength goes into balancing in pointe shoes.Technique. With improper technique you can damage your body for the rest of your life. Your instructor needs to be confident you are in the correct alignment at all times and will be able to sustain being en pointe. Alignment goes through your whole body. Is your head in line with your shoulders? Are your shoulders aligned with your hips? Are your hips square? Are your hips aligned with your knees? Are your knees aligned with your ankles? Are your ankles sickled, straight, or pronated? Are your ankles aligned with your toes? If you don’t show that you are in alignment, your instructor cannot in good faith put you en pointe.Age. If you are too young, you will not be going on pointe until your body is ready. Trust your instructor when they tell you you are or are not ready. Going en pointe too soon can ruin your body. If you have health issues, a certain body type, or are older, you might never go en pointe. It’s hard to hear that, but again it is up to your instructor to decide.Body. Certain people cannot go on pointe. Whether it is your bone structure or your feet, for certain people it is just too dangerous. If your foot cannot bend enough to get on the box of the shoe, it is incredibly dangerous to dance.Dedication. This will vary by studio but many instructors will not put you en pointe unless they know you will work at it. The only way to improve the first two bullet points is through dedication.I danced from the time I was little and had to go through a year of pre-pointe before I could get pointe shoes. If you are just starting, you will have to first learn the basics of ballet, then start learning more advanced techniques while preparing your feet. Depending on how fast you learn and your aptitude, it could be anywhere from less than a year to five or more.I hope this helped!
While en pointe, are the toes straight or curled?
You pointe your toes, although you don't curl them or straighten them because it will damage your muscles and tendons on the top of your foot if you curl them, and it is very hard to balance, and hard on your ankles with straight toes.
How does ballet pointe damage children's bodies?
Here are some articles on pointe work and/or dance injuries for you to read. Expert dance advice: "Facts of Life about Pointe Work" by Victoria Leigh http://dancers.invisionzone.com/index.ph... When to Move to Pointe: DanceTutors http://www.dancetutors.co.uk/WhenToMoveT... Dance Medicine articles: Harkness Dance Medicine Head Urges Clinicians to Prepare for the "High School Musical 2" Generation http://www.ciaomed.org/articles.cfm?arti... International Association for Dance Medicine & Science The Challenge of the Adolescent Dancer http://www.iadms.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=1 "When Can I Start Pointe Work?" by David S. Weiss, M.D. http://orthodoc.aaos.org/davidsweiss/when_can_I_start_pointe.pdf