Pre-Pointe Assessments

Starting en pointe is an exciting time for a young dancer and it’s important to ensure that readiness for point work is assessed professionally. We have specially trained Podiatrists at Gait Way Podiatry who have the necessary skills to be part of this exciting step in your young dancer’s life.

Our role as Podiatrists is to look at the dancer as a whole and take into consideration the many factors that can impact their safety when dancing en pointe, including strength, flexibility and technical ability. We also work to identify any potential podiatric issues which could arise from pointe work, such as ingrown toenails, corns and bunions.

During the consultation, one of our pre-pointe trained podiatrists will assess the dancer’s medical history, conduct a full physical examination and identify and potential factors that could impact their safety. From here, we provide targeted stretches, exercises, offloading and other interventions as they are required. Our Podiatrists can also work closely with ballet teacher(s) and parent/carers to determine the readiness for pointe work, and provide ongoing monitoring and follow up care as necessary.