13/02/2026
Pointe Readiness & Safe Dance Practice
These are my feet and pointe shoes from only a few years ago. Yep, that’s my turnout and I am ok with that.
I started dance at six years old.
I always struggled with turnout and was simply told to turn out more. It wasn’t until years of teacher training, continued education and consulting with specialists that I understood my own physical limitations and where things had gone wrong in my early training.
At 33, I discovered I had been born with hip dysplasia that had gone undiagnosed my entire life. My pelvis and spine were also affected. Like many dancers, I compensated and pushed harder, unaware of the damage being done.
At 35, after a failed arthroscopy, I required a hip replacement. The damage wasn’t all fixed there, and I have now lived with chronic pain for over eight years, along with ongoing treatment and procedures moving forward.
This is why I am so focused on safety. Much of this could have been avoided with appropriate guidance and safe training practices during my early years of dance.
Pointe and dance training across all styles place significant demands on young, developing bodies. It requires correct alignment, joint stability, mobility and true functional strength, while respecting each dancer’s individual anatomy. We are all built differently. Safe training is never one size fits all.
Advancing dancers too quickly or pushing young bodies into work they are not physically prepared to support significantly increases the risk of long term injury.
At NSDS, pointe readiness is assessed by me as the studio’s trained classical ballet teacher, and dancers are referred to dance specific physiotherapists before beginning pointe. Across all styles, our teachers ensure students progress safely for their individual body and stage of development.
Because strong foundations protect futures.
Student wellbeing always comes first.
