Preparing for pointe work is a very important and essential step in a dancer’s career, and can make all the difference in how easily and safely they progress onto pointe. If the right movement patterns are set up in the very beginning this will carry forward into all future work en pointe. If done well, this can also help guard against many of the common injuries that young dancers get when first beginning en pointe.
This series of 4 videos detail the progress of a young ballet student as she begins preparing for pointe work with the My Beginner Pointe Program.
Mimi Swinton-Beatty is a lovely young student who was dancing just 5 hours a week in January 2013 when she began working on Stage One of the My Beginner Pointe program in flat ballet slippers. This is a wonderful way for students to start preparing for pointe work as it allows them to become familiar with the exercises, and strengthen all of the muscles required to support themselves safely en pointe.
Mimi had a pre-pointe assessment with Lisa Howell in July 2013, and as she only had a few small things to correct, she got her first pair of pointe shoes in August.
This first video introduces Mimi and the concepts behind the program, to give you a clear understanding of how the program can be used when preparing for pointe work.
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