by Amy Brandt | Feb 15, 2024 | Ask Amy, Pointe+, Training
I just learned that I’ll be starting pointe this year. But I’m nervous—does it hurt? —Sariah First of all, congratulations on advancing to pointe class! It’s a testament to your hard work and technical strength as a dancer. Pointework can feel uncomfortable at...
by Gavin Larsen | Jun 26, 2023 | Health & Body, Pointe+, Summer Study, Training
Sarah Whitehead, now a dancer with Ballet Tucson, remembers the sinking feeling of getting an injury during a summer intensive. As a teenager hoping to land a spot in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s year-round Professional Division program, she felt pressure to dance to...
by Madeline Schrock | Dec 20, 2017 | Health & Body, Wellness
Podiatrist Dr. Thomas Novella weighs in with tips for new and seasoned pointe dancers. Sometimes blisters are inevitable. If you’re just starting pointe, your feet will be especially susceptible until they naturally build calluses. Experienced dancers may...
by Josie Garthwaite | Aug 10, 2017 | Health & Body
Sally Turkel never had a problem with her feet. Tape on her big and little toes was all she needed before slipping on her pointe shoes. But when she joined Colorado Ballet as a young dancer, the new demands of company life took a toll, and blisters became a constant...
by Hannah Chang Foster | May 27, 2016 | Health & Body
This story originally appeared in the April/May 2016 issue of Pointe. With the joy of pointework usually comes the not-so-pleasant experience of having calluses. For most dancers, the hardened patches of skin on the toes and heels come with the territory. According to...