Extract from the Encyclopaedia Britannica Online
Pointe of Strength
Feb/Mar2008
Pointe
by Gendler, Lizzie
Three expert teachers offer tips on developing beautiful pointework
In Darla Hoover's level-four pointe class at Manhattan 's Ballet Academy East, the students laugh as Hoover conjures up images of their fathers wearing pointe shoes around the kitchen.
"Anyone can put on these shoes and get up onto pointe and roam around the floor," says the former New York City Ballet dancer who heads the Graded Level Program at BAE. "But we have to be graceful, and the only way to be graceful is to be strong."
Ballerinas spend their lives developing the strength to have effortless, beautiful pointework. Though Giselle appears lithe and ethereal, dancers know that achieving this illusion requires incredible amounts of strength. Proper placement and a strong core are also vital.
Building strength begins in technique class, before you put on your pointe shoes. "If students don't have an understanding of how to power their feet in soft shoes, they're not going to be successful powering their feet in hard pointe shoes," says Judy Rice, ballet teacher at the University of Michigan and Manhattan 's Broadway Dance Center .
Work your foot to the maximum by really articulating in tendu and dégagé. "Pointe all the way to the tips of the toes, so that there is energy in the foot and you don't just have these appendages hanging at the end," says former NYCB ballerina Gloria Govrin, who currently runs the Dance Institute at Minnesota Dance Theatre.
Also focus on fully straightening your legs when you relevé on demi-pointe. "Students need enough muscle control in the legs so that they can relevé on pointe with straight knees," says Govrin.
Proper foot alignment on demipointe is also vital for building strong feet and will make your pointework easier. Be sure to hold your foot with your weight over the first two toes, not rolling out toward the little toe or inward onto just the big toe. Use the mirror in class to see correct foot alignment from the front and side, so that your body learns what proper placement feels like.
For building strength, "there is no substitute for relevés," says Govrin. Do relevés first on both feet, then on one foot with your own body weight as resistance. "This will give you all the strength you need," Govrin says. With your pointe shoes on, relevé just from demi-pointe onto full pointe to really work the toes.
In addition to technique classes, you can further your pointework by doing exercises at home, using a resistance band. Point and flex from your ankle with the band around the ball of your foot. Then point and flex just your toes inside the band. Sickling and winging your foot with the band's resistance will strengthen all the small muscles that support your ankle and lower leg. To strengthen your toes, stand barefoot with a small towel under your foot and try to bunch the towel up with your toes.
Like all aspects of ballet, pointework requires a balance between strength and flexibility. Standing in parallel with your pointe shoes on, stretch the top of your foot by crossing one foot over the other and bending your knees, pushing the foot forward with the back knee.
To build core strength, Pilates exercises are great. You should also work closely with your teacher to develop the proper alignment that will enable you to move freely.
Though we often emphasize getting up onto pointe, the real test of polished pointework is moving from full pointe down to flat. "The most important thing to learn is how to get down off pointe," Govrin says. All three teachers agree that this often-neglected element is essential. Rather than jumping down off pointe, roll down slowly and with control, articulating through each section of the shoe. Like a grand battement, "a plié relevé should go quickly up and slowly down," says Hoover .
In the end, the shoes are tools that you power. "Make sure that the foot is controlling the shoe," says Rice, "and not the other way around."
All ballet dancers covet a high arch. Yet no matter how hard you work your foot, the size of your instep largely depends on genetics. In an attempt to achieve the "perfect arch," some dancers turn to instep enhancers, padding the top of their foot with various materials like lamb's wool, foam or even socks.
Though fake arches may improve the look of the foot, some dancers and teachers consider wearing them cheating. "To me, it would be like wearing a wig all the time," says Govrin. "Everybody doesn't have to have those big arches."
A nice foot line comes from working your turnout and the way you present your feet as much as from the height of your instep. "Make the most of your own foot," Rice says. "If you really work your foot to the maximum, no one will notice what you don't have."
On the other hand, instep enhancers can provide confidence and even a career to talented dancers who, despite their hard work, remain disadvantaged due to the bony structure of their foot. "I have seen some absolutely beautiful dancers with unfortunate feet, which keeps them from a career, and I think that is so sad," says Hoover . "So if you can wear them and they look good, then why not?"
"I was one of those individuals" says Melania Rousos-Mennes, creator of Dance Arches. During her professional career, Mennes felt judged for the shape of her feet. "If someone had offered me a pair of Dance Arches when I was dancing, I would have thought my prayers had been answered."
Such products should not replace hard work. Still, "all dancers [should] have the chance to achieve their dreams and look their best," says Mennes.
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By Lizzie Gendler
Former Pointe intern Lizzie Gendler currently lives in Dallas, Texas.
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Source: Pointe, Feb/Mar2008, Vol. 9 Issue 1, p52, 2p
Item: 28635022
Lexile Reading Level: 1100
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