Pointe technique During each class session, a student will move on to centre exercises after completing the barre work. These exercises emphasize various aspects of ballet technique, such as turnout, pointing of the toes, and the use of ballet technique while en pointe. Dancers take pre-pointe typically for a year before they are allowed to get pointe shoes. However, it is to the discretion of the dance instructor to determine if one year of pre-pointe is sufficient or if the dancer needs more time to prepare. Dancing en pointe stresses the feet in various ways and thus can potentially cause injuries if
Pointe shoe materials, and some will build shoes with customized shanks of varying stiffness and length. Dancers will sometimes wear different pointe shoe models for different performance pieces. In such cases, the choreography often dictates the type of shank required; a lyrical style may call for a softer shoe, while an aggressive style with many turns is more easily performed in a hard, stiff shoe. A pointe shoe employs two fabric ribbons and an elastic band to secure it to the foot. Most of the work of securing shoes to feet is done by the ribbons. The two ribbons wrap around the