Pre Pointe Assessment

Going up onto pointe is a very exciting time in the progression of the ballet dancer, but it is also a time where utmost caution is needed to ensure that all goes well. To guarantee that the transition is safe and injury free, most dance teachers now advocate a specialised pre-pointe assessment by a qualified physiotherapist.

The information gained from these sessions will not only ensure that the young dancer is truly prepared for pointe work but will also improve their dancing technique in general. The rehab provided by the therapist will compliment the dancers base training thus producing a stronger performer all round.

The sessions are an hour in length with comprehensive exercises to undertake at home.

Generally students will require 2 – 5 appointments depending on their current level of strength. They will be assessed on foot flexibility, foot strength, turnout control, core strength and basic ballet technique in order to assess readiness for pointe.

As many students present with the same weaknesses, Lisa Howell created “The Perfect Pointe Book”. This is a wonderful resource for any dancer and teaches all of the basic strengthening and stretching exercises needed in order to progress onto pointe safely. Many students begin work on this even before their initial assessment in order to arrive more prepared. You can purchase a downloadable version of this resource online at www.theperfectpointebook.com or obtain a hard copy by phoning the clinic on 02 9922 7721.

We also run a special 2 hour intensive workshop on The Perfect Pointe Book on a regular basis. Contact reception for more details.

Once all of the requirements have been met, your therapist in conjumction with your dance teacher, will give you approval to purchase your first pair of shoes. This requires an expert fitter and you can discuss the most appropriate person for this with your therapist.

Once pointe shoes have been purchased we can assist in ‘breaking’ them in effectively and commencing basic pointe strengthening exercises. (Its not all about walking on your toes!) This actually helps the shoes last longer and makes initial pointe work much easier!

We look forward to helping you progress onto pointe safely!

02 9922 7721