When is the correct age to commence pointe work?

Throughout the dance world there are many differing opinions on when pointe work should commence for a young dancer. The majority of concern held by many, is the potential for pointe work to damage young, growing feet. In some countries, it isn’t uncommon to see very young dancers between 6 and 8 years of age, dancing en pointe with excellent technique.  Conversely, it is also common to see older dancers commencing pointe work with insufficient strength and technique.  

Over the years it has been suggested to x-ray feet to assess for growth plate closure, however we now know that some growth plates in females may not close until the age of 16, and in many cases this is after pre-professional training would have commenced.

At The Dance Clinic we like to first assess our pre-pointe dancers any time from the age of 10 or 11.  This allows at least twelve months of preparation before assessing the student’s readiness to commence pointe work.  Early assessment allows us to flag and identify any structural, strength or technical issues that may stand in the way of progressing on to pointe.  A pre-pointe program will be customised to the individual student and this program can last anywhere from 2-12 months.

At The Dance Clinic our pre pointe assessments consider many factors including:

• Overall body structure and size

• Hip, knee and foot alignment

• Functional gait assessment

• Shoe wear and fit of both dance shoes and day to day school and exercise shoes

• Placement and control through different ballet exercises

• Intrinsic foot muscle strength and control

• Lower leg calf muscle strength, control and endurance

• Foot shape and any current areas of pressure

• Maturity level and understanding of a dancers requirements to progress onto pointe  

After a dancer  has started pointe work, practitioners at The Dance Clinic like to follow up with them up at about 3 months.  This allows us to check any technical issues that may have arisen and provide further strengthening and exercises as required. 

Here at The Dance Clinic, we like to work, not only with the dancer, but build a relationship with their ballet teacher.  We encourage communication between all parties and will endeavor to send a report after each assessment. Our assessment and strength programs are designed to work as an adjunct to the student’s ballet training received from their teachers. We believe that collaboration between the podiatrist and the dance teacher enables the best outcome on determining when the student is ready to progress on to pointe.