DanceGirlsDad Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Our 11 year old daughter is getting excited about progressing to Pointe shoes. I've no doubt the dance school will take care of her but Mum (my wife) is naturally a little concerned about it and worried about our daughter's foot / ankle health and possible long-term damage. Are mum's concerns normal and is there anything we should be aware of or be doing in terms of our daughter's foot and ankle health once she does move to Pointe shoes? Any tips for particular good quality models or brands of shoe that we should look out for and any general tips / advice from parents who's children have moved onto Pointe shoes? Thanks, Dad 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Welcome to the forum, Dancegirlsdad. :-) Pointe, pre-pointe, and shoes are all issues that have been much discussed here! To save lots of members repeating themselves, may I suggest that - if you haven't done so already - you use the search box at the top of the "Doing Dance" page, to search for "pointe" or "pointe shoes"? I will see if I can link to some previous threads too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Here's one to start you off: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/7846-pointe-and-foot-damage/#entry104670 And another: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/6868-first-pointe-shoes/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jade Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Hi dancegirlsdad, when my daughter got her first pair of point shoes age 11,I also was a little concerned ! The thought of her putting all her weight on her toes !!! However I took her to a good ballet shoe shop for a fitting - on recommendation of the teacher and other girls from our dance school. The fitting was done properly and they made my daughter do exercises with her feet and told me she had strong feet , so they too must know if your ready. As for the make of shoes there are lots to pick from but again a good shoe fitter will look at your daughters feet , shape , instep and pick a few that they think - but your daughter may have to try on a few different ones until she finds the right pair ! My daughter has grishko 2007 pointe shoes we have always liked these however lots of good brands out there ! As for health care keep toe nails short and keep up with pointe shoe fittings ! Last thing I can think of is make sure your daughter lets her pointe shoes hang up exposed to air to dry out and maybe darn front of shoes to make them last longer !!! Good luck it is a lovely experience getting your first pair or pointe shoes x 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceGirlsDad Posted February 24, 2015 Author Share Posted February 24, 2015 (edited) @spannerandpony - thanks - I'll have a look at the linked pages a little later. (unusual forum username - is there a story to it or just something random you came up with?) @jade - very informative, thank you - she's very excited about it and it's definitely going to be an experience for her. <flashback music> Gone are the days when she was little and would let me put her hair up in a bun for class ... little Ms. Independent now ... PS. What does DD mean? I've seen it in a few posts and just wondered. Edited February 24, 2015 by DanceGirlsDad 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Dancing daughter! You'll soon be using it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 @spannerandpony - thanks - I'll have a look at the linked pages a little later. (unusual forum username - is there a story to it or just something random you came up with?) @jade - very informative, thank you - she's very excited about it and it's definitely going to be an experience for her. <flashback music> Gone are the days when she was little and would let me put her hair up in a bun for class ... little Ms. Independent now ... PS. What does DD mean? I've seen it in a few posts and just wondered. Yep, dd = dancing daughter, ds = dancing son, dc = dancing children! My username stems from a combination of my friend giving me the nickname "spanner", and non-Cockney rhyming slang. :-D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 But what is dh? I've seen that a few times. Dancing husband, perhaps? Are there any on this forum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Dear or Darling Husband. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 (edited) What about GDD? Edited February 24, 2015 by Vonrothbart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceGirlsDad Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share Posted February 25, 2015 But what is dh? I've seen that a few times. Dancing husband, perhaps? Are there any on this forum? Does "Dad dancing" after a few pints at a family doo count? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesizzi Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 Find this Lisa Howell book always recommended for info... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Pointe-Book-Need-Dancer/dp/1452857407/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424863612&sr=1-1&keywords=lisa+howell 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceGirlsDad Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share Posted February 25, 2015 Find this Lisa Howell book always recommended for info... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Pointe-Book-Need-Dancer/dp/1452857407/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424863612&sr=1-1&keywords=lisa+howell Thanks for the recommendation. It's quite expensive, which isn't a problem if it's a worthwhile investment; would our 11 year old find it easy to understand (I couldn't really see much content from the Amazon preview)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceGirlsDad Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share Posted February 25, 2015 Just out of interest, I had a look around and there seems to be a slightly cheaper downloadable version with videos ($29 Australian dollars / around £15) - at Lisa's new site - The Ballet Blog: http://www.theballetblog.com/shop/the-perfect-pointe-book-downloadable-ebook/ It makes it a bit more affordable and the videos might be more useful / instructive for our DD to watch and learn from (like most 11yo DD's she's never off YouTube and has the attention span of a nat when it comes to any sort of technical reading ... ). Thanks again - I'll run it by her tonight and see if she'd like to give it a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 We got one of those books second-hand off Ebay. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 Dd has the downloadable version & found it very useful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceGirlsDad Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 Great stuff - thanks for all the info - I think the interactive version with the videos would be the one I'd go for. I spoke to our DD last night and whilst she's keen and likes the idea, she doesn't want to upset her teacher by starting to learn it too early or outside of class (and before Miss thinks she's ready). So she's asked me to talk to her dance teacher first, before I buy the book, just in case the timing isn't right; sensible young lady that she is. I shall therefore discuss it with "Miss" - who's actually a very passionate and lovely lady, whilst at the same time being firm and disciplined with her students - and see whether she green-light's the idea yet or gives me that patient smile and friendly touch on the arm that is reserved for when parents get a bit too excited and enthusiastic. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Probably the best thing to do is to wait for your dd's teacher to give the go-ahead for her to start pointe, and at that that stage the teacher will probably give your dd some strengthening exercises to do at home in preparation. it isn't a good idea to start practicing anything without the teacher's direct supervision. They are also likely to suggest a good dance shop and fitter, who will then make sure that your dd has the right type of shoes for her feet. There are a lot of makes and styles, all good, and each style/shape of shoe will suit someone different. Once she has the shoes, then show them to her teacher before sewing on ribbons etc so the teacher can check that they are happy with them. Most dancers generally start pointe when they are at the right stage of physical growth and development and have reached a certain level of technical ability, core strength and balance, all of which vary considerably between individual dancers, even if they are the same age and in the same class. The usual advice nowadays is not to start pointe until about the age of 12+ and again the best person to make that decision would be the teacher. To start with, they only wear pointe shoes for a few minutes once a week at the end of a lesson, and will gradually increase the amount of time spent on pointe - it is a slow and steady progress which can't be rushed and takes quite a few years! Hope this helps 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Just wanted to make clear that Perfect Pointe is a series of structured strengthening & preparation lessons it doesn't give any instruction on pointe itself. The student tests themselves in various areas to see where there weaknesses are & works on them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Isn't there a "My beginner pointe" also by Lisa Howell? That may be worth looking at. Excellent advice by taxi4ballet, especially regarding not wearing the shoes or sewing ribbons/elastic etc until the teacher has approved the shoes. I would also add the advice to not let your dd up on pointe at home, unsupervised, as tempting as it may be! It only takes one slip to sprain an ankle. The teacher may advise wearing them around the house, with clean socks over the shoes to keep them clean, as the heat of the feet will help break the shoes in. If your dd does this, she must be super careful when going up and down stairs. If you read through the linked threads, you should find some extremely good advice from Anjuli_Bai, regarding buying pointe shoes for the first time. :-) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceGirlsDad Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 Excellent advice, thanks again. I'll take my lead from "Miss" and we'll go slow and steady (and safely), and I'll caution DD about doing any unsupervised pointe exercises so that she doesn't hurt herself. All in good time, as they say. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 (edited) Most definitely wait for the teacher and take your cue from her. Your DD is only 11 - there is no rush - as taxi says very little time is spent on pointe exercises initially as the build up is gradual and with a good teacher it will very to suit individuals for when each student is ready. There was over 6 months between the first one getting pointe shoes and the last one in my DDs foundation class as the teacher assessed each student individually. You also have to remember that your DDs feet may well still be growing and she is likely to outgrow her pointe shoes rather than wear them out so from your wallet's point of view there is also no rush. It is highly possible if not probable that she will have different makes and styles of pointe shoe for a number of years - so always get her properly fitted. Getting pointe shoes is exciting but it is only a step along the way - don't get ahead of yourselves but enjoy each step of her journey Edited February 26, 2015 by 2dancersmum 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceGirlsDad Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 Just a quick follow-up to say that teacher gave the girls the go-ahead a few weeks ago to get their shoes and DD will begin using them in a few weeks time. Having had not had the best of experiences with our nearest dancewear store we popped to nearby Beverley where DD had her shoes expertly fitted by Sally at Pink Dancewear - we couldn't have asked for better service, she even refused to sell us a "nearly" pair, insisting that they just weren't quite right and she would order the right ones into stock. She did, and DD and teacher are both more than happy with the result. DD, of course, is over the moon and is buzzing at the prospect of getting them into use; rather her than me (ouch! ) ... 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceGirlsDad Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 Wow - don't they look so beautiful and elegant when up on point; I welled-up inside with pride when I saw DD up on her toes properly in her pointe shoes for the first time (but managed to keep the outer "tough dad" appearance together ... just!! ). It makes such a difference and she looks so tall and grown-up. Worth every penny of the class / kit fees (and all of the hours of ferrying around in the dad-taxi) to see her looking so tall and graceful and happy! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygirlsmum Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Aww, yes, it is a beautiful thing. Good luck to your Dd xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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