Beginning pointe work is not to be taken lightly or begun before your body is ready: going on pointe before this can cause foot deformities, for example, and other problems later in life. Factors such as age, parental expectations and the students’ desire to go on pointe are not substantial in determining if a student should starting training on pointe, with teachers needing to consider range of movement in the foot and ankle, technical ability and inherent bodily design overall.
If a student is too young, the foot bones will not have matured or ossified sufficiently: if dancers go on pointe before the age of 11 or 12 there are risks of growth-plate injuries, sometimes known as Salter-Harris fractures. As a result, these injuries can stunt bone growth or cause improper development so it is imperative students are not put on pointe too early. Much preparation can be done for pointe work however, making sure the feet and body are suitable. Students must have sufficient technical comprehension and physical strength before beginning pointe in order to prevent both sickling on demi-pointe. The body much be aligned correctly to avoid incorrect work and therefore injuries, and the bodies must also have enough muscle tone to support them on pointe.
Preparation and sufficient training for pointe work can be achieved by using aids such as a Thera-Band or cross-training exercises to supplement training. This can be a slow process but usually means the body is fully prepared and ready for pointe work. Conditioning for the feet is extremely beneficial by building up the strength in the toes, in addition to that of the core and turn-out muscles in the hips. However, even after much preparation and additional training, it may be that some feet are just unsuitable for pointe work, lacking in alignment, strength or technical ability.