Ballet Pointe Shoes - Late starter in Pointe

by lilly
(egypt)

Ballet Pointe Shoes - Late starter in Pointe

hello odette,
i'm 21 late starter to ballet i started about a year ago i took one class per week , my dancing teacher decided that i'm ready for pointe i have a strong core i guess and i had my first class it didn't hurt me actually at all not even the toes but i'm worried that a year hasn't been enough time to develope the needed strength for pointe i know it might sounds like i'm over worrying but internet made pointe shoes look like a certain injury to me. anyways i asked my ballet teacher over and over again and she said that i'm doing better than fine en pointe she even made me do arabesque on it. now i do wanna be en pointe and i heard that it's okay to go en pointe after one year if all my bones are already formed , is that true ? do u think i'm ready for it ? will my age make pointe safer ? i have always played different types of sports such as running and basketball but since i started ballet i have been feeling clicking in my ankle while rolling it not always but mostly at nights and there is no sounds or pain does that means that i have damaged ankle already or does all dancers have that clicking feeling too ?
one last thing , where i live there isn't any dancing shops that does fitting so whats ur tips to get a well fitting pointe shoes which has been already made and waiting for me just to buy it

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Reply by Odette
To:- Ballet Pointe Shoes - Late starter in Pointe

Hello Lilly,
Thank you for your message, it's great to hear from you. I understand, it's easy to over worry about something you're fairly new to. Also, the internet has so much information it's easy to read too much and panic!

I would trust what your ballet teacher is saying. She is the on who is with you and teaching you in class, so I'm sure if she says you are ready for pointe then she is right. It does make a difference that you are older, because it's mainly for younger ballet dancer's below the age of 10 who have to be more careful of when they start pointe work.

Many dancer's experience clicking in parts of their bodies like toes, ankles, hips.. any person would say this is not normal but for dancer's it is quite common! Unless your ankle is causing you pain when it is clicking, I would say it's not something to worry about. I do not know why dancer's bodies click like they do, but sometimes I feel like it's a kind of release.

Rather than worrying about being ready for pointe, I would say it's just as important to be cautious to have the right fit in your pointe shoes. This is crucial to your foot maintenance and pointe work. I know there are no places that offer pointe shoe fittings in your area, but perhaps if you email brands like Freed (UK) they can help you find the right fit for your foot. Freed are a pointe shoe company based in the UK, but they supply ballet dancer's with pointe shoes worldwide. This is just a suggestion for you to email and they can advise to have your foot measurements, therefore finding the right pointe shoe for you. Otherwise, I would closely follow your teacher's guidance on pointe shoes as she can look at your feet and you can ask her which size/brand is right for you.

I hope this helps, keep in touch!

Best wishes,
Odette