Preparing for pointe shoes
Pointe shoe fitting is in a week,
pointe class starts in a month —
and I couldn’t be more excited!
Alongside performing, going en pointe has been one of my biggest goals and dreams ever since coming back to ballet. In a way it feels like the pointe journey starts long before shoe fitting. Beside regular ballet classes and gym training, I have been more and more focused on building strength and flexibility in my feet, calves and ankles - yes, lots and lots of relevés!
So here are some of the practices and habits I’ve built into my routine to get pointe-ready:
Relevés and teeth-brushing on one leg
Relevés and calf raises of all kinds have become part of my daily rituals: single-, double-legged, in sixth, à la second. Relevés are essential for developing the strengths needed for pointe work. Plus they easily sneak into any of those in-between moments of the day - teeth-brushing while doing calf raises has become a regular habit in the morning - often on a single leg.
On top of that, I am doing balance exercises of all kinds. I just adore wobble board exercises. If you wanna add more spiciness to any balance exercise, just close your eyes for a few seconds - which can be challenging even on a flat foot!
But the moment when you reach that perfect balance spot - and you feel like you could stay there forever - is priceless. Finally, if you have the chance of attending a proper pre-pointe ballet class, that’s ideal! I have been searching the whole internet for all kinds of feet strengthening workouts and pre-pointe training. My favorites so far are the pre-pointe classes by Kathryn Morgan!
all things pointe shoes
Besides doing all kinds of exercises to get my feet, ankles and calves in top shape for pointe work, I’m, of course, consuming an obscene amount of pointe shoe-related content - books, videos, blogs, documentaries - to learn more about the history, craft and different types of pointe shoes. Here are some recommendations based on my current favourites:
Books I am currently reading:
The Perfect Pointe Book by Lisa A. Howell B.Phty
The Pointe Book: Shoes, Training, Technique by Janice Barringer
YouTube channels:
For pre-pointe classes and feet strengthening: Kathryn Morgan, Claudia Dean
For all things pointe shoe fitting: The Pointe Shop
Tiny Steps - with a Big Smile
After years of training and dreaming of one day going en pointe, the idea of finally learning the art of pointe fills me with the most genuine kind of happiness.
Grateful to be on this journey and looking forward for this rite of passage! 🩰
