Pointe shoes?

I stopped into the National Museum of Dance this morning after our daily technique class at the same location.  I snapped a photo from the exhibit on Pointe Shoes.  With a heading of "When to start pointe training", it outlines several factors to determine pointe readiness:

• stage of physical development
• foot and ankle strength
• foot and ankle flexibility
• correct placement of upper body, hip, knee, ankle and foot
• core strength (abdominal, trunk and pelvic control)
• intensity of training (classes per week)

Many teachers think it is age ONLY which determines the readiness of a dancer for pointe, or other more advanced courses of study.... this is not true.

The NYSSSA School of Dance students are not currently studying pointe while in residency this summer, but they may be at their home studios.  This board at the museum made me think of the various strengthening exercises we are incorporating into our dance conditioning training and how this program would benefit dancers working in pointe shoes tremendously.  We've incorporated elements of:

• core strengthening 
• pelvic alignment/postural assessments 
• learning about the bones of the foot and its muscle actions  
• injury prevention
• strengthening of the lumbo/pelvo/hip complex

It seems no matter what kind of dancer you are, the strengthening, flexibility, core stability, and body knowledge needed is the same.  Cheers to dancers of all kinds!