Pre-Pointe Classes
It is common knowledge that ballet students should not be put en pointe too early. No matter how much pressure the dance teacher gets from overly enthusiastic students or their parents, he/she must have the courage not to allow this to happen, even at the cost of losing enrollment. The cost is too great. Besides the fact that children who have received little training will never be able to actually manipulate pointe shoes, there is a great physical danger to their bodies. Since the bones of young growing children are still soft, the pressure of putting the body on top of the toes can be very destructive. They can actually bend while still soft. As the child matures, the bones may harden permanently in this bent shape. Therefore, each teacher should be sure the student has studied long enough to have developed sufficient physical strength as well as be old enough to be able to endure the stress of going en pointe.
Typically, when a child has studied long enough and has developed a strong body, she would then be allowed to enroll in a beginner pointe class. Fairly recently, pre-pointe classes have been introduced in some schools to serve as an intermediate step before jumping headlong into a full-fledged pointe class.
While it is becoming popular, it is still not common. The one obvious exception is in studios or schools following The Royal Academy of Dance syllabus which incorporates this class. The rationale behind it is that additional training is required to develop the proper muscles, use of the foot and balance needed for pointe work. Some teachers merely emphasize the typical foot exercises with the students wearing normal soft ballet shoes, but others feel it is necessary to teach pre-pointe class in specific shoes designed for that purpose.
These pretty pink satin slippers have a structured box and, therefore, the look of real pointe shoes. What is missing is the shank, or insole, which is the main support of the foot when en pointe. When wearing them, the student gets used to the feel of a more structured, restrictive shoe allowing a more gradual and less painful transition into pointe work. Some teachers feel that pre-pointe training helps avoid technical problems that beginning pointe students sometimes experience. They also say that after the children have gone through the training, they step easily into pointe work. The well-known pointe shoe pain is minimized by getting used to the more structured shoe early. While the box is similar to a pointe shoe, it is a bit softer. Therefore, even though some teachers allow their students to rise onto pointe briefly, it should be very carefully supervised.
Another benefit is simply getting used to doing steps as simple as tendu with a shoe that is more resistant. Becoming accustomed to the feeling of more material between the foot and the floor also makes the student focus on the difficult task of balancing while the foot is flat on the floor. Even though there is no shank, the overall shoe and the box make balancing far more difficult than in a soft ballet shoe.
Students at Magda Aunon School of Ballet
Photo by Marilyn
Astrid Audet teaches pre-pointe at the Academy of Ballet in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She feels that it is very helpful to her students. “It’s a stepping stone for them until they are strong enough and ready to go en pointe.” She adds that even though some of her girls began at age 10 or 11, she doesn’t make the decision about who is ready for this class by age only. It’s about ability and readiness. She also says that sometimes the classes last for only one year and sometimes as much as two.
There are numerous companies that manufacture pre-pointe shoes. Audet has no favorite, preferring her students to find the shoe that fits the best. This, of course, varies depending upon the students’ bone structure.
In class Audet has the students face the barre holding with two hands. Stronger, more advanced students only hold with one. They do relevés, elevés and échappés—most of the exercises you would expect to find in any pointe class. Normally, the students only go to demi-pointe, but sometimes she allows them to relevé onto pointe when they are facing the barre and holding with two hands. The shoes are not supportive enough to enable real pointe work.
There are many professional teachers who see no need for pre-pointe classes. Carmen Mathe, former principal dancer with both The English National Ballet and The Houston Ballet and assistant to the director of the Houston company is one of them. “Everything is going to already be there,” she says referring to the strength and skill necessary for pointe work. “There is nothing much to prepare you except the good technique you learned before. The soft plié, knowing the difference between the spring relevé and the rise, stretching the foot and not just the instep—all of this prepares the dancer for pointe in the regular classes.”
Mathe elaborates on exercises that are helpful to the pre-pointe student. “Both the pressing rise and spring relevé must be taught because using that part of the foot (rolling through the metatarsal) is very important to pointe work. We also stress that use when doing frappé, fast dégagé and what we used to call the ‘bug squash.’” “That,” she laughingly explains, “is when you rise to the demi-pointe, then throw-out or press over into the metatarsals by doing a demi-plié, straighten the legs as you pull the foot back and roll down.” As the students are working, Mathe says they must be aware of the shape of their foot in a dégagé. When the student finally does go en pointe, she should be careful not to push over the box and should keep the same shape of the foot she had in dégagé.
Nancy Bielski, a teacher at Steps on Broadway and American Ballet Theatre in New York City, agrees with Mathe. She feels that if a student is taught properly, there will be no need for a pre-pointe class. Pointe shoe expert Karen Schultz-Maguire goes even further by saying she feels teachers are neglecting the slow, fastidious training necessary for ballet. This has resulted in more sickling in recent years than she has seen in her entire career. She is confident that if enough time is taken in the development of a student, and sufficient attention paid to proper placement and the use of the feet, the transition to pointe will be smooth.
One reason many teachers feel that pre-pointe training is necessary is a psychological one. Dancing en pointe is a goal for many students. They dream of the day they can don those lovely shoes and rise up onto their toes. Getting there can take a long time. This intermediate step to realizing their dream can keep them excited and interested in continuing their studies. With all the distractions such as cheerleading and sports, it’s a great way to keep the ballet student on track.
Janice Barringer teaches ballet at Pace University and as a master teacher around the country. She has also produced numerous instructional ballet DVDs and CDs for Music Works Unlimited and is the co-author of The Pointe Book and En Pointe, published by Princeton Book Company.