I strongly urge caution before using pointe shoes. The bones of the feet need to be hardened from the cartilage of childhood. No pointe shoes before age 11 and until completing 3 years of beginning ballet. This coincides with the beginning of the Intermediate Ballet Syllabi. Read the complete introduction to pointe work here.

Always take care to find your balance and strive for perfect placement while learning and performing on pointe.

For the 1st year only practice pointe work at the barre.

Center Practice Point Work - for Advanced Students 1 - 14

1. Relevé in 5th with 1st port de bras
relevé in 5th with 1st port de bras in 4 cts

2. Relevé in 5th, pas de bourée
face fwd, relevé in 5th -
small developpé, spring fwd and bourrée fwd, -
circling R arm up and out -
Repeat with back foot - traveling back,
R arm circles out, overhead and down in front

3. Pas de bourée, coupé degagé
preparation: face corner 1 -
L arm fwd, R arm in 2nd, RF front pointe tendu
3 bourrées R, L, R, coupé down and brush LF to point tendu back
reverse with R arm fwd

4. Pas de bourée dévant et derrière
5th position, RF back
devant: plié on L extend R to 2nd - open arms 2nd,
cross RF over in front in 5th on pointes -
step to 2nd on pointes, close 5th R front -
repeat LF
derriere: extend 2nd, step back on pointe, step 2nd and close 5th back

5. Balancé on Pointe
preparation: 5th position face fwd
ct 1 - with L shoulder fwd step RF to 2nd -
ct 2 - cross LF in front on point - simultaneously relevé on back F -
ct 3 - lower back heel -
repeat entire exercise left with R shoulder fwd - head inclines to front F

6. Trois échappé, relevé 5th
3 Echappé out one ct each changing feet
1 relevé 5th

7. Posé derrière, coupé dessus
spring back on L point 7x,
coupé LF over R on 8

8. Posé devant, coupé dessous
spring to R toe, with LF back of ankle 6x
lower R heel and pas de bourrée dessous - i.e. LF back, front, back,
RF to side, LF to side, LF 5th front

9. Pas de bourée, coupé, posé coupé on RF, with LF back on cou de pied
R arm fwd, L in 2nd
3 steps on pointes in 5th R, L R,
coupé down in front on RF, L on cou de pied
spring back on L pointe, R at knee, coupé down on RF and continue
4x R, 4x L

10. Posé derrière, coupé, jeté, pas de bourrée
2 posé back on L pointe, cut down on L, extend R
jeté to RF - bring LF to 5th front
and bourrée fwd on pointes, circling - L arm up
reverse all

11. Échappé
face wall 5 - no épaulement
spring to 2nd, close 5th front, travel fwd

12. Pas de bourrée couru with 1st port de bras
in a diagonal line bourrée fwd using 1st port de bras -
use 8cts of each port de bras

13. Relevé 5th with third port de bras
spring to 5th, balance on pointes,
3rd port de bras once and spring down
4x right, 4x left

14. 7 Soussus, Échappé
face corner 1, LF front
spring 5th both pointes, travel fwd with 7 soussus,
échappée changing feet and reverse -
begin to corner 2

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Pointe Work Introduction

Classical Ballet Beginning to Advanced by Susan Kramer. Preballet, beginning, intermediate and advanced levels of ballet with hundreds of combinations including a separate section of pointe work. 100 pages. Ebook or Paperback Book


Article by Susan Kramer