What should I do if I'm rejected for pointe work the second time?

Question

I've been dancing for nine years and I'm 15 years old. Once I entered the second to highest level at my ballet school, it was time for me and the rest of the pre-pointe students in my class to be evaluated by our school principal for pointe. We were evaluated my first year of pre-pointe and I was rejected to buy pointe shoes for class. I was very upset and even cried once I got home. The time came around again a couple of months after my 15th b-day and I had worked harder in class and was SURE I was going to be put en pointe. But once again I was rejected. I feel terrible because I KNOW I'm ready. And I watched girls who's technique isn't as good as mine be put en pointe. Girls who can't even pique passe on a straight leg. My teachers said that I was so close, the only thing was that I wasn't pointing my feet hard enough when I danced [which I have been working on]. What should I do other than bust my butt when class starts back in September? Any excercise suggestions?

Answer 1

Keep practicing and do some yoga, stretches, etc, before you're going to be evaluated (be sure not to pull anything, though) to limber yourself up. If you're rejected again just keep practicing.

Answer 2

When I was starting with dance classes, my biggest problem was pointing my toes. I wanted to be really good at dancing Modern and Ballet, and hopefully followed by Jazz, then. I used to look at others and compare myself, rather than just listen to my teachers. But I decided to approach my attitude differently by working on what I need than what I can do more compared to others. So, I worked on my pointing my toes, and also my pirouettes, from then on. I worked on them almost everywhere I go - embarrassed my brothers, but I was passionate about it that I didn't care as long as I can work on them - imagine your brother or sibling doing turns and tendus at a grocery store or mall.

I don't know how you are doing your techniques, but doing it correctly will make you better. I did a lot of tendus before, during, and after classes.

Tendus: is intiated by your ankle - whether going out and in. You have to be brushing the floor with the ball of your foot from the start till it can no longer touch the floor as you point your toes; and doing exactly the reverse. On my own, I would do this really slow so it will ingrain in my mind and body, that it became a natural movement for me. This is also how I initiate my battements, and jetes - it's just proper techniques. You just have to do more than a hundred tendus everyday so it become kinetic (natural movement) to you. Do all the variations.  Think of your turn out from your hip joint, presenting your ankle forward as you point your toes - while doing coupe, develope, arabesque, attitude...

To strengthen your ankles do a lot of relevers, elevers, pliers (making sure that you are trying hard to keep your heels down till they no longer can stay down, going down on your pliers; then reverse - trying to bring your heels down as soon as you can, going up). Do coupe, elevers; passe, elevers - to work on your balance.

I worked on mine so hard, that in 9 months of just learning to dance, my ballet teacher required me to do pointe (I was also a dance major). Hurt a hel.. of a lot, but it was worth it.

Answer 3

I had the SAME problem when I danced.  My technique was much better than some of the girls who went on pointe before me.  So I switched schools and went to a school that was less strict about who could be on point and who couldn't.