02/05/2026
One of the hardest conversations of my work is knowing when more effort isn’t the answer.
This young dancer’s mother brought her to me to help her get stronger for pointe because she was struggling to keep up in class.
To be clear — she already had pointe shoes and was already placed in pointe class before coming to see me. I did not put her en pointe.
We did what responsible care requires: appropriate treatment, mobility work, and strengthening — so she could know she truly gave it her best effort.
Despite that, she was unable to achieve the ankle range of motion required for safe, successful pointe work.
Pre-pointe readiness is always multifactorial — including strength, control, biomechanics, technique, artistry, and anatomical capacity.
Pointe is a powerful rite of passage, and for many dancers it can feel like everything. When it’s clinically appropriate, I believe in letting dancers try — so they can understand what their body can and cannot do with clarity and dignity.
Not every pointe challenge is a strength issue.
Some limitations are anatomical, and no amount of training can change bone structure.
When dancers come to me before being placed en pointe, we may work on preparation — but if the required range isn’t there, they are not sent to get pointe shoes.
This isn’t about taking something away.
It’s about guiding dancers toward paths where they can thrive — safely and confidently.
Pointe shoes don’t create readiness.
They reveal whether the body can tolerate the demand.
✅ Parents or teachers — if you have a dancer you feel would benefit from a clinical pre-pointe assessment, this can be a valuable junction and complement to what’s observed in class, offering a dancer-health and injury-specialist perspective focused on safety, anatomy, and long-term sustainability.
DM PRE-POINTE to set up either an in-person or virtual appointment. 🩰
