Being allowed to start pointe work is an exciting achievement for almost every ballet student, however there is a lot of confusion about what is required for a dancer to truly be ready. Each ballet studio will have it's own requirements for students to begin pointe so we always recommend asking your instructor on what you need to work on or how close you are to being ready for pointe. Below is a general guideline that I have used throughout the years to determine when students are ready for beginning pointe.
Attendance and Duration of Training
In order to be ready for pointe work, a dancer needs to establish a consistent routine with ballet classes that builds strength and demonstrates commitment to the craft. A good rule of thumb is that a dancer should be training for at least 3-4 consecutive years. During their 3rd year, they should be attending at least 3 ballet classes weekly during the season. Students should have consistent attendance during this entire time for classes.
Why is this a requirement?
Beginning Pointe requires consistent, dedicated training to both learn the technique involved. Additionally, participating in every class will develop the correct muscle strength and coordination needed for pointe. An instructor will want to see a pattern of great attendance from their student before allowing them to start pointe work, as a student in beginning pointe class who misses a lot of class will fall behind very quickly. Additionally, they will be more likely to hurt themselves in class on improper technique or lack of strength.
Technical Skills
The correct technical skill level to start beginning pointe will probably have the most diverse opinions in the ballet world, but my recommendation is "Intermediate" level of training. What does that translate to though?
An intermediate level student will have the basics down and mastered. They will understand how to correctly engage a tendu with an articulated foot in every direction, will have a soft plié free from gripping, and can hold a retiré in relevé position for 30 seconds while holding one hand on the barre. They will have mastered the execution of steps like tendus, ronde jambes, battement, and piques with straight knees. They will know most basic terminology used for every class (passé, retiré, ronde jambe, tendu, degagé, glissade, plié, pique, arabesque, attitude, battement, etc...) and be able to execute all beginning level steps and most intermediate level steps correctly. Concepts such as proper core alignment, no sicled feet, engaged leg muscles and upper body placement, and proper use of head will either be solid in their training or close to it.
Strength and Coordination
Pointe work requires a lot of strength and coordination, so this is a big area that instructors consider when evaluating students for pointe. Students have to be able to hold their body up in positions, lift up "out of their legs" in a relevé, and maintain a balance on one leg while holding the barre. They need to be able to demonstrate that their core is engaged and working while they dance to help support their upper body placement. Arms should be engaged and not drooping down while dancing. All of this should work together to help the dancer move efficiently during combinations.
Strength of the legs, feet, and ankles is very important for starting pointe work. Dancers should be able to do multiple relevés in a row, either in first position or in parallel. They should be working towards finding a balance on one leg at the barre. It might not be there yet, but the legs and ankles need to be strong enough for the attempt.
Flexibility
Flexibility for pointe work means that the ankles need to have enough flexibility to work properly on pointe. Do we also want dancers who have amazing extension? Sure! But that's not a requirement here. Dancers need to have enough of an instep on the top of their ankle to get over the top of their pointe shoes in relevé. To measure this, we typically ask students to face the barre in second position flat and relevé. You should be able to draw a straight line from the top of their hips down to their toes without a dip at their ankles. This is a decent way to measure flexibility of the ankles and instep. The arch on the bottom of the feet matters a little bit less in this regard. Even dancers with flat feet can be very successful on pointe if they have a sufficient instep to relevé on pointe.
Age and Maturity
Dancers should not start pointe work before the age of 11 years old because their bones are not quite set yet and their level of maturity is not quite ready to tackle pointe. A dancer's body is changing significantly around the ages of 8-12, and the later they start pointe work, the less issues they'll have with growth related problems. Additionally, maturity plays a large factor in how successful a dancer is during their first year of pointe, especially when it comes to sewing and fixing their pointe shoes. The few times I've taught a "mature" 10 year old in beginning pointe, there was always a lack of respect for the craft that they were being taught. I didn't blame the student for this, but it became pretty apparent that it was an age gap at work and that the older students were able to grasp the material much quicker.
What about studios who promote younger dancers on pointe?
I wouldn't trust them to be honest. I've experienced multiple students leave to start pointe at age nine or ten, only to return at age twelve asking me to fix the errors other studios have taught them. In almost every case, I had to reset their training back to the beginning and rework the basics with them. Studios will often try to promote young students to either have a continuous pointe program or to "prove" that their training is superior. Don't buy into this hype, and instead find a studio that values proper progression for your training.