Pointe work for the adult dancer
Over the years I have seen many people arrive at a ballet class wearing socks instead of soft ballet shoes. Yes, some more experienced dancers actually have a preference for socks—the fabric is more slippery on some dance-floor surfaces—and they are able to control their feet (lucky them). But others are actually unsure of whether they want to spend money on shoes when this ballet thing might not stick. Buying all the gear, you see, means Commitment.
More often than not, however, those timid first-timers keep going back and, one by one, they appear at class sporting their first pair of soft ballet shoes. The addiction has set in.
For many adult dancers, those soft shoes may well be enough to keep the cravings under control, but for those wanting more, it might come as a surprise to you, as it did me, that the beautiful pointe shoe is not out of reach.
When I started taking classes, I was quite sure I would never have the opportunity to try pointe. I was okay with this knowledge—I was learning ballet for the first time at the age of 28 and assumed that as I hadn’t been dancing for years, that door was most definitely closed. Imagine my surprise and delight to find it was not too late. And fast forward a couple of years, I even found myself performing on pointe, and not falling on my face.
If your heart secretly wishes to try, try!
My newest pair, before they got all scuffed and smelly.
So, how will you know you’re ready
It’s a combination of two things: you feeling confident enough in your understanding of basic ballet technique and your teacher feeling that you are strong enough.
If you have decided you would like to try pointe work, and indeed the pointe work classes are available to you, start by having a conversation with your teacher. He or she will have a good idea as to whether or not it’s a possibility. You might be told ‘Not yet’, but don’t lose heart. Your teacher will have noted your interest and will be watching you in class, looking for the following things:
- Your turnout: if you are able to maintain this while dancing;
- If you have correct posture and alignment, particularly whilst balancing on one leg;
- And when balancing on one leg, if that supporting leg is straight and strong;
- If you use the plié to its full advantage;
- If you point your foot whilst dancing and it does not sickle.
All of these things not only show you have learnt basic technique well and you are aware of your centre, but also that you have the strength.
If your teacher is confident you are well on your way to pointe shoes, she might recommend you acquire demi or soft pointes.
The demi pointe: why bother?
The demi pointe shoe looks very similar to the pointe shoe. It’s pink and shiny and pretty, but it does not have the support that will enable you to roll up onto your toes. So what is the purpose of them?
Think of your toes when you are standing on the balls of your feet. They’re a bit like gecko toes, splayed out and almost gripping on to the floor.
Gecko toes!
Toes naturally do this to aid balance, and will do so in your normal soft ballet shoes. Consequently the muscles in your legs and core have strengthened in a particular way to allow you to balance on the platform your toes have created.
The demi pointe shoe stops your toes from splaying out and suddenly the platform on which you have to balance is a lot smaller. It’s not quite as small as when standing on the tips of your toes, but you will find that your balance is affected quite a lot simply by removing the “gecko splay”. So whilst you will not yet be able to go up on to pointe fully, the demi pointe shoe has started the training and the re-calibrating of your muscles and centre.
The day you hear those exciting words “I think you should buy your pointes now” you will be better prepared for how they will affect your technique.
What happens at a fitting
If your dance teacher is anything like mine, she will have someone to recommend going to for the fitting. It is essential to your ‘comfort’ (just how comfortable are pointe shoes really?) and to the health of your feet that the person you see knows what they are doing.
Do not expect a fitting to be a fast process. The fitter will try several different styles and makes of shoe on you and will ask you to stand in various positions, first, second, parallel, demi, and fully on pointe, in each.
An experienced fitter will be looking for correct alignment and if your foot sickles (where the shoe twists away from the sole of your foot showing an incorrect size and fit). The fabric at the back of the shoe will also be pinched to ensure there is enough space when standing on demi pointe.
You will be asked how your toes feel in the shoes, but I can attest when trying on shoes for the very first time it’s very difficult to know what is a normal level of ‘ouch’ and a ‘this is the wrong shoe’ level. Simply try to give as much detail as you can—if the shoe presses on a certain toe more than the others, if it feels too tight, anything that comes to mind, and hopefully you will walk out with a workable shoe.
Your teacher will most likely want to see the shoe before you sew the ribbons on. It’s never a bad thing, having a second professional check them out and she will also have tips about how and where to put the ribbon.
Why they need to fit you properly
Yes, pointe shoes are pink and shiny and pretty (I might have said that already) but they are not part of your costume. They are, in fact, tools of the trade and pointe shoes that fit correctly will support you, help reduce the likelihood of injury and make you a better dancer.
Please do not be flippant about pointe shoes.
Why it might take a while to find the right brand and size
I think it’s fair to warn you that embarking on the pointe journey is not a cheap one. A glance on Bloch’s website shows the price of pointes starting at $99.95 and going to $129.95, while on one dancewear website, a pair of Gaynor Mindens will set you back $199.99. And just to kick you whilst you’re down, it’s quite common to purchase your first pair and realise after one or two lessons that they are not right for you.
Why? Well, go onto Google Images and search for ‘pointe shoes’. The eagle eyed amongst you will notice that although they look fairly similar (pink and shiny and pretty), the style of each type of shoe can differ hugely. For example, compare the Bloch European Balance:
to the Grishko Fouette Proflex (yes, each style has a name):
The box, the bit where your toes go, of the Grishko is more tapered towards the platform than that of the Bloch, so logically speaking, this will suit people with a certain foot type (http://pointeperfect.com/learn-your-foot-type-pointe-fitting/) whilst the Blochs will suit another foot type entirely. Hopefully someone with plenty of experience fitting pointe shoes will be able to give you guidance on the best style for your feet, but this doesn’t always happen and unfortunately it is occasionally a case of trial and error. I went through two styles of Blochs before finding a winner in Grishkos.
I’m going to dilute the ‘bad news’ by a ‘it could be worse’ fact: a professional dancer can go through between 100 and 120 pairs of pointe shoes in a season. Ouch! Thankfully, for a beginner attending one or two classes a week, you might work through a pair in a year, so once you find your perfect shoe, you are hopefully set until next Christmas.
When you’re on your way
When I first started pointe work classes, a wise lady said “You’re going to have good days and bad days” and she was right. One week my pointe shoes were almost comfortable and they did indeed feel like an extra layer to my feet; the next they were pink, shiny, pretty boxes of abject torture. I doubt there are any scientific papers out there to explain why our bodies can be so confusing, but it happens and it’s not unusual so don’t despair.
The more you work at pointe, the more confidence and strength you will have. Soon your teacher will be suggesting you try posé turns on pointe and you won’t laugh at such a ridiculous notion. You might even be convinced to perform on pointe. Here’s Kirsty again, third from the right, just last year:
Be brave and try, but also listen to your body and if you feel you do not have the strength, save that attempt for another time. It is not worth breaking any bones.
My final tip for you: stop looking down in awe at your feet. Look up, at the mirror and you will see a ballet dancer staring back you. You don’t have to be doing 32 fouette turns to be doing something quite remarkable. Pointe work is an art, and you are an artist.