starting pointe

[Guest HEhRSuHEgYS]

I have done ballet for about two years and I really want to do ballet en pointe.The school that I want to take pointe at is the official school of the major ballet company in my town,and is known to be really good.I told the director that I wanted to take pointe and asked her what the requirements were and she just said that you have to take a minimum of one technique class per week to take pointe.This doesn't seem quite right to me....but I'm not familiar with this kind of stuff.I was wondering if you had ideas? If you do please post back your thoughts.

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello, and welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers! I moved your post from the Pointe Shoe topics, as that forum is just about shoes, not about Pointe Work. If I have placed you in the wrong age category, please tell me, and I will move it again.

 

As to when to start pointe, you are very wise to question the answer you got about one technique class a week. Even if you are an adult student, NO one should be in pointe shoes who is not doing at least 3 technique classes a week, an hour and a half each, and studying ballet for at least 3 years. There is a Sticky you need to read, on this forum, entitled Facts of Life About Pointe Work. This will spell it all out for you!

[Guest DanceFreak5678]

I'm new here, too. You're right in questioning if this is the right way to go about being en pointe. At my studio, you're supposed to take at least 2 classes but everyone en pointe takes 3 classes.. so 6 hours AT LEAST a week of ballet. 1 technique class doesn't seem right to me.

[Guest HEhRSuHEgYS]

I thought one technique class seemed like too little:).If I actuallly join the company,not just do the teen/adult division,I will have either 2 or 3 technique classes/week.

 

There is also another ballet company that recently moved here...and if I took classes there I would be able to do pointe,but with a minimum of 3 classes/week.

[Victoria Leigh]

The newer school sounds better to me, Hershey. It speaks well that they require a minimum of 3 classes per week. However, please be sure that the teacher says you are ready before beginning pointe work. You have had very little training so far.

[Guest HEhRSuHEgYS]

I am planning to start with the level 4 technique and see if I get moved to level 5 or not.Level 5 is where they have you start pointe.

[mohnurka]

It's always a good idea to investigate . However, it seems a little strange to me that "level 5 is when they have you start pointe." Shouldn't it be based on how prepared you are, and not the level? I understand that, of course, if you don't have good technique, you won't be in level 5, but still... Sometimes your technique can be slightly ahead of your pointe-readiness.....

[Guest HEhRSuHEgYS]

Well this is on the idea that you have been taking technique from them since you were little.Also,they won't let you do pointe if you're not ready...It's just that if you are ready they start you in level 5.