Pre-pointe panic!

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[Victoria Leigh]

No reason to panic! I don't like to put them on pointe until they are at least 12. I would suggest talking to her teacher to ask when she might be going on pointe, and if it is not sometime relatively soon, like summer or fall, then I would want to know the reasons. Does her school generally start them earlier than 12? How many classes a week does she take, and how long are the classes?

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[Victoria Leigh]

Probably not. I find that putting them up early does not really accomplish anything accept making them, and their parents, happy. Those who wait until they are really ready will progress twice as fast, and not be behind at all.

 

Her training is right where it must be in order to prepare for pointe. Any less than that would not be sufficient.

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[Victoria Leigh]

Don't look. They are not the "norm", and most of them are from Japan and Brazil, and they are trained in a much more intense fashion than we do here in this country. Is it better? I don't really think so. Ballet is a slow boil art. Taking the time necessary to really learn and develop the technique, strength, bone strength, articulation, and more vocabulary works just as well in the end. The ones you are looking at who are doing classical variations on pointe at 10, 11, 12 years old are the incredibly exceptionally talented as well as intensively trained children, who are, IMO, pushed way too far too fast. I do not think this is healthy in the long run.

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