ldthomas

Thank you everyone so much! This was all really encouraging. After hearing two blanket "no, we won't train adults en pointe" I was feeling pretty discouraged. The commitment is there, and absolutely I understand the hard work and patience involved (I'm not about to go out on my own and buy a pair of shoes and do this). My goal is to at least give it a try in two-three years, but only if my body is anatomically ready. Also, you're all very correct - there's so much more to ballet than just going en pointe. So for now, I shall work hard, train hard, have a ton of fun, and see where it takes me. Thanks everyone for your time!

Welcome to the forum ldthomas! I have moved your post into the appropriate area, Doing Dance. Sim (moderator) Hello everyone! I'm a 31 year old woman and I'm quite new to ballet (as in, only a few months). I attend 3 classical ballet classes a week, and 4 cardio dance classes a week. I'm also a certified yoga teacher. I've found a new passion in ballet, and the hour I spend in class every day is what inspires me in life, in work, in everything. I'm dedicated and passionate about advancing my skills as a dancer (although, I admit to having no skills quite yet, but you get my meaning). I want to progress and maybe, one day, be able to go en pointe. After reading many blogs, articles, and books about ballet, the consensus seemed to be that adults can certainly train to go en pointe, it just takes a lot of time, dedication, strength, and flexibility. Every single article I read had the same advice, "talk to your teacher and they can help direct you toward the kind of training you'll need to go en pointe." Well, I did exactly that. I spoke to two different teachers in my city, and they both had the same answer: "we do not train adults to go en pointe due to the health risks." Which is why I'm coming to you. I feel discouraged and confused. It seemed that eventually going en pointe was a possibility for me, but no one I talk to here agrees with that. Does anyone have any advice? Is it true that adults can go en pointe after enough training? Have I been misled? Or are the teachers who told me that adults can't/shouldn't go en pointe misled? Don't get me wrong - I understand that there are challenges associated with adults who are new to ballet. I hold no delusions about that, I guess I'm wondering just how far I'll be able to take this before I hit a wall and I'm forced to stop? Does that make sense? Anyway - thanks for your time. I appreciate it!