Avoiding Injuries While Doing Pointe Work

Proceeding to pointe work? Do you think you are ready to dance on toes? If you still have doubts whether you can now dance on toes, maybe you should postpone your progression to pointe for a while. Don’t put yourself at risk for injuries. It is not easy as what you think. The Age Factor Does age have something to do pointe work? Dance experts don’t think so. Many in the ballet circles have the common misconception that 12 is the ideal age to start dancing on toes. However, experts debunk such claims. There is strictly no age requirement as when a ballet student should commence pointe work. Dance teachers expect that by age 11 or 12, the bones of the feet of a ballet student should be hard enough and the growth of her foot should be completed then. They would give consent to the students to start work if they meet the age requirement, aside from have years of classes. To the other camp, ability, not age, should decide where a student is ready to dance en pointe. Counting on Ability When considering on the ability angle, ballet teachers should look in to a student’s stage of development and her level of strength and control. Neither should there be an issue or disadvantage if a dancer commences pointe work at a later age. It is detrimental to give pointe lessons to a dancer who is not ready physically and technically for such work. Teachers who did that could be damaging the development of their student’s feet. What is there for a child if she trains at a later age? Well, at the later age, she could be ready to undergo the physical demands of pointe work. She will achieve the correct and safe technique to progress and get hang of the work. This will help increase her confidence and reduce her risk for injuries. A dance student should see no training unless her feet have grown fully. Aside from having strength in her feet and ankles, she should also develop full control of her joints, stability and turnout at her hips and strength in her core/trunk. Issues with Hypermobility The student should see no training if her body and feet are still floppy, soft and very mobile. If a student has hypermobility syndrome (a condition in which the body joints move easily beyond the normal range), the teacher should pay special attention on the student’s case. Hypermobile feet looks attractive when pointed, however they are risky when en pointe. Dancing with a hypermobile foot can strain the ankle and foot. It can cause you to fall off en pointe and sustain a fractured ankle or foot and ligament sprains. If you have over-pointed feet of ankles, address this to your teacher before you go training. Preparing for Pointe Pointe work reeks of injuries when done wrongly or if you are not ready. Make sure you take exercise programmes to develop strength, control and the correct anatomical alignment in all the muscles of your foot and ankles. You should also read resources like The Perfect Pointe Book to learn more about pointe work.