This article does not cite any references or sources. (November 2006) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (October 2007)

This article or section seems to contain embedded lists that may require cleanup. To meet Wikipedia's style guidelines, please help improve this article by: removing items which are not notable, encyclopedic, or helpful from the list(s); incorporating appropriate items into the main body of the article; and discussing this issue on the talk page.

One foot shown en pointe.

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. To a lesser extent, pointe work is also practised by male dancers. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Shortcut: WP:WIN Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia and, as a means to that end, also an online community. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (461x615, 46 KB) Photograph taken by me, Splowey, uploaded for use on Wikipedia. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (461x615, 46 KB) Photograph taken by me, Splowey, uploaded for use on Wikipedia. ... This article is about the body part. ... For more on the equestrian movement, see pirouette (dressage). ... For other uses, see Ballet (disambiguation). ... A pair of pointe shoes. ... Training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relates to specific useful skills. ...

History

Violetta Elvin en pointe.

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." Image File history File links Violetta_Elvin. ... Image File history File links Violetta_Elvin. ... Year 1832 (MDCCCXXXII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Marie Taglioni, in a colored lithograph, circa 1831 (Victoria & Albert Museum). ... Pas de Quatre: Carlotta Grisi, Marie Taglioni, Lucile Grahn and Fanny Cerito The Romantic period in ballet occurred in the early to mid 1800s, and roughly corresponds to Romanticism movements in art and literature. ... La Sylphide is one of the worlds best-known ballets. ... Image:Ballet feet. ... Pas de Quatre: Carlotta Grisi, Marie Taglioni, Lucile Grahn and Fanny Cerito The Romantic period in ballet occurred in the early to mid 1800s, and roughly corresponds to Romanticism movements in art and literature. ... For other uses, see Ballet (disambiguation). ... Jazz dancers. ... A girl hip hop dancing, a very broad and common category of street dance. ... Man tap dancing. ...

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. The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. ... Harriet Hoctor (September 25, 1905-June 9, 1977) was a ballerina and dancer from Hoosick Falls, New York. ... Photograph of Sally Rand, 1934. ... This article is about the musical variety theatre. ... A contemporary dancer rehearsing in a dance studio Dance generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ... Working principle for a ball bearing. ...

Preparing for pointe

Young girls usually start dancing en pointe between the ages of nine and fifteen; they are not considered ready for pointe work unless they have been studying classical ballet for three or more years, with a frequency of two or more classes per week. They should also be in an intermediate or advanced level of ballet and be able to hold their turnout from the hips while performing center combinations. All of this requires careful evaluation on the part of the teacher. In the more serious dance academies, a professional's advice is required to make sure the dancers' feet have ossified sufficiently; serious foot deformities can result from starting pointe too early. Students must not dance 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. She must make sure her feet are calloused enough so that the pain of dancing on pointe is numbed. Pedicures are a bad idea for pointe dancers. Layers and layers of dead skin, callouses, etc. on the feet are helpful, like insulation against the strain of the shoe. Things like blisters, boils, athlete's foot, cuts of the feet, and even bleeding are to be expected. Ossification is the process of bone formation, in which connective tissues, such as cartilage are turned to bone or bone-like tissue. ...

Dancing en pointe requires one to use the entire body for support, including the legs and abdominal muscles^[1].

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 rising en pointe and returning. According to the teacher's preferences and syllabus, the dancers might first be taught to "roll-through" from flat to half-pointe to pointe and down again. Then variations in speed and position may be introduced -- for perhaps no more than five or ten minutes. It is often only after six months to a year of such exercises that one can start dancing en pointe in the center. The entire process takes time and close supervision by the teacher. The pointe work of beginning students should always be supervised.

The first exercises at the barre are usually relevés, échappés, and "plies. ^[2] done on both feet. Only once the student is fully comfortable in executing the steps on both feet (and the tendons are strong enough), steps ending on one foot are introduced, first at the barre, later on in the centre like doing small hops en pointe and things relevant to that. In centre practice, Mme Vaganova suggests as first exercises temps levés on both feet (same as relevés) and échappés on pointes.

Pointe shoes are not like regular soft ballet shoes; they consist of satin, with a shank--or sole--comprised of stiffened leather, canvas, and burlap sealed with glue. The box, or reinforced toe area of the shoe is made of stiffened and reinforced canvas and/or burlap. Elastic and ribbon are used to secure pointe shoes onto the dancers' feet, although the latter adds an element of decoration as well. Most dancers like to prepare a new pair of pointe shoes before wearing them for the first time. Preparation usually consists in making the hard shank more supple, so that the shoes can actually bend in half pointe; sometimes sensitive spots on the box can be softned to offer less friction against the feet. A pair of pointe shoes. ...

Pointe technique

There are several methods that dancers use to rise on the toes. In one method (French school, RAD syllabus), the dancer rises on her toes by passing through half-pointe or "demi-pointe"; in the second method, the dancer springs onto her toes with a small hop (Russian and Italian schools)^[3]. In the latter case, less stress is put on the calf muscles. The effort exerted to remain on pointe must be shared by the whole body, not only the legs; the abdominal muscles must be engaged and the back should be kept straight, while the neck muscles should be relaxed.

Common injuries

Dancing en pointe can place stress on the dancer's feet. Common injuries related to dancing en pointe are:

Achilles tendinitis 

Athlete's foot 

Athlete's foot is a fungal infection which grows in a dark, moist environment such as that of a perspiring foot in tight, closed shoes. It is also contagious. It can be prevented by washing the feet once a day and if contracted, can be cured by over-the-counter remedies or a prescribed anti-fungal.

Blisters 

Blisters are caused by repeated rubbing of skin against the rough hardened inside of the shoe's box. Shoes that fit incorrectly can cause blisters, as can the breaking in process. Blisters should be dealt with before they burst or become infected. 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.

Bunionette 

Bursitis 

Bruised toenails 

caused by heavy pressure on the front of the nail. This can be very painful.

Calluses 

Calluses are thickened areas of skin which form on the bottom and sides of the feet. While a small amount may be helpful, too much callusing can indicate poor posture or poorly fitted shoes. Especially thick callus may crack or bleed and can be painful, causing a burning sensation. Calluses can be kept under control by soaking the feet in warm water and mild soap for 10 - 15 minutes. Excess callus can then be filed off gently, not removing the whole.

Contusions 

Corns 

Corns result from incorrectly fitted shoes and form in places that do not bear weight.

Cuts between the toes 

Cuts can 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, filing and fitting, this can usually be prevented.

Dancer's heel 

Dermatitis 

Dermatitis is caused by allergens or stress, resulting in skin irritation which manifests in itching, burning, or reddened areas. Contact dermatitis is caused by skin contact with an allergen; neurodermatitis is related to stress.

Dorsal exostosis 

Extensor tendinitis 

Fungus nails 

Hallux limitus and rigidus 

Hammer toes 

Heel bruises 

Heel spurs 

Ingrown toenails 

Jammed big toes 

Neuromas 

Posterior impingement syndrome 

Plantar fascitis 

Plantar warts 

Sesamoiditis 

Sprained ankle 

Stress fractures 

Thickened toenails 

Achilles tendinitis is inflammation of the Achilles tendon. ... Athletes foot or Tinea pedis[1] is a parasitic fungal infection of the epidermis of the foot. ... Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines that may be sold without a prescription, in contrast to prescription drugs. ... For the packaging type, see Blister pack. ... A bunion (hallux valgus) is a sometimes painful structural deformity of the bones and the joint between the foot and big toe. ... Toes are the digits of the foot of a human or animal. ... Tailors bunion, or Bunionette, is a condition caused as a result of inflammation of the fifth metatarsal bone at the base of the little toe. ... Bursitis is the inflammation of one or more bursae, or small sacs of synovial fluid, in the body. ... A bruise, also called a contusion or ecchymosis, is a kind of injury to biological tissue in which the capillaries are damaged, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding tissue. ... This article is about calluses and corns of human skin. ... A bruise or contusion or ecchymoses is a kind of injury, usually caused by blunt impact, in which the capillaries are damaged, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding tissue. ... ... A wound is a physical trauma where the skin is torn, cut or punctured. ... Dermatitis is a blanket term literally meaning inflammation of the skin. It is usually used to refer to eczema, which is also known as Dermatitis eczema. ... Dorsal is an adjective which means, being at the back. ... An exostosis (plural: exostoses) is the formation of new bone on the surface of a bone. ... The leg extension is an isolation exercise. ... Tendonitis (also tenonitis or tendinitis) is an inflammation of a tendon. ... Subkingdom/Phyla Chytridiomycota Blastocladiomycota Neocallimastigomycota Glomeromycota Zygomycota Dikarya (inc. ... For other uses, see Nail. ... A Hammer toe deformity is a condition of the toe where the toe is bent downward. ... For other uses, see Heel (disambiguation). ... A bruise, also called a contusion or ecchymosis, is a kind of injury to biological tissue in which the capillaries are damaged, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding tissue. ... A spur is a metal instrument composed of a shank, neck, and prick, rowel (sharp-toothed wheel), or blunted end fastened to the heel of a horseman. ... Onychocryptosis, commonly known as ingrown nails (unguis incarnatus) or ingrowing nails, is a common form of nail disease. ... A neuroma is a tumor growth of nerve cells and fibres. ... In zootomy, several terms are used to describe the location of organs and other structures in the body of bilateral animals. ... In medicine, fasciitis refers to an inflammation of the fascia. ... A plantar wart (verruca plantaris, VP; also commonly called a verruca) is a wart caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). ... Location of the sesamoid bones, behind the fetlock. ... A sprain (from the French espraindre - to wring) is an injury which occurs to ligaments caused by a sudden over stretching (for the muscle injury, see strain). ... For a review of anatomical terms, see Anatomical position and Anatomical terms of location. ... This article is about stress wienerfractures in bones. ... A toenail is the nail found on a toe. ...

Injury prevention

Because pointe work can cause friction between the toes and the hard box of the pointe shoe, dancers use several methods to prevent chafing and blisters. Dancers often use lamb's wool or "toepads" made out of soft material or gel. Folded paper toweling is also a popular padding material. 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. Some pointe dancers are able to wear their pointe shoes without any padding to protect their feet. For the packaging type, see Blister pack. ... For other uses, see Wool (disambiguation). ... In optical filters and theatrical lighting a color gel is a transparent or translucent colored panel used to change the color of transmitted light. ...

References

1. ^ Fit feet - ballet dancers and pointe work Dance Magazine Sept 1997 Marian Horosko
2. ^ Testo programmatico per lo studio della danza classica - Teatro alla Scala, A. M. Prina
3. ^ Theory and Practice of Classical Theatrical Dancing, C. Beaumont, S. Idzikowski

External links

Dance en pointe