I have been doing Ballet since January (It’s done on the RAD syllabus but we just learn the exercises not the exams, and even though it’s a beginner class we are doing the Intermediate grade) and I have really strong calf, ankle, thigh (even though I have at the moment torn two muscles in my thigh from stretching in my Ballet class too much (we were working on our box splits…)) and just leg muscles in general, I can do releves and eleves really easily and once I’m up I have really good balance. I pick up all of the port de bras really quickly and I have just managed to perfect my pirouettes with and without fouette action and have even managed to do two pirouettes.
My teacher says that my posture, balance and technique is really good and she often forgets that I’m a beginner thinking that I’ve done Ballet before like all the other people in my class who did it when they were younger (I’m in an adult class meaning I am by far the youngest there with the second youngest being )
I’m pretty flexible, I can pretty much do my right and left splits and I can bend over backwards and forwards and touch my toes – I’m the most flexible in my class, though I’m not sure that’s all that impressive when you think I’m in a class with forty year olds.
I’m really keen to learn Ballet as it is something I have always wanted to learn but with my dad being in the military we moved around too much for me to start taking any Ballet classes. I always practice what I learn in the studio and home and I’m always researching Ballet technique so that I can keep up with the rest of my class who’ve already had years of Ballet training (which I’m doing a pretty good job at (the only thing I’ve struggled with so far is pose turns)) Much to my mums and doctors annoyance because I even practice to the point of near injury and exhaustion (evident by my own injury – yeah, yeah I know, I’m an idiot… But no pain no gain right?)
I do weight lifting and I use a theraband to improve the strength in my ankles etc for pointe. And I’d just like to know how long you think it’d be till I’d get to go en pointe. Normally I’d wait till my teacher would say, because she knows best, but because it’s an adult class and we’re all beginner they have this health and safety policy where they won’t put any of us en pointe whether we’re ready for it, and when I talked to my teacher about it she said that if I wanted to go en pointe – which she doesn’t really have a problem with – I’d have to look at studying it at another dance school. So I was just wondering when I’d be ready so that I could start looking for dance schools around that time to learn it.
Oh, I take two minute classes on a Monday with another minute modern class before hand as like a ‘warm up’ class and I take an hour long Irish dancing lesson on Thursdays.
Oh and if it’s of any use I’m ‘ and weigh .kg.
Thanks in advance for your answers and taking the time to read this. Sorry if it has been a bit long winded…
Update:
I know I haven’t been doing Ballet long enough, I was just wondering if I’d be ready in a year or two. So that I could start looking for classes in a year or two rather than never looking for one because I don’t know if I’d be ready to start pointe work. (I was thinking around Christmas time would be a good time to start looking for a pointe class but I don’t know…)
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From what I have taken from your additional information, you have been training in ballet for months. This is NO WHERE near enough time to go en pointe. If you were to do that, you would be doing a very foolish thing. Your ankles, legs, feet, and core are no where strong enough to go en pointe. You will probably not be ready for pointe for another couple years of so because you are only taking one minute class a week. Although you say that you also practice at home constantly, that is not like being in a class with your instructor. Actually, I would recommend not practicing too much at home because it can build bad habits due to the fact that no one is there to correct you. At the rate of taking minutes of ballet technique a week, you should be in en pointe anywhere from /- years. To go en pointe in a matter of at least / year, you should be taking at least + hours a week of strictly ballet technique.
In the mean time, you should be doing small exercises that will help you en pointe like you are doing. You should also do core exercises.
Something else I would like to bring to your attention is your previous injuries. Pointe is not in your best interest because your muscles are still recovering from those injuries.
*note: Taking other dance classes such as modern or Irish has no meaning to weather you are ready for pointe. Ballet technique is the only thing that can decided that. Modern and ballet are two different things that use different techniques.
Source(s): I am a pre professional ballet student. I dance – hours a week plus rehearsals. I have been en pointe for years.
Technically, you should be doing ballet for at least years before going on pointe. So you are a little early. You may be physically ready, but don’t have the technique needed. I did ballet for years and didn’t start Pointe till year . You haven’t even been dancing for months. I think you should look, and try, but some dance teachers will be hasty to teach you pointebecausee of the lack of years under your belt.
Source(s): My life.
I don’t know how long it will take you to get en pointe, but I would HIGHLY recommend looking into a pre-pointe class. It will help with your balance, and also teach correct body placement. It should really help so you can get en pointe faster! It worked for me
Source(s): My experience
I went on at age after years of training. You sound like a strong beginner. Get a little further along and you will go up. Like maybe another semester or year