Pointe

What is Pointe? If you’ve ever been to the Nutcracker around Christmas time or simply searched ‘ballet dancer’ on Pinterest, you’ve probably seen a dancer delicately balancing on her toes.

Pointe is a dance technique where a dancer supports all their body weight on the tips of fully extended feet. It is the dancer’s strength and technique that brings her from the normal standing position through a mid-position (called “demi-pointe”) to the full-pointe position. Once on pointe, the dancer maintains a contraction of the muscles of the feet, ankles, legs and torso to pull herself up out of the shoe.

A dancer en pointe embodies elegance and poise as they seemingly float across the dance floor. It looks effortless…but it’s definitely not.

What happens in a typical Pointe class at ROOTS?

Pointe is the highest level of ballet at ROOTS. These dancers are required to take multiple hours of ballet each week as well as a stretch/strengthen class. These many hours of training ensure that the muscles in the dancers’ feet and ankles are strong enough to support them without injury. Pointe takes years of practice, endurance and repetition.

The class mentor, Kira Fargas, told us how proud she was of the dancers in this class:

“I am just so proud of the work each of these dancers has done to get to this point in their dance training. Dancing en pointe is something dancers must work hard and diligently towards and it’s such a huge milestone!” – Kira Fargas, ROOTS mentor

At the start of a typical Pointe class at ROOTS, the dancers sit on the floor together to put on their shoes. Putting on pointe shoes is a longer process than regular ballet shoes, so they make the most of their time by talking about their days and asking Kira questions.

“Each dancer putting their pointe shoes on for class for the first time is a great memory. Since it’s my third year teaching this class, I’ve been there for (almost) all their first pointe classes!” – Kira Fargas

When dancers are ready with their shoes on, Kira leads them to the barre for a series of warm up exercises. As with most traditional ballet class formats, the dancers always start at the barre and spend a significant amount of time there before moving to center.

Kira says, “Everyone is so hard-working and supportive of one another…I love the celebration and excitement that happens when someone does something new for the first time. Whether it’s a double pirouette, a long sustained balance, or a relevé on one foot!”

Kira does a fantastic job of creating a safe place for these dancers to test their limits, explore new techniques and learn from each other. She has created a beautiful balance of high-quality training with a soft and warm-hearted approach. We can’t wait to see what’s next for these dancers!

We asked some of the students what they loved about the class. Here’s what they had to say:

“Kira pushes me to give it my all every pointe class. Pointe makes me a stronger dancer and more committed person.” – Natalie, ROOTS Pointe student

“I love pointe so much! I look forward to it every week…I love how we all surprise ourselves every class and how supportive everyone is. Someone will try a new turn or hold a position and everyone is so excited for you….Pointe is all about trying new things and pushing boundaries. That’s why it’s my favorite class.” – Reagan, ROOTS Pointe student

“I just started pointe this year and it has been an amazing experience…It challenges me because it puts me out of my comfort zone and pushes me as a dancer and a person. I have learned new skills like how to sew, and I have also learned to be patient and trust the process. Kira has been a great mentor, and she inspires me so much!” – Maggie, ROOTS Pointe student

Click here to learn more about ballet classes at ROOTS Dance Academy.