Nine yr. old on pointe

[Guest Mollieochie]

My friend went to the Rock School for their summer program, and was in level 3x. There was a nine year old in his class (He refered to her as a child prodigy, because most girls and boys in that level he said were 12, 13, and 14) he said that she went on pointe when she was seven. So obviously she is really, really amazing. But, I was just curious whether it is safe for a seven year old to go on pointe? I mean, don't you have to wait for your bones to be strong enough, no matter how great you are?

Edited August 8, 2004 by Mollieochie

[Mel Johnson]

It's a really, really lousy idea for a student to go on pointe before her skeleton has reached a development age of 11.5 years. Only your pediatrician knows for sure when that is!

[Guest littlegelsey7]

OMG....well she is really lucky to have so much talent but that is really scary about her being on pointe...she may be amazing but she will probably wreck her feet before she can have a career. Im suprised the Rock School allowed that...they are a really good school...but i guess they couldnt really take her off pointe.

[Mel Johnson]

Mollie's original post didn't make it clear whether this student worked on pointe at Rock or not. I would rather tend to doubt it. You have to read carefully when dealing with second- or third-hand information. This is third-hand. Mollie reported (first hand) that a fellow student told her (second hand) that a student had said that she was on pointe at seven (third hand).

[Guest imadancer]

WOW!! our director doesn't even consider putting anyone on pointe untill 12 or 13 !! She freaked when she heard that another studio in the area had let a 9 yr. old on pointe but as Mr. Johnson said, I guess this is 3rd hand info

[Mel Johnson]

You are so right! Being in the History business, I have to face this issue all the time. What is the reliability of the data before me? It can be strange. The accounts of the same incident by someone involved, someone who witnessed, and someone you KNOW for sure wasn't there can be dizzying in how different they all are. You should hear Benedict Arnold's explanation of what HE did!

[thedriver]

Hello, knocking on your door. My DD was also at the Rock this summer and knows the girl referred to in Millieochie’s original post. This child is very small and claims she is nine years old (at least to the other students). She attends the Rock School as a year round student. My DD doesn’t know what age the Rock’s ADs and teachers believe this girl to be. The child says she was born in Africa. I saw her dancing in the program and to my untrained eye I would say she is a good dancer but not a prodigy and somewhere between age 10 to 12.

[Mel Johnson]

This scenario has been seen before, too. The student is very young-looking, but is actually rather older than s/he lets on. There was a dancer in the late 60s who shall remain nameless who was about thirteen years old but was publicized as being nine. She showed absolutely no evidence of secondary sexual characteristics, but was strong as a little horse.

[balletstar811]

Mr. Johnson, if you don't mind my asking, what exactly did Benedict Arnold say for himself?

[Mel Johnson]

He said he was going over to the Crown because of his great love for America. He referred to the "present Unhappy Contest between Britain and America", said he was disgusted with the "insults" he received from the Congress and the Army (which had tried and found him guilty of misappropriating government vehicles for his own use - he was sentenced to be reprimanded [naughty, naughty] by George Washington) then took a sidelong swipe at the French, and assured Washington of his "undying affection." Sure, Ben.

[ping]

I think that 7 years old is a little young to go on pointe. That can seriously deform her feet since she is growing. There was a girl at the SI I just went to who's feet were very distorted and weak because her teacher put her on pointe when she was 8.

 

Though I also know with a girl at my dance studio who went on pointe when she was 11. But she was as strong as an ox. Didn't look it but was amazingly strong. A gymnast body. So maybe this girl was just really strong when she was 7...

 

After contemplating how young 7 years old is. 7 years is way to young.

 

 

ping

[Victoria Leigh]

Strong is not enough, ping. There are all sorts of things that can happen, even to someone who is "strong", if their bones have not ossified to a satisfactory point before beginning pointe work. Not to mention that it's really not possible to have enough technique and technical knowledge to dance safely on pointe before the age of 11 or 12, at the very earliest.

[Mel Johnson]

Ping, you're one of the lucky ones, in a way. You've actually seen the damage too-early pointe can do. It's kind of sickening to see, but one thing's for sure, you're not liable to forget it! It will make you a smarter dancer, in the long run.

[ping]

Ms. Leigh I am sorry about the confusion that last post was slopped together.

And I completely agree with you about the bones.

 

I didn't just mean just muscle strength. I meant technical strength as well. I was really shocked when my teacher decided to put her on pointe early and I still am. My teacher is usually very unflexible in that regard. My teacher's rule is that you don't go on pointe until your 12 (at the earliest) or 13. PERIOD no if's and's or but's. My teacher agonized for months about whether it would be okay. I don't think that it was brightest decision in the world; But whats been done has been done and there really isn't any thing you can do to change it.

 

I just hope for her sake that the damage won't be to severe.

 

ping

[Victoria Leigh]

11 is not so bad, ping, especially if she was very strong