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Overcoming pointe fear


Xena

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I was browsing through what ballet dvds to buy and I cam across the Elusive mUse and read a summary. In that summary, Arthur Mitchell says: "Suzanne Farrell is extremely musical, she is very fast and

never afraid of falling off point".

Which brings me to the question. Is it OK to fall off point?

I have this fear now, when I dance on pointe that I will fall off, and hence I hesitate that second too long. It stems I think from the pain I used to get in my left knee and now I am slightly hesitant to go up onto pointe in case my knee hurts (its been osrted now and doesn't hurt anymore). But if Suzanne Farrell isn't scared of it, then I guess neither should I be. I just didn't think it would be an acceptable thing to do. Do professional and experienced dancers fall off point? I always feel so embarrassed if I do.

 

Jeanette

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Everyone falls once in a while, Xena, but it's far better to fall from too much attack than too little, especially in terms of pointe work! If you don't go for it, you don't get there. There is no place at all for timidity in pointe work. It holds you back, literally. The body must be leading and in front of the legs, and if you don't do that you don't get all the way up on the top of the piqué or relevé.

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Hear, hear!

 

A dancer on pointe must be bold, yet yielding. Placed, yet relaxed. Careful, yet fearless.

 

I love the contradictions of ballet.

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