beginning ballet

Tag Archive: beginning ballet

1. Starting Pointe Classes for the First Time

   August 23, 2013 9:18 pm Comments Off on Starting Pointe Classes for the First Time

   Once a girl has begun studying ballet, the day arrives when she becomes very excited (as well as impatient) to begin pointe work. Before a student begins dancing on pointe however, there are a few factors that need to be considered in order to ensure a safe and positive outcome. Dancing on pointe is a big step forward in a student’s training and it is important to be certain that she has the technique, strength and physical development necessary to be successful.

   Before beginning actual pointe work, many studios offer “pre-pointe” classes with strengthening exercises for the muscles in the ankles and feet.

   While students (and parents) may push to start pointe after a year or two of ballet, the decision must be left to a teacher. Students may think it is unfair and feel upset if classmates/friends begin pointe and they do not, so it is important to remember that the teacher is acting in the best interest of the child and is doing what is best for the development of each dancer.

   Here are some factors a teacher reviews prior to pointe work:

   • Age; it is highly recommended that students be at least 11 years old before beginning pointe.
   • Technique; Dancers should have a solid foundation in ballet training (typically a minimum of three years of study).
   • Range of motion in the ankles; this can be checked in an echappe to second position. The feet should extend into a straight line with the shin (if you line up a pencil with the top of a student’s arch it should also touch the shin).
   • Physical maturity of the dancer; many studios require a doctor’s note prior to pointe (to check the growth plate openings in a student’s toes and feet).
   • The student’s alignment and the strength of the “core” muscles to maintain posture.

   Before beginning actual pointe work, many studios offer “pre-pointe” classes with strengthening exercises for the muscles in the ankles and feet. Students can also work on foot articulation by practicing gripping and lifting pencils or marbles with their toes as well as ankle strengthening with elastic exercise bands. Working on tendus and degages is very important in preparing for pointe work. Pre-pointe classes can be taxing on young dancers’ calf muscles and ankles so it is important they have attained a strong technique before beginning these classes.

   When students begin dancing on pointe they are often subject to blisters, corns and bruised toenails- no fun! It is important that a shoe specialist fit a dancer for her shoes as they will fit much differently than other types of shoes. When being fitted, a student should wear whatever padding (i.e. lambs wool, ouch pouches, medical tape) she plans to use when dancing to ensure the shoe still fits properly. Most dancers develop callouses within the first months of pointe and the blisters subside.

   Students must also be taught how to correctly sew elastic and ribbon onto shoes and how to tie the ribbons. Ribbon tied too loosely will not provide the support needed, while ribbon tied too tightly can cut off circulation. Once a dancer has been instructed in all these points, the pointe work can begin!

2. Choosing Your Child’s First Ballet School

   July 21, 2013 6:49 pm Comments Off on Choosing Your Child’s First Ballet School

   If your young daughter or son have expressed interest in taking ballet classes, now is the time to start looking for ballet schools!  If you aren’t quite familiar with dance, this may seem like a difficult task.  Here are some tips to help you decide and hopefully narrow down a few options.

   • Cleanliness and Quality of Facilities. One of the first things you may want to consider is the quality of the facilities.  Most schools would offer or have no problem giving you a general tour of their studios.  While the studio doesn’t need to look state-of-the-art, you want to make sure that its a safe and inviting setting for your child to take classes in.
   • Professionalism and Qualification of Faculty and Staff. While it may take a couple weeks to get the full feeling of the faculty, the first impression should at least leave you feeling good about enrolling your child.  Not only should the staff act professional around both you and your child, but they should generally have a positive attitude in the way they teach.  Also, take a moment to read up on the teaching faculty to see their experience level and make sure you feel comfortable with what you see.
   • Variety of Classes Offered.  Especially when they are young and starting out, it is a good idea to introduce your child to many different types of dance.  Who knows, maybe they will end up enjoying Jazz more than Ballet?  Or possibly Tap?  Even if ballet ends up coming out on top, they will have still gained quite a bit from these other dance forms since they all revolve around the discipline of learning a specific technique.
   • Performing Opportunities.  Most schools will have an end of the year show and possibly more throughout the year.  Performing on stage is the end result of taking classes.  Without school performances, it would be like enrolling and practicing baseball every week, but never playing a game!  The ability and exposure at a young age can benefit your child in a multitude of ways in the future, even outside of ballet.  It takes a lot of courage to go out in front of a large crowd and doing so can help build confidence.
   • Number of Students per Class.  While this becomes increasingly more important as students reach their teens, an overcrowded class is no good as a young student either!  If you feel the class is too large, say 30 students, then that may not be a good fit and your child may be easily overlooked.  If the class is 30 with 2 teachers, that’s a different story, but most classes are taught by a single teacher.
   • Tuition. Everyone’s budget is different and it’s important to make sure you find a school that fits within your own.  Ballet may end up being just a couple year activity that your child enjoys but decides to move on and pursue other fun things.  Should that happen, you don’t want those few years of classes to leave you with a bitter taste.

   Remember, They’re Just Starting Out

   Whether it was your child’s idea or your own to enroll them in dance, remember that they’re just starting out and the main goal needs to be that it is fun for your child.  Not many children around the ages of 4-6 have a strong grasp on the idea of working hard toward a career.  If you push them too much in the beginning, it likely won’t seem fun and they may lose interest.

   Let them have fun when they’re trying it out and if you feel that they would possibly benefit from a school with better training, then you can start exploring options again.  We’ll discuss that soon in another post!