Pre Pointe Policies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day-to-Day Dance Pointe Readiness Requirements

• A Pointe Readiness Evaluation is mandatory for all students hoping to progress to en pointe work and for incoming students wanting to continue their pointe training. 

• Students hoping to progress en pointe are required to attend Day-to-Day dance weekly Pre-Pointe Ballet class and take time to train outside of class as well.        Day-to-Day Dance provides a detailed written description of the Pointe Readiness Evaluation to help prepare. Training takes several months, if not years. Be prepared for a marathon, not a race. 

• Core strength, range of motion, alignment, balance and foot strength are all included in Day-to-Day Dance Pointe Readiness Evaluation for progressing en pointe. Students need to be strong enough to be en pointe and we make sure everyone is ready before the decision is made. 

• Good attendance in class is a requirement. Students need to regularly attend a minimum of three ballet classes a week. Students are expected to make-up absences.

• Students need to be a minimum age of 12 to be considered for pointe. There are many disadvantages to starting pointe before a student is strong enough or before proper ossification has occurred. Research has shown there is no handicap to a dancer’s career by starting pointe work as late as 16 years old. 

Day-to-Day Dance Pointe Readiness Evaluation
Pointe Readiness Evaluations are scheduled with the Artistic Director in two parts:

1. Pointe Readiness Class Observation: The Artistic Director will observe the student in class to examine alignment, rotation and technique.

2. Pointe Readiness Evaluation: This second half of the evaluation will take privately with the Teacher/Artistic Director and will take approximately one hour; Testing of strength, range-of-motion, proprioception and rotation will all be included. There is no fee for the first evaluation. Subsequent evaluations cost $60

 Incoming Students Already En Pointe:

• Incoming students will have to pass Day-to-Day Dance Pointe Readiness Evaluation to continue their work en pointe. 

• New students hoping to continue pointe training will be given 4 months (schedule permitting) to train for the pointe readiness evaluation. Pre-Pointe is required during this time of training to understand the expectations of Day-to-Day Dance Pointe Readiness Evaluation. 

• During their 4 months of Pointe Readiness training, new students can continue their work en pointe.

• If the student does not pass the requirements after 4 months, they will be taken off en pointe until they are able to pass Day-to-Day Dance Readiness Evaluation. 

Things to keep in mind about en pointe:

• Pointe work is not right.

• Pointe is not for everyone.

• Pointe work is not determined by your age, the number of years you have been dancing, your friends being put en pointe or your desire to be en pointe

• Pointe work is an evolution and extension of effective ballet training

• Advancing to en pointe is on an individual basis, not by putting an entire class on en pointe