Pointe

Pointe is a style of dance that some people think you have to be crazy to do and I have to agree. I mean honestly, who wants to purposely get blisters and have sore feet all the time? Evidently, I do. Some people have asked me what the purpose of dancing on pointe is when it is just ballet in a more painful form. They are right, in a sense. It is a form of ballet and it is more painful, but it is so much more than that. For me pointe was always the biggest goal I could have in dance. Pointe dancers are the ones the little girls look up to and try to sneak peeks of our rehearsals because they want to be just like us. Pointe means not just being an average ballerina, there are thousands of those, but being exceptional. Yes, there are also thousands of pointe dancers, but few honestly enjoy it. Even out of the thirteen in my class there are three of us who really love to come to class each week.

I got my first pair of pointe shoes last winter/spring. In order to get pointe shoes, you have to be fitted because there are many different kinds of shoes and they have to find the best kind for your feet. I remember being quite nervous to go on pointe, but once I did I couldn't stop smiling. I felt like I was flying! What I didn't realize was how much more I would learn to do. Since starting class at the end of August, I can now walk around on pointe, spin on pointe, and do a whole bunch of things in ballet that change once pointe shoes are put into the equation. Some of the simplest things in ballet are changed to accommodate the pointe shoes and make it look beautiful. I can also do several kinds of jumps, which are complicated. I don't land jumps in pointe, or start them on pointe for that matter, but it changes the weighting of your feet (not that there is a wood box on the end of your foot or anything like that!) and it makes some jumps harder and some A LOT easier.

In summary, yes, pointe is painful and miserable sometimes (okay, painful all of the time, miserable some of the time) but it is amazing. I don't know if any pointe dancer can explain why they love it and are willing to push past the pain and misery and work up to the expectations placed for them once they have pointe shoes, I love it and that is all I can say. Pointe makes me feel happy and on top of the world. Maybe I don't need an explanation for that except God gave me a gift for dance and I am enjoying it to the fullest.