Articles

Addressing Fear in Pointe Work

November 12, 2018

We all know how exciting it is to tell a student they are ready for pointe. But we also know the journey ahead in pointe work is fraught with obstacles and fears one absolutely must overcome if they are to… Read More

Addressing Fear in Pointe Work

Introduction to Pointe

February 19, 2018

Once a dancer has completed pre-pointe training, there is a transitional class needed before full pointe training can begin. This is an introduction (or orientation) to pointe work. I find a good many teachers skip this. Either they are… Read More

Introduction to Pointe

The Pre-Pointe Year

February 12, 2018

Pre-pointe is one of my favorite classes to teach. In part because I enjoy the age of most of the students (11-13 year olds), but also because the excitement of what is about to come is bubbling everywhere. The… Read More

The Pre-Pointe Year

Three Fundamentals of Safe Pointe Work

January 29, 2018

Above all, we prioritize safety. While we want our dancers whipping out strings of fouetté turns and series of hops en pointe, what we want more than that is for our dancers to have longevity and undamaged bodies. Pointe training… Read More

Three Fundamentals of Safe Pointe Work

Ready for Pointe?

January 15, 2018

When will I be ready for pointe? It’s a question ballet teachers hear often. Especially if you teach in a school that doesn’t have clear policies in place regarding this topic. But even with clear policies we still encounter… Read More

Ready for Pointe?

Choosing Which Correction To Give

June 29, 2017

I had a teacher oh so many years ago who was helping me learn how to teach. She observed me giving class one day and afterwards we had a little chat: “So, Robyn. Well done. However, I noticed you didn’t… Read More

Choosing Which Correction To Give

The Order of Learning Ballet

June 21, 2017

Order is beautiful to me. While I tend to live rather chaotically, I do ache for order. I believe this is one reason I was so drawn to ballet. The structure provided a solid framework for my creativity, and the… Read More

The Order of Learning Ballet

Knobby Knees and Hyperextension

May 19, 2017

(Note: This article is written with the young dancer, beginning around age 5, in mind.) “Let’s all stand in First Position.” All students begin to move into position. “Wonderful!  Be sure your heels are touching.” All students move their… Read More

Knobby Knees and Hyperextension

Take It To The Floor

May 9, 2017

I had a teacher who would say to my class, “Dears, you look simply awful. Take it to the floor.” She would deliver this line to us after we had finished an exercise or a combination that was not… Read More

Take It To The Floor

Exposing Students to Excellent Ballet

April 24, 2017

My dance training began when I was nine years old. A year later I saw a professional ballet dancer for the first time. It changed everything for me. In my eyes, this ballerina was perfection. I had no idea such… Read More

Exposing Students to Excellent Ballet

My Approach to Tricks

April 18, 2017

The thirty-two fouettés. The manège of turns. The continuous entrechat six. These are but a few of the spectacular feats dancers are always trying to attain. And once they reach their goal, the bar is pushed that much higher. Thirty-two… Read More

My Approach to Tricks

Maximize Learning Retention

October 21, 2016

If students are not retaining the new skills we teach them, it could be because we as teachers are not honoring their natural flow of learning. Learning new skills follows a logical pattern, and we have to address the “why” and… Read More

Maximize Learning Retention

Determine Their Intermediate Pointe Readiness

October 7, 2016

When teaching beginning pointe, or when teaching any form of dance, you’ll observe early on that every student will progress at a different pace. Some will catch on quickly, practice strengthening exercises at home, seek more information or opportunities… Read More

Determine Their Intermediate Pointe Readiness

The First Weeks of Pointe Class

July 30, 2016

Many teachers will be ushering their students into the first few weeks of pointe training this upcoming season. For many students, it is a very exciting time of choosing the right shoes, preparing their feet for the challenges ahead, sewing… Read More

The First Weeks of Pointe Class

Planning Your Intermediate Pointe Class

October 30, 2015

The first two years of pointe work should be very carefully limited and controlled. Too much too soon has proven to be detrimental in pointe class. As with any class, there is a simple formula teachers can use to plan… Read More

Planning Your Intermediate Pointe Class

Finding the Correct Full Pointe Position

August 29, 2015

Already evaluating your students to decide who will start pointe next year? When to begin pointe work is one of those very important, special and serious decisions. Here are a couple of exercises you can use on your beginners to… Read More

Finding the Correct Full Pointe Position

Choosing Class Format for Beginning Pointe

August 8, 2015

A very important first step in Pointe class planning is choosing the appropriate class format for your students. Each class is different, and each teacher has her own style of structuring those first lessons. Today we dive into some of… Read More

Choosing Class Format for Beginning Pointe

Guidelines for Starting a Student on Pointe

July 19, 2015

  Pointe work carries some risk of injury. Far too many students suffer injury in their first few years en pointe, sometimes because we, their teachers, expect too much too soon. Slow, gradual buildup of strength is the best way… Read More

Guidelines for Starting a Student on Pointe

Planning from a Bird's-Eye View

June 19, 2015

As you approach the end of a year of teaching, do you ever get the feeling that there was so much more you could have taught your students that you just didn’t get around to? They were ready for it,… Read More

Planning from a Bird's-Eye View

Recognizing the Student NOT Ready for Pointe

May 24, 2015

We’ve discussed weight placement on pointe, conditioning principles to improve pointe, whether or not my student is ready for pointe, how to fit their first pair of pointe shoes, and preparing little feet for pointe. Read More

Recognizing the Student NOT Ready for Pointe

Conditioning Principles to Improve Pointe Work

May 8, 2015

Is there such a thing as pushing your students too far when it comes to pointe work? I certainly believe there is, and I must admit, after reading Ruth Brinkerhoff’s “Pointe 1: An Introduction to Pointe Work”, … Read More

Conditioning Principles to Improve Pointe Work

Their First Pair of Pointe Shoes

April 7, 2015

Ballet requires that the dancer spend many years building and shaping the instrument of their art, which is their own physical body. The “Dancer’s Body” comes as a result of long hours of careful training of the muscles. Read More

Their First Pair of Pointe Shoes

The Twelve Week Rule

February 21, 2015

One of the hardest things a pointe teacher faces is the fear that their students may injure themselves. This, of course, is the last thing we want for our students. Too often the students are pushed too hard too soon, and… Read More

The Twelve Week Rule

Is My Student Ready for Pointe?

January 13, 2015

This is such a big and important question. It is one of hardest questions ballet teachers face. We don’t want to put them on pointe too early because they can really injure themselves. So, when is the right time to start with… Read More

Is My Student Ready for Pointe?

Preparing Little Feet for Pointe

October 13, 2014

I have an eight year-old student who loves to do tricks. She’s been dancing for two years, but this is my first year as her teacher. By the second class of the semester, she had already shown me—twice—how she can “stand… Read More

Preparing Little Feet for Pointe