En pointe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dancing en pointe (pronounced /ɑ̃ poɛ̃t/, often anglicised as /ɑn pwɛ̃t/ or /ɑn pɔɪnt/) is the action of rising to the tips of the toes while performing steps from ballet. Also known as pointe work, it is performed using hard–toed and stiff-shanked pointe shoes. Dancing en pointe requires considerable strength and skill and is a central part of a female ballet dancer's training and repertory. Although this is one of the most graceful forms of dance, it can be very painful and may cause permanent damage to the feet.
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[edit] History
In 1832, the ballerina Marie Taglioni danced the full length of the romantic ballet La Sylphide en pointe and is credited as the developer and pioneer of the pointe technique. Taglioni first rose en pointe with soft ballet slippers that had a reinforced toe area, although not nearly as stiff as modern pointe shoes. The area was reinforced by stitching around the front and sides of the slipper. Unlike today, the moments on pointe were very brief and consisted of mostly balanced poses and relevés. Although a development of romantic ballet and a central element of ballet dancing in general, other dance forms such as jazz dance, street dance and tap dance also have short steps that are performed on the toes. In tap dance this is called a "toe stand."
In the 1920s and 1930s, Harriet Hoctor, a burlesque and vaudeville dancer, wore pointe shoes fitted with steel shanks and platforms to allow tapping en pointe and backwards bends whilst en pointe. Other dancers fitted ball bearings inside between the platform to allow for faster turns but the dangers of the steel shanks snapping meant that such practices quickly ceased.
[edit] Preparing for pointe
Young girls usually start dancing en pointe between the ages of eleven and thirteen. Before this, their bones have not ossified sufficiently; serious foot deformities can result from starting pointe too early. Girls must not go up en pointe until the bones of their feet are fully developed and the muscles in the arches, ankles, legs, pelvic area and abdominals are strong enough to bear the stress; injuries, such as breaking the ankle, can occur because of weak, untrained muscles. They should also have had at several years of proper training. All of this requires careful evaluation on the part of the teacher. Dancing en pointe requires one to use the entire body for support, including the legs and abdominal muscles.
Once a dancer is ready, preparation for pointe work is a slow and gradual process. At first, it is just strengthening exercises at the barre - for example, simply going up on pointe and coming back down, and then introducing variations in speed and position -- for perhaps no more than five or ten minutes. It is often only after six months to a year of this that one can start dancing on pointe in the center. The entire process takes time and close supervision by the teacher. The pointe work of beginning students should never be done unsupervised.
[edit] Common injuries
Dancing en pointe can place severe stress on the dancer's feet, common injuries related to dancing en pointe are:
- blisters - caused by repeated rubbing of skin against the rough hardened inside of the shoe's box. Blisters can be prevented or lessened by carefully wrapping the dancer's toes with medical tape, or using some type of thin padding.
- bunions - a bone deformity usually in the dancer's big toe, caused by cramping of the toes within the shoe's box. Dancers can prevent bunions by putting a spacer between the big toe and the next toe and wearing properly fitted shoes.
- bruised toenails - caused by heavy pressure on the front of the nail. This can be very painful.
Cuts can also occur between toes, as a result of the pressure of a dancer's toenails digging into the toes next to them; however, with proper trimming and filing of rough corners this rarely happens.
[edit] Injury prevention
Because pointe work can be painful, dancers also find methods to prevent chafing and blisters. Beginning students often use lamb's wool or "toepads" made out of soft material or gel. Wads of lamb's wool may also be used just in certain areas where a dancer feels the most pain. Many dancers also use sports tape to tape around their toes in order to further prevent blisters and bruised toenails. However, professional dancers often use only tape, a small amount of paper towelling, or nothing at all, because they prefer greater freedom of movement and sensitivity.
