When a girl begins ballet, a common goal is to be "en pointe" like those ballerina's seen in companies dancing. What many girls often do not realize is that when you grow older, your body gains a form of alignment that is necessary in dancing on pointe. More often than not, girls become more aware of dancing on pointe around the ages of 9 and 10.
By 9 years old, the back is a little hollow, and this causes the head to be naturally tilted forwards. This creates a form of difficulty to maintain balance on demi-pointe, and if balancing on demi-pointe is difficult, pointe work should be put off. Balance at 9 years of age on demi-pointe proves to be difficult because the thigh and abdominal muscle are weak. MUCH more training is required before contemplating pointe work.
By 10 years old, the hollow back can be corrected with an effort. Since having a straight back is not habitual, even if her demi-pointe work is outstanding, she should not risk the serious dammage of going on pointe at too early of an age.
Working on pointe also requires the help of mother nature, and your gene pool. So how do I know if I have naturally perfect feet?
