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To The Pointe

Posted on: Thursday, 19 January 2006, 06:00 CST

By Chitwood, Susan

For adults, starting pointe has its own challenges.

Adult pointe class at Ballet Academy East

When 49-year-old Pat DolanGunzburg first went on pointe seven years ago, she couldn't get on top of the box, even though she'd been taking ballet classes religiously for two years. And then there was the pain, thanks, in part, to bunions. "It was terrible," recalls the Long Island, NY, proofreader. "I thought it was really painful. And I had no strength."

Today, Dolan-Gunzburg takes eight ballet classes a week-four of them pointe classes-and can execute chans, bourres, attitude and piqu turns and is working on sissonne ouverte on pointe. She has also performed in the corps, along with professional dancers, in Long Island Ballet's summer festivals, Copplia and Swan Lake-on pointe and pain-free.

While all beginning pointe students will face many of the same challenges and practice the same exercises, adults like Dolan- Gunzburg are outnumbered by young girls who typically start pointe classes at age 11 or 12 and are unencumbered by the physical limitations of adulthood.

But adults studying pointe do have some advantages: They understand dance concepts more easily; and they possess qualities essential to attaining success in this notoriously difficult art form. "Pat persevered," says Donna Havranek, Dolan-Gunzburg's first teacher. "She worked really hard, and she stretched every night. I wish some of the kids that I teach had the passion and drive that she does."

Havranek, who danced professionally with Long Island Ballet and now teaches at Center Stage in West Islip, NY, requires two years of consistent dancing before allowing any student to go on pointe. By that time, most mature feet are already strong enough to begin pointe work; children's feet, on the other hand, may not be sufficiently developed. Havranek recommends a ballet class first to warm up and believes beginners should take two one-hour pointe classes per week. Other teachers are far more cautious, starting with 10 to 15 minutes of pointe and working up to 30 minutes twice a week.

Although some adult students may not be able to find adult pointe classes, studying with kids is fine. "It doesn't matter as long as they're all beginners," Havranek says. "You're all starting at the beginning."

What will differ in a mixed-age class is the interaction. While grown-ups have the cerebral advantage and often get movement concepts faster, they need a lot of encouragement. "With adults, it's going to take longer," Havranek says, "because their bodies and muscles take longer to stretch.

"There's more fear from adults the first time. It's a humbling experience. All of a sudden, it's a whole new world and suddenly you can't do steps you've been doing for years."

The initial sensation of dancing in pointe shoes is, says Peggy Sleekier, "peculiar." The 56-year-old flautist and teacher started pointe classes two years ago at Logrea, in Ossining, NY. "There's nothing in the world that prepares you for the feeling of pointe shoes-the stiffness of the toe and the lack of flexibility you sense at first. When you're first rising up, you think, 'How will I sustain myself on those narrow little tips?'"

As for finding the right shoe, which is crucial, Ellman's, in Richmond, VA, recommends that clients bring their teacher to the fitting and allot at least 45 minutes in the store. "The teachers are aware of their strengths and what they're capable of," says store manager Rosemary Liberto. "We're not." If your teacher can't accompany you, ask the store if you can take the shoes to your studio for final approval and exchange them if necessary. At the very least, arm yourself with information before you buy (see "Best Fit Forward," Pointe, August/ September 2004).

While Ellman's matches shoes to foot shape for kids and grown- ups alike, there's no getting around the discomfort many adults experience. "The hardest thing for us is dealing with pain," says Liberto. "One thing I've found with adults, they don't seem to be as resilient as kids. Kids are used to falling off their bikes and scraping their knees. Adults have foot issues-bunions, hammer toes. Putting a foot like that in pointe shoes is really tough. Some people, even when they get in the correct shoe, may have discomfort." There should be some gentle pressure across the top of the foot and along the sides, she adds.

Rather than assuaging pain with excessive padding, which changes the length and width of the shoe and hinders contact with the floor, Ellman's will advise some clients against dancing on pointe.

Havranek advocates padding-free pointe shoes. "There is pain involved," she says. "It's just something you have to go through. It's like learning an instrument. You have to build up calluses."

Then there are students who don't experience pain. "I'm one of the fortunate few," says Steckler. "Either I have no nerve endings in my feet or it's my stubby toes. I think it's unusual."

Which is not to say she hasn't labored to keep her knees straight and stay turned out and pulled up on pointe. "I can only do a little bit," she says, "but it's a joy to challenge one's innate ability."

For Steckler, the struggle has been worth it: "Pointe seemed totally out of reach, so when my teacher said I could try it, I was jumping up and down inside. She thought it would help improve my turnout and the shape of my foot and strengthen the ankle. And it has. I love it. I love the illusion of being up high, looking like a real ballerina."

"Pointe seemed totally out of reach, so when my teacher said I could try it, I was jumping up and down inside."

-Peggy Steckler

By Susan Chitwood

Susan Chitwood, a former apprentice with Virginia Ballet Theater, has an MS in journalism from Columbia University in New York City.

Copyright Lifestyle Ventures Dec 2005/Jan 2006

Source: Pointe

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