Allegro en pointe

[Marenetha]

In pointe class today, we did a bunch of stuff, some of which I couldn't quite do fully because my shoes are completely new and the boxes are hard, so it just felt weird. However, we were doing sissones en pointe, which were very fun, and which I completely did not know that you could do.

 

I know that you can do changements en pointe - does this mean that you can do everything en pointe?

 

Also - was it that your foot is strong if you never break the shank, but kill the boxes of your pointes first, or is it that it's weak if it acts like that? (I'm pretty sure it's the first, but not entirely - that's what I do, and I think that I have strong feet.)

 

Also, developpes en releve - is there any adjustment that you should do from working on demi? I'm pretty sure that there isn't, but I do know that some steps do require weight held differently - I just want to make sure.

 

Last (I promise this is the last!) if pointe class is including 90 million pirouettes, developpes, piques, chainees, soutenus, beginning work for fouette turns (no turning - just working on the preparations), emboites, normal pique / bouree stuff, and seemingly endless work on controlling the shoe from little developpes to the ground, around what level of pointework is that? (I mean beginning, intermediate, advanced. I know little about that which I haven't learned.)

 

Thanks!

 

ahr

[Mel Johnson]

Well, let's see, I would hate to see a grand jeté entrelacé done all on pointe, but I imagine it's possible, and I think that a tour en l'air just can't be done on pointe (the tour itself - the preparation and landing can be)

 

If you don't break the shanks, that's good! It's one of the trademarks of a strong foot that doesn't mush down into the shoe and rely on it too much.

 

As to developpé en pointe, there isn't much difference between pointe and demi-pointe, but there is that additional inch or so.... So the balance is subtly different.

 

The level of the class from the content you describe would seem to be a beginning/intermediate level class on a scale of all dancers.

[Marenetha]

Wow. I was thinking small allegro, but ... wow. That could look interesting.

 

I've been en pointe for slightly under a year - is this about where I should be at this time, or am I behind?

[Mel Johnson]

Depending on how well you execute the class material, I'd say that you were either at or slightly ahead of the usual curve for that length of study.

[Marenetha]

Ah. Well, that's good - although I think I'm falling more closely to the at than the slightly ahead.