Spotlight on: Ballet pre-pointe assessment

Dance is a popular preschool or after-school activity for children. Dance classes have many benefits including encouraging children to be active, helping them to make new friends, and improving mental alertness and coordination.

The promise of beautiful shoes and a tutu makes ballet a popular choice for young girls in particular but as they grow and as their training progresses, it is important to ensure they will be able to handle more advanced techniques.

What is pointe?

Pointe technique involves a classical ballet dancer taking their entire bodyweight through the tips of their toes. This typically occurs around the age of 12-14, with the transition usually coinciding with an increase in hours and intensity of training.

Considering the high demand this places on the body of a dancer, there are a number of associated risks. Common dance injuries include lateral ankle sprains, low back pain, anterior hip pain, anterior knee pain and foot stress fractures. More dance teachers are referring their young dance students to physiotherapists for a pre-pointe assessment to prevent injuries and ensure a safe transition to pointe.

What will the physio check?

Your physio will assess the dancer’s foot and ankle posture, ankle range of movement, the strength of their intrinsic foot muscles, calves, and overall lower limb muscles as well as lumbo-pelvic control. It is important to also consider whether the dancer is hypermobile in their joints which further increases their risk of injury secondary to poor muscle control.

Should a dancer not be ready for progression to pointe based on the assessment findings, your physiotherapist will provide a neuromuscular coordination exercise program to be completed on a daily basis at home.

This program will aim to give your budding dance star the adequate strength, range of movement and control for pointe work. 

If you have any questions about whether you're ready for pointe, don't forget to see a physiotherapist at Back In Motion for a free assessment.

Author

Sahanna Anandarasa - Physiotherapist (Clinical Associate) at Back In Motion Sydenham

Sahanna graduated from Latrobe University with a Bachelor of Health Sciences and a Masters of Physiotherapy Practice. She has always led an active lifestyle, having trained in Indian classical dancing from an early age. As such, her innate understanding of movement has led to her keen interest in the management of musculoskeletal and spinal injuries. Sahanna has gained further qualifications in the use of Clinical Exercise since completing university. Outside of work Sahanna enjoys spending time with her family and friends.