Pointe risks and consequences?

Question

I've been doing pointe for six months and I absolutly love it, but I'm worried about what it will do to my feet in the long run. I'm serious about my dancing, but I'm not going to pursue it as a career. How bad is it for my feet, ankles, knees, etc to do pointe? I'd ask my teacher, but she is passionate about her students and wouldn't tell us anything negative because she wants us to keep dancing.

Answer 1

There are risks in dance whether you are en pointe or not. You can tear ligaments, blow knees, even break/fracture bones without ever going en pointe. For those of us who love the art, the risks are worth taking for the enjoyment and excitement of performing.

When en pointe, your most common risks include bunions (depending on how your metatarsals are structured), ingrown toenails, stress fractures, pulled/strained ligaments, tendonitus. Other risks can include arthritis if you dance for many years.

The best way to minimize your risks is to take extra care of your feet. They are the major part of your art if you are en pointe. You wouldn't just leave your pointe shoes out in the rain in the drive way to be run over, would you? Then you should treat your feet even better than your shoes.
-Stretch your feet before and after class.
-Always do your strengthening exercises, even if you think your feet are strong enough, keep them up.
-Make sure your pointe shoes are fitted properly by a professional, incorrect fittings may cause injury.
-Don't try to attempt steps en pointe that you are not ready for, make sure you work up to each step properly on 3/4 pointe first so you don't injure yourself just because you're impatient.
-Pamper your feet, soak them and relax after a hard class.
-Go get a pedicure and massage every once and a while.
-Visit a podiatrist who understands the needs of a ballet dancer. You may have to call around through the phone book and ask before you find one. (sometimes you can get a recommendation form other dancers or by calling a professional company and ask what dr. they use) They can show you the proper way to trim your toenails to minimize the risk of ingrown toenails.

I danced en pointe for years, the worst I suffered was several ingrown toenails, and tendonitus in one arch. Oh and kind of ugly looking feet with lots of callouses. But all well worth it for the fulfillment and satisfaction of performing the most beautiful art form I know.

Answer 2

There are many risks but dont stop this just because of them. The other answers are right but your dance techers would tell u if anything serious would happen to you. Ik that it is bad for your knees and ankles but ask your dance techer for other problems to becaue they will tell u also they wouldnt let you go on pontie if you werent strong enough. Ik that i have been on pointe for like 5 years and i have experienced some bad blisters but overall i have noticed that you need to wear good shoes and it also strengthens you as well! GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 3

It can cause all kinds of health problems. First, there is the danger of twisting or even breaking you ankle. The pressure and friciton can cause blisters (which I'm sure you've already experienced), corns, scarring, ingrown toenails, foot fungus, dislocated joints, hairline cracks in your bone, broken arches, and (in the long run) crippling arthritis. It is very bad for your feet- but you have to decide for yourself whether the enjoyment you get out of dancing is worth the risk of injury.

Answer 4

for me, pointe hasn't hurt my feet too bad, and i've been up since i was ten. i'm almost 16 now. i do notice that i dont have as much feeling in my feet, but that could be due to a minor case of frostbite. ingrown toenails are also common among the girls i dance with, but i notice that if you cut a v into the top of your toenail, it will prevent ingrown toenails. i love pointe, and even if i knew it was going to mess up my feet... i wouldnt stop!

if you are worried about injuring your feet, i would try Gaynor Minden pointe shoes. they are more expensive, but last longer, fit better, and prevent injury better than any other pointe shoe.

i hope that helps!

Answer 5

^^ first response is right, it can cause all that. however this is minimised by using good technique and getting fitted properly for your shoes. It shouldn't cause trouble for your ankles or knees, just your feet, if you use good technique. so you might feel a little self-concious in sandals but you will be very strong, so i think it's worth it even if you won't go pro.

Answer 6

well i don't think that your teacheer is very good if she doen't want you to know the risks. it's probably in bad interest for you if you don't know how bad you could get hurt. but i've been in pointe for two years and never had anything happen to my feet. i've never even had a blister! you just have to take care of your feet!

Answer 7

Sure there are risks but that doesn't mean you should stop dancing if you love it so much. There's risks with everything...like gymnastics or cheerleading, try dying for instance.