As a teacher, every time I set foot in a classroom, magic can happen.  Spending time with my students is delightful in and of itself, whether they be my college students, former students who come back to visit, my pre-professional students, the child that takes ballet once a week because it’s fun or my littlest ones who give hugs and draw me pictures.  I teach many classes a week to many different types of students and in each class there are moments when light bulbs go off, where enlightenment happens, where knowledge is passed from me to my students, moments of triumph over the body, moments of artistry and brilliance.

But once in a while, as a teacher you teach a class that doesn’t just have moments of magic, but is just magical from start to finish.  You are having a good day.  Your students are having a good day. ‘A ha’ moments are happening all over the room. The students are enthusiastic about what you’re telling them which makes you even more excited than usual to give them all the information you can. They are asking intelligent, thought provoking questions.  The students try it over and over until they get it and then get so excited when they execute it and you feel the pure joy that is teaching.  For me, that magic happens every single time I walk in the doors of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.

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As instructors, we hear this question over and over again from parents and students.  Starting pointe is such a big milestone in a dancer’s life.  Dancing on your toes requires tremendous strength of the legs and feet and it can be very dangerous.  Please understand that we as dance teachers have your child’s best interests and well-being at heart.  We do not withhold pointe shoes as a punishment.   While pointe shoes are a privilege, there is a real possibility of damage from putting a dancer en pointe before they are physically ready to do so.  Please trust our professional opinion and know that when your child is ready, it is our honor to tell them they are ready to take the next step in their dance training with the addition of pointe shoes to their repertoire. Here are some things we look for from your dancer:

You are at least 10 years old.  The proper age to start pointe is controversial and it can be very damaging if this work is started before the growth of the foot is complete.  Keep in mind that many issues and injuries can occur if a child begins pointe work too early and these factors go down significantly the longer you wait.  Waiting is not bad!

You have proper body alignment. Body placement is essential which means that the upper body should be over the hips, the tailbone should be dropped and the lower back lengthened and the abdominal muscles must be fully engaged the entire time a dancer dances.      

You are turned out at the hip using your rotator muscles.  If a dancer does a relevé and their heels slip backward, they are not using their muscles properly. 

You must have leg strength. The knees should stay absolutely straight in relevés, tendus and piqués.  The dancer should also be able to balance on both feet and one foot for long periods of time.

You must have proper ankle alignment, flexibility and strength.  The dancer should be able to relevé with their weight between their second and third toe with their heels naturally high off the floor and maintain that position on both feet and one foot.  The dancer should be able to executing a tendu with a properly pointed foot which includes a stretch through the ankle, arch and mid-foot without curling the toes and without sickling.

You must have flexibility.  Okay, so this one has little to do with pointe, but I use the promise of pointe shoes as a motivator since it is important to your overall success as a dancer to be flexible.  All dancers at my studio who have pointe shoes must have both splits completely down and straddles within a few inches from the floor.

Some Other Things: I know as a dance teacher I also consider attendance, correction and combination retention and healthy body weight in relation to height and age when looking at students to put en pointe.

Dance Moms, Lifetime’s reality television series, is a much bigger success than anyone probably predicted.  Viewers, sometimes including myself, tune in each week to laugh and shake their heads at the antics of these women.  However, there are real life dance moms all over this country and many of them are incredible women.  I know the studio I co-own would not be able to function without our incredible dance moms and dads who volunteer countless hours and tirelessly help make our pre-professional company a success.  My own mother was a stellar dance mom and I’m dedicating this one to her.

Have your child to class at least 15 minutes early.  This cuts down on the possibility of being late due to traffic.  It gives your child time to socialize with their friends which cuts down on talking during class.  Your child will have time to warm up and get focused as well.

Make sure your child has the proper dress code.  Good schools have strict dress codes.  There are many reasons for this.  When all students look the same, mistakes stand out better and can be corrected more quickly.  It’s important for a teacher to see the body to check technique, footwork, placement and alignment.  Having the hair slicked back in a bun helps the child master spotting for pirouettes.  I understand many parents want to save money by buying shoes a size or two up, but this is very dangerous to the dancer and can cause injury, so can dancing in shoes that are too small or in pointe shoes that are dead.

Make sure your child is eating healthily.  Dancers are athletes that need to fuel their body properly.  My mom cooked most of my meals and packed my lunches herself.  She made sure I had a good breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.  She was constantly on me to drink water.  She never kept junk food or soda in the house and she gave me fruits and vegetables at every meal.  My dad planted a garden every summer so we would have enough homegrown veggies.  If she knew I was dancing all day, she’d pack me a huge salad, fruit, cheese, nuts, pretzels, etc. and lots of water.  I ate a lot and I ate often, but she made sure it was all good food.

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