At what age can ballet dancers wear pointe shoes?

Answer 1

Between the ages of 12 and 13. Although I started when I was 12, I often regret it now that I am older, it tends to cause problems with your feet. I still get foot cramps sometimes!

Answer 2

As a general rule, girls do not begin pointe before they are 12 or later, to protect growing bones, and to give the dancers time to gain strength, placement, and a good understanding of the complexities of the technique. Of course each dancer is an individual, but this is a good rule that people have been using for more than 100 years.

Pointe shoes, also known (less correctly) as toe shoes, are a special type of shoe used by ballet dancers for pointework. They developed from the desire to appear weightless onstage and have evolved to allow extended periods of movement on the tips of the toes (en pointe). Pointe shoes are normally worn only by female dancers, though male dancers may wear them for certain roles, such as the ugly stepsisters in Cinderella, Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, or men in dance companies such as Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo.

Answer 3

Waiting can't do any harm! Most eachers recomend no earlier than 11 or 12, 13 as a general rule. In my classes, I keep the smaller less developed girls off for longer, so their bones can strengthen. No matter if a girl is 13 or 23, she should NEVER go en pointe unless she is in top ballet shape. Make sure the teacher does many ankle stregthening excercises and is concoius of any pain the girls experience. Also, always make sure you can feel the floor through your point shoes, if toe pads get too thick, it can be very dangerous.
I developed achiles tendonidous and ingrown toenails from pointe, and I wished that I had waited longer, since I had to stop dancing seriously. Again, waiting the longer, the better for a girl's health!

Answer 4

Ballet dancers shouldn't wear pointe shoes till the age of 12 or 13. Their bones are still growing before that age and their feet wouldn't be able to handle them.

Answer 5

I am fifteen and started five years ago. I started wearing pointes in my first year because I was given the lead role in our show. But you should weigh the right time by age AND experience. Technically, our bones are still hardening at age eight, so you should wait until nine. That is when all the girls in my company are allowed to get them IF THEY ARE EXPERIENCED ENOUGH. If your daughter turns nine and only has a year or two under her belt, I would wait. Her feet are much to sacred to ruin with a broken ankle or something because she isn't properly educated on how to use them. Although, If she has three or four years of ballet, she should be well taught by now. Good luck, and if you do get them for her, make sure they fit very snug. pointes aren't made to be comfortable, so they will hurt either way, but the tighter they are, the safer they are. (Not cutting off cirulation though).

Answer 6

most dance instructors will only allow 12 -13 year olds to begin using pointe shoes, and then only after years of ballet classes. if the basics have not been learned, the inexperienced student could really hurt themselves, and if the shoes are worn any younger, there is a risk of damage to the developing bones in the dancer's feet.

Answer 7

That is usually determined between the dancer and her teacher. The teacher should be able to tell when the muscles in a girl's feet are strong enough for pointe shoes.

Answer 8

13

Answer 9

at my studio we would have to be atleast 12 and have taken grade 1 ballet for atleast 1 year to take our grade 1 cechetti exam. and once we pass it and we are in grade 2, we could get our pointe shoes but have to leave them at the studio until we could walk across the floor on pointe by ourselves and have broken in our shoes pretty good.

Answer 10

well my friend got into point when she was 12 but im sure as soon as ur a strong and good enough ballet dancer u can go into point at any age:Dhope that helps...xoxo~*JASMINE*~