Pointe

Ever since I started ballet, it was my dream to dance like the older girls. The reason for this was because of pointe. Pointe is something every ballerina looks forward to. Pointe is, "On the points. The raising of the body on the tips of the toes." (Grant Pg.89) Let me tell you, this is one of the hardest things I've done in my life. It takes years and work put into your feet in order to even get on these. Ballerinas take a lot of precaution while going on pointe. You are practically putting your whole body on the tips of your toes while doing turns and jumps. Currently I'm on demi-pointe which is a step between getting your pointe shoes and from your regular ballet shoes. Demi-pointe, "On the half-points. Indicates that the dancer is to stand high on the balls of the feet and under the toes." (Grant Pg.39) It's the process of making your feet strong enough to hold yourself up when you're on pointe's. Being on demi-pointe's isn't as fun as pointe's so we try our best to get up to pointe's with hard work and dedication. I definitely want to get off them and go on pointe as quickly as possible. In the book I'm reading there are a few tips I found that'll help do that. Here's one of them, go onto demi with your feet parallel, repeat this process and continue with a forced arch in between. (Grant Pg.89) I will start with rising onto demi first and continue with the forced arch.

Doing this will help gain the muscles needed to get your feet to be able to hold your whole body up. While doing this though you must have good posture, good body alignment, and most of all your legs should  not be bending while you're on demi. This is a half way step between going on pointe. To go on pointe you will go through demi and onto pointe. Not only does this help gain the muscles needed but it also helps create a better arch in your feet. Many ballerinas adore very bent arch's because it obviously looks good in ballet shoes and pointe shoes. Well, in the ballet world of course. After I've done a few of the rises, I will be adding in the forced arch. This'll enhance my arch and create the muscles needed, pushing me closer to getting on pointe.

This is overall a long process. But to me it's all worth it. When you have a passion for something. You'll do anything you can to get better at it. I am proud of my arch and how far I've come but I still see that I am able to improve it more and more. No matter where I am or where I go ballet will always be brought with me. Nothing will stop me from doing what I love.


Question: What is your passion? Are you proud of yourself for how far you've come?

Citation:
Grant, Gail. Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet. Third Revised Edition ed. New York: Dover Publications, 1982. Print.