How old is too old to get to pointe dancing?

Question

I am 18 years old, i did three years of previous ballet, jazz dance and 1 yr of tap, hip hop when i was younger. i did 1 yr of indian filmi dance last year. i love to dance and wish i had continued ballet because my dream has always been to go on pointe, but sadly i had to move and my studio wasnt too serious. but i was hoping it is not too late to fullfill my dream of going to pointe. is this possible to start as pretty much a beginner maybe slightly more advanced than that and go on to pointe? if so how is the best way to do it, because i attend college in a different state than i live so id basically have to take classes over the summer in 6 - 10 week periods...is there anything i can do at home or while i am at school to strengthen myself, ankles, calves, abs and overall body in order to be more ready for ballet and pointe so that i can get on pointe rather quickly? is this a plausible dream? any suggestions, comments and feedback would be fantastic! please help me i really want to do this and will do whatever it takes.

Answer 1

dont worry i dance with this girl and we started at the same time and shes almost 30 and is doing better than some of the 16 year olds  

Answer 2

Find a reputable teacher and start taking ballet classes in technique shoes. Tell him/her that one of your goals is to go on pointe and discuss that with them. My mother didn't go on pointe until her mid 20's and she still takes pointe theory classes at 58.

As long as you have the drive and are willing to spend a lot of time getting back into ballet shape you should be able to go on pointe as long as your teacher agrees that you are strong enough.

Answer 3

i too am a dancer and i do pointe. it's pretty hard work, but my advice would be to find a studio nearby that offers pointe, and try to get some private lessons. then you can order the right size pointe shoes so they fit right. and condition your body by strengthening your core (AKA your abs.) and keep your legs strong by stretching everyday and improvinging your arch. (or pointing your toes a lot). eat right and exercise and you'll do great. never think that you can't do it, because that would just be a bad attitude. and it all else fails... go back and practice with regular ballet and work your way up to pointe. i didn't start till i was in 7th grade after taking dance for 7 years. so you're never too old to try it.

hope this help you!