EVERY ASPIRING BALLERINA’S DREAM IS TO DANCE EN POINTE

As podiatrists with a special interest in Dance Medicine, one of the most common questions we are asked is at what age should a dancer start dancing en pointe.

When a dancer is en pointe, their toes carry 10-12 times their body weight and if a dancer commences pointe training too soon they can cause major injury. Common injuries include bunions, hammertoes, neuromas, bursitis, Achilles tendonitis, ankle sprains and foot fractures.

Many of these conditions can impact a dancer’s career and lead to chronic injury as an adult.

The Dance Clinic encourages dancers to work on both intrinsic foot strengthening, correct technique placement and control through movements in order to progress safely onto pointe.

We specialise in pointe assessments for dancers and work closely with the ballet teacher and parent to determine readiness for pointe work and offer ongoing monitoring and follow up appointments.