When is a dancer ready for pointe work?
Though the decision is always left up to the instructor, there are a few guidelines as to when a ballet student is ready to begin dancing on pointe. First, age is very large factor when contemplating putting a student up on pointe. After fitting pointe shoes for over ten years, it has been my experience that in general, anyone under the age of 11 should not begin pointe work. The main reason for this opinion (and many teachers would agree) is that a child’s bones, tendons, and ligaments need to be mature enough (or strong enough) to withstand the kind of pressure, strength and mobility required to dance on pointe. If started too young, when their bones are not fully formed, the dancer could end up with unnecessary injuries or even debilitating structural problems with her feet! Physically, a ballet student should be able to pull up and out of their hips properly, proving that there is strength in their core as well as the flexibility in their joints required to withstand the repetitive
