Any ballet dancers or children who do ballet?

mingking · May 9, 2015

My sister is about to start dancing on Pointe. But before that, her teacher needs her to see a doctor and get a doctor's note saying she is fit for dancing on Pointe. However, our family doctor doesn't understand why this kind of note needs to be written and that it smells like they want to push liability away from themselves. He refused to write a note.

The instructor pushed upon my mother to go take my sister to a specialist. My mom declined because she didn't think it was necessary and it would cost more money.

Finally, after a few visits, our doctor decided to write a note saying my sister was in good health, that she does have flat feet but doesn't know if that has any negative effects with Pointe.

My sister turned in the doctor's note to her instructor but the instructor said that this was not a doctor's note. She even wrote out what the doctor needs to write, word for word, in order for my sister to be cleared for Pointe shoes.

Now my opinion parallels the doctor's. It seems the instructor and the ballet company, doesn't want to be liable should my sister be hurt dancing on Pointe. I find it crazy the instructor would push this hard to get this particular response from our doctor. She gave a yes to every dancer in her class as well which makes me question things even more.

I am not a ballet dancer and don't know anything about what goes on in that culture. So I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this? Is this normal?

denice · May 9, 2015

I have never danced or had a daughter who dances but I have a passing interest in it, I also tend to collect trivia in my head. I don't think this is unusual. I remember reading or hearing that a child's feet and ankles in particular have to be at a certain point of development for it to be safe for them to dance on Pointe. I am sure the school is concerned with liability issues but in this case I think there is a reason for it. I probably would spring for an orthopedic specialist, specifically one who specializes in pediatrics to okay her for it. There is no sense in doing damage that would create lifelong issues.

mingking · May 9, 2015

Denice said:
I have never danced or had a daughter who dances but I have a passing interest in it, I also tend to collect trivia in my head. I don't think this is unusual. I remember reading or hearing that a child's feet and ankles in particular have to be at a certain point of development for it to be safe for them to dance on Pointe. I am sure the school is concerned with liability issues but in this case I think there is a reason for it. I probably would spring for an orthopedic specialist, specifically one who specializes in pediatrics to okay her for it. There is no sense in doing damage that would create lifelong issues.

Hmm, yes, I think it's better to go to a specialist after all and get a firm check up to see if my sister's feet/body is right for Pointe.

My mom and I are just more baffled by the instructor's insistence to just find any doctor that will explicitly say yes instead of perhaps taking her time and judgement to see if my sister is right for Pointe. If we just forced our doctor to say yes, then that would completely defeat the purpose of seeing a doctor. (I forgot to mention that after my mom declined seeing a specialist, the instructor told her to go find another non-specialist doctor to write a note.)

denice · May 9, 2015

I found this article about when it is safe to begin and the demands that go along with doing it safely. It is no easy undertaking, a lot of work and sore feet involved.

http://allaboutpointe.weebly.com/to-the-parent.html

cassiopea · May 9, 2015

Ballerina here

I actually never been through this, nor personally known other ballerinas who did. Usually one gets cleared for Pointe shoes via discretion and experienced knowledge of the teacher, then off they go to get fittings by a trained fitter.

Granted, some schools you can also get sent to a physiotherapist who specializes in dance (often also an affiliate with a professional company/high level school). Even a dietitian or nutrition classes, to help supplement your training through education on healthy foods and maintenance.

That is sometimes the thing with doctors - amazing people, but many are super clueless about dance (For example, not comprehending how athletic it really is and the unique characteristics, skills and demands it has. My own family doctor, while wonderful with everything else, thinks I live the life of the "Black Swan" movie nonsense and other stereotypical ballet horror stories :lol2:

And has no idea what certain terms mean, like turnout) You would have to find one who knows ballet well, and again, usually associated with a company. This is often guided by teacher themselves, who would tell you about a specific doctor or specialist that has said education. The fact that she actually mentioned a specialist IS important, and heavily recommend you follow through. If it was the circumstance where the teacher was *only* pushing a detailed note from a random doctor who might not know anything about dance would be puzzling and lead to questionable compentency. She herself would be a significant judge, if not one the most primary, as she herself should be trained in ballet, knows the students appropriate minimum age, training progress, technique, strength, turnout, flexibility, method, commitment, mental maturity, anatomy of the feet etc etc best for pointe eligibility. All of these count for such specialized, difficult and rewarding factors that is pointe.

In any case, the reason why she probably is urging a very detailed note is because she might be thinking "Well alright, you didn't listen to my suggestion about the specialist so you have to prove to me your doctor knows what he is talking about"

It is not liability or laws or suing or whatever. Just basic safety and understanding.Your sis isn't jumping off a bridge with skis or anything.

It can be fustrating, when people outside the dance world just don't get it.

I don't know your sister obviously, haven't seen her dance/train, age/strength, how many classes she takes a week and so on, so I cannot tell you my standpoint and opinion on whether she is ready.

And of course, I am not there at that studio (and so the whole story or other sides, if there is any) thus only offer knowledge on the information given to me.

For a side note, while flat feet might not be as pretty in the appearance department and sometimes tricky flexibility wise, it is actually stronger compared to "banana" feet. So flat feet is definitely not the end all for pointe! As encouragement

Some other possible options in the meantime:

-Talk with the artistic director/owner of the studio and the teacher. Ask questions, voice concerns so that things can be explained or settled. Open a dialogue. No confrontation of course!
-If you are still concerned over genuine issues, look around at other schools and academies. Research them, compare and ask questions. Nothing worse than bad training or management! Oi.
-Research ballet and pointe. Get some books, get some dvds, join a dance forum, see some live ballets, see some live rehearsals where you can buy cheap tickets and see professionals practicing behind the scenes, take part in Q and A's with different directors and dancers. It would be a wonderful addition to your sister's journey. And don't worry about "stupid" questions or whatever, people always highly appreciate it when you try and want to learn. No need to overwhelm or bombard yourself, just bit by bit.

Keep in mind too, that different ballet schools have different protocols to their training, all the way down to method (Cechetti, Vaganova, Balanchine, French) to how classes are structured, which includes pointe training.

Hope I helped a tiny bit! Best of luck

pardon my loooooong post. Ballet is a hard but beautiful thing, I adore it.

denice · May 9, 2015

I used to work with a girl who was part of a stay in school program for college kids. She had danced from the age of 3 through high school and had danced on pointe for several years. She said there were times when her feet were so sore that she had issues with wearing shoes. She actually preferred tap. She had the stereotypical ballet dancer body, both in height and build. I remember while she was working there she tried to give blood for a friend who was hospitalized and needed transfusions. She was turned down because she didn't weigh enough.

Even though I have never danced I know how much work goes into it and the combination of both hard work and talent needed to be good at it. It takes a very special type of person to become a professional dancer.

mingking · May 9, 2015

Cassiopea said:
Ballerina here

I actually never been through this, nor personally known other ballerinas who did. Usually one gets cleared for Pointe shoes via discretion and experienced knowledge of the teacher, then off they go to get fittings by a trained fitter.

Granted, some schools you can also get sent to a physiotherapist who specializes in dance (often also an affiliate with a professional company/high level school). Even a dietitian or nutrition classes, to help supplement your training through education on healthy foods and maintenance.

That is sometimes the thing with doctors - amazing people, but many are super clueless about dance (For example, not comprehending how athletic it really is and the unique characteristics, skills and demands it has. My own family doctor, while wonderful with everything else, thinks I live the life of the "Black Swan" movie nonsense and other stereotypical ballet horror stories And has no idea what certain terms mean, like turnout) You would have to find one who knows ballet well, and again, usually associated with a company. This is often guided by teacher themselves, who would tell you about a specific doctor or specialist that has said education. The fact that she actually mentioned a specialist IS important, and heavily recommend you follow through. If it was the circumstance where the teacher was *only* pushing a detailed note from a random doctor who might not know anything about dance would be puzzling and lead to questionable compentency. She herself would be a significant judge, if not one the most primary, as she herself should be trained in ballet, knows the students appropriate minimum age, training progress, technique, strength, turnout, flexibility, method, commitment, mental maturity, anatomy of the feet etc etc best for pointe eligibility. All of these count for such specialized, difficult and rewarding factors that is pointe.

In any case, the reason why she probably is urging a very detailed note is because she might be thinking "Well alright, you didn't listen to my suggestion about the specialist so you have to prove to me your doctor knows what he is talking about"

It is not liability or laws or suing or whatever. Just basic safety and understanding.Your sis isn't jumping off a bridge with skis or anything.

It can be fustrating, when people outside the dance world just don't get it.

I don't know your sister obviously, haven't seen her dance/train, age/strength, how many classes she takes a week and so on, so I cannot tell you my standpoint and opinion on whether she is ready.

And of course, I am not there at that studio (and so the whole story or other sides, if there is any) thus only offer knowledge on the information given to me.

For a side note, while flat feet might not be as pretty in the appearance department and sometimes tricky flexibility wise, it is actually stronger compared to "banana" feet. So flat feet is definitely not the end all for pointe! As encouragement

Some other possible options in the meantime:

-Talk with the artistic director/owner of the studio and the teacher. Ask questions, voice concerns so that things can be explained or settled. Open a dialogue. No confrontation of course!
-If you are still concerned over genuine issues, look around at other schools and academies. Research them, compare and ask questions. Nothing worse than bad training or management! Oi.
-Research ballet and pointe. Get some books, get some dvds, join a dance forum, see some live ballets, see some live rehearsals where you can buy cheap tickets and see professionals practicing behind the scenes, take part in Q and A's with different directors and dancers. It would be a wonderful addition to your sister's journey. And don't worry about "stupid" questions or whatever, people always highly appreciate it when you try and want to learn. No need to overwhelm or bombard yourself, just bit by bit.

Keep in mind too, that different ballet schools have different protocols to their training, all the way down to method (Cechetti, Vaganova, Balanchine, French) to how classes are structured, which includes pointe training.

Hope I helped a tiny bit! Best of luck

pardon my loooooong post. Ballet is a hard but beautiful thing, I adore it.

Thank you so much! It's amazing to hear from your knowledge of ballet

I will definitely go and tell my mom then to see a specialist. I'm unsure if she was recommended one or not. And I'm hoping what you think about the note thing is what's going on, too. (I'm not much help either with knowing the sides of the story aside from what my mom tells me and what I see briefly when I peek into my sister's practices. She goes 3 times a week, ranging from 45 mins a practice to an hour.)

And whew! Good to hear having flat feet is okay!

I love your suggestions about how to get to know the ballet world. Your insight has made me realize, like you said, it's probably not about liability but about pretty much forcing us, the uneducated, to listen.

denice · May 10, 2015

Did you see 60 Minutes tonight? It's something that your sister should see if she didn't. They had a feature piece about a ballerina named Misty Copeland. She is from a very poor background and didn't start formal training until she was 13. At the time she was living with her mother and five siblings in a motel and she used the railing on the motel balcony as her barre to practice. She is now a soloist with the American Ballet Theatre.

Any ballet dancers or children who do ballet?

mingking

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denice

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