Are my feet fit for starting ballet?

Question

Haha, an odd question I know, but I am quite old to start. I'm 17, and I just want to know if I have any chance of ever getting on pointe, follow the links to see the short videos (They are only about 10 seconds long each)

http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/share.do?invite=cESrJz7u8h5veaya70nL&shareName=MMS&messageState=RETRIEVED

http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/share.do?invite=OESrJf7Z8hzYQ8W7hUXQ&shareName=MMS&messageState=RETRIEVED

Let me know what you think or any constructive critisism to improve my arches, turnout, ect.

Answer 1

God, girl, your arches are killer!  I have a couple of suggestions for you.

Firstly, don't force that turnout.  I can't see your whole body, so I don't know if you're doing it in that video.  It kind of looked like it, but I can't see that well.  Stop turning out when you feel uncomfortable in your knees.  If you're not forcing in that video, wow.  Your feet are beautiful.

There's nothing you can really do to improve your natural turnout past 7 or 8 years old.  That's when your bones stop shifting and growing, and your muscles are full-grown (well... not strengthwise, but length and width).  At 17, there's nothing you can really do to improve that turnout.  Again, don't force it, or you won't be able to dance very well in the future, because your knees and ankles will be misaligned and messed up.

Don't sickle back on that relevé.  Relevé is the position where you're up on the balls of your feet (just in case you didn't know, sorry if you did!).  Always keep the weight mostly on the big toe.  Plus, never arch backward to improve your arch.  You have very nice arches and a beautiful, high relevé already, and you don’t have to force over.  In other words, don’t bring the ankle back.  It should be right in line with the middle of your big toe.

OK, I hate to start getting into awkward territory, but I must to answer this question fully.  To use your entire natural turnout, you need to use your under glutus muscles.  You need to take the muscles underneath your large butt muscles and squeeze the lower ones.  If you squeeze the larger ones, you can become overbuilt, but if you tense the ones I’m talking about, you’ll get better rotation and balance more easily.

Hope this helped, keep with ballet with those beautiful feet!

Answer 2

Dancers can have any type of foot.  Your turn out seems fine, you just don't want your feet to be in a perfectly straight line.  Your turnout should be natural.  As far as your relevé (when you go on your toes,) you are sickling.  You have a pretty good arch, but you don't want to force it.  Keep your knees straight, and just try going onto your toes...(the balls of your feet.)  Also, be careful you don't go onto the tips of your toes because that can break them.  I think you have serious potential of being a pointe dancer, just make sure you get some experience of beginners ballet before.  One year of beginners ballet should do the trick, and then take beginners pointe, and you will begin to advance!

Good luck, darlin'!

Answer 3

wow. i am AMAZED by your turnout!!! i have been in ballet for about 7 years now and that about where i am with my turnout. i think it looks like you have the perfect foot for pointe. you have a very nice arch. i was just wondering if your toes taper a lot??? good luck!!!