See the Podiatrist before being fitted for ballet pointe shoes?

Question

My daughter is being fitted for pointe shoes, her grandmother (an ex pro-dancer) is telling me that her dance instructor was supposed to send her to the Podiatrist (foot doctor). Is this true? ...if so, what is he/she going to say (negative and/or positive) that will be any more educated than the dance teacher that she has had for 6 years? Please help.

Answer 1

it could be a good idea as he/she can tell you how to protect your feet but ..... her dance teacher is still gonna make her go on pointe even if the foot doctor says no

but as far as i know you dont have to her gran might have hat to as the effects of going en pointe wernt showen so had to tell a foot doctor but as far as i know you dont need to

i think you should just prepare your daughter for pain blisters hard skin and everythong else

Answer 2

ok go to a ligit dance store and have her try on a bunch of shoes....a podiatrist is not going to be more helpful than a seasoned dancer that owns a store and knows everything about their merchandice...i have been dancing since i was 3 (im almost 16) and it really was a waste of time to go to a podiatrist...but she really shouldnt start pointe untill she is 12 or 13 at the least (she can get really bad back and knee problems because her growth plates havent started closing (i fractured my hip because of that) and muscles and bones havent stopped growing in her feet

Answer 3

I've never heard abotu sending girls to a pediatrist before they go en pointe. If her teacher thinks she's ready, then she will be fine as long as she gets fitted by someone who really knows what they're doing. They should be able to suggest styles and brands based on her foot shape.

Answer 4

Any responsible podiatrist will tell your daughter not to go en pointe. It's harmful to the feet and legs, and puts unnatural stress on all the weight-bearing joints.

Take your daughter to several dance stores until you find one where they are willing to spend about an hour with her. It's highly unlikely that a first pair of shoes can be found and fitted in less time than that.

I was a dancer myself, and I worked at a dance store, and I have seen what can happen to girls' feet when they wear bad shoes. This is especially true if they are put en pointe too early. Before the age of 13 or so, the growth plates and cartilage can be severely damaged by going en pointe, even if her shoes are perfectly fitted. Many teachers put girls en pointe too early either because they are pressured to by the girls and their parents, or because tiny girls en pointe is sometimes seen as proof of a "very professional" school.

Many dancers have the attitude that pointe is fine and it's just something you have to do to dance. You should remember that it can do permanent, severe damage to your daughter's feet and legs, and since only a tiny percentage of girls go on to dance professionally, most of them have this damage for no reason at all.

Answer 5

Well, I'm in pointe and I never went there.

I guess if her grandmother insists you can go, but they probably won't know much at all about pointe, and her ballet teacher should know if her feet are well for pointe or not.

Answer 6

um well i am a toe dancer and i do not have to go.  it may be different at different places though but i did not have to.