Friend going en pointe with very little training..

[Guest jane]

I could really do with some help, paricularly from the ballet teachers and most experienced dancers.

 

A good friend of mine does modern and tap dancing currently, and did ballet classes from a young age, about 4, until she was 9 or 10. She is now 15. I was thrilled when she said she would be taking up ballet again, as I dont have anybody to talk about it with, and I encouraged her to do so. She started at a brand new school doing RAD grade 5 once a week (she had left off at Checceti grade 4). This seemed great and she was enjoying it.

 

However, the new school really messed her about so she decided to take ballet at the school were she does her modern and tap, and where she did ballet when she was younger. I have been at this school recently, with the same teacher, and really thought badly of the school. The class was very un-motivated and undisciplined, the instruction was not brilliant and it was only one class a week all the way up the school, unless you were coming up for an exam (the results of which were poor, might I add.)

 

Anyqway, my friend decided to start ballet at this school instead, where she does the tap and modern-and after only 3 lessons after a 5 year break from ballet- the teacher at the school is putting her into the elementary class.....and on pointe! With classes only once a week! This really sets alarm bells ringing! She asked the teachert if it was really ok to do this, and the teracher assured her that as she had done other dance forms for so long she would be fine.

 

From everything I have read, here and in books, and heard from my own dance school (which insists on a minimum of 3 classes a week before you are allowed on pointe) this is not a good or safe way of going about ballet. I feel that I should tell my friend how it could be dangerous, but it would involve badmouthing a school she is very loyal to. Also, as I myself am about to go en pointe I hope she will not feel I simply do not want her to progress. I know that even if she is cross with me it would be important to tell her what I think, I wonder if you could confirm for me whether or not my feeling is right about this, and also give me some information on the subject so that I can show her that it is true.

 

I just really worry that her dreams of choreographing, and teaching, could be thwarted by a bad training (three lessons and she's going en pointe)! argh, please help!

[Victoria Leigh]

Jane, probably not a great idea to say anything, but you might be able to make sure she has some knowledge by either introducing her to Ballet Alert! Online, or, perhaps print out the Sticky entitled Facts of Life About Pointe Work. It is on the Pointe Shoe forum, also here on YD, and on the parents board.

[Guest jane]

Thankyou very much for your advice Ms Leigh-as ever very sound, I will definitrly take that to heart.