Am I Too Late to be En Pointe?

Question

I want to start doing ballet with the intention of going en pointe. but i'm fifteen, 5'6 and 160 pounds. am i too old/heavy?

ps: I have danced before: I have been doing lyrical and jazz before. so despite being a tad bit overweight, I have some basic technique. The reason that I want to be an en pointe dancer is because everybody in my family is. I'm adopted so I'm completely differently shaped, but that's the way it goes :-)

Answer 1

so u have never danced?
ok u r gonna have a lot of hard work to do

first of all a dancer should be in SERIOUS ballet for 3 to 4 years straight before dancing en pointe. u should remember that pointe is dangerous and that if u attempt before you are ready than chances are you will hurt your bones with permanent damage.

so maybe by the age of 18 or 19 you could go on pointe. as for your height and weight the chances of you being a prima ballerina are slim to none considering that you have never danced, and dancers usually are shorter and extremely slender. by your bmi you are by no means fat but in the dance world far too big for the ballet world. i really hate to break your bubble but it is true. i have been told by my company many times that i am too heavy and i am 5'4 and 111 lbs. so that is just the truth.

i do not believe u are too heavy to go on enpinte tho because by the time u get ur pointe shoes u will have slimmed down. and it could be more muscle. but the bigger you are the worse it is for your knees. so be careful.

so i mainly want to kno why ur desire to go on pointe is so strong? it is really not all it is cracked up to be. it is mainly full of pain and blood.

if you want to dance you should take up jazz, lyrical, or modern. so that is my opinion!

Answer 2

It'll be a few years of serious classwork before you should even try to go en pointe. Otherwise, you could do some serious damage to your foot.

I started ballet when I was 23, and was able to do an occasional barre and a few easy things on the floor en pointe at 29. My legs and feet were always strong, and was fairly solid on half-pointe. I suggest taking it step by step, and see where your strengths lie.

Also, if you're lucky, 2 or even 3 of your toes touch the floor on full pointe. Then your weight is distributed more evenly than if it were only on one toe.

But I was just doing it for fun (and it was!).

Answer 3

I don't think it is ever too late to try something but you should really do a good 3 years of solid classes before you go any further. I am 14 and have been doing ballet for 12 years and have been on pointe for a year. you need to strenghthen your ankles and know you will be able to support your weight en pointe so you do not injure yourself.

Answer 4

While you're developing your leg muscles and technique, I would try to lose some weight. At 5'6", you should weigh about 130 pounds to dance. The pressure you're putting on your knees, feet and ankles is going to hurt you in the future. I was always just barely overweight and killed my knees. Now in my late 50s I have lots of problems with my knees and ankles.

Answer 5

You are not too old or too heavy. Just work hard in your ballet classes & make sure your ankles are strong enough to handle pointe work before you try it. I have 3 daughters who have done pointe - 2 LOVED it & 1 HATED it! LOL Good luck!

Answer 6

i was a gymnast before i ever took ballet. i did ballet for 2 months, at 13, before i started pointe. enroll in a ballet class, and make your goals very clear to yoru teacher so she can evaluate you and give you some pointers. your background in jazz and lyrical will help immenseley. youre never too old to start pointe, just make sure youre ready for it!