Erdman Ashley, Ulman Sophia, Dyke Julie, Russomano James, Santana Jonathan, McLeod Tamara Valovich, DiCesaro Shelly Fetchen, McCaffrey Kelsie, Chung Jane, Hayden-Hebert Kristin, Butler Lauren
Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX, USA.
University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA.
J Dance Med Sci. 2025 Sep;29(3):154-160. doi: 10.1177/1089313X241293869. Epub 2024 Oct 27.
Transiting to dancing en pointe is an important milestone for young dancers who wish to progress in ballet training. Various criteria exist regarding pointe readiness, including age, range-of-motion, endurance, strength, balance, and technique. However, awareness and use of these criteria by dance instructors is currently unknown. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the awareness and use of pointe readiness criteria by youth ballet instructors. A cross-sectional web-based survey study design was used, which included questions regarding dance instruction experience, dance studio characteristics, and criteria used to assess pointe readiness. Ballet instructors were recruited for participation. Data are presented as percentages and frequencies. Thirty-one ballet instructors completed the survey from 15 states (1 international). Years of pointe ballet instruction ranged from 2 to 30+ years, with 35% indicating more than 30 years of experience. Instructors reported students begin pointe at age 11.8 years (range 9-15 years). A majority of instructors require 5 years of ballet experience prior to dancing en pointe (range 2-8 years). Reported pointe readiness criteria included strength (100%), dance technique (94%), age (87%), and years of ballet experience (71%). While all instructors reported evaluating a dancer's strength, assessments of flexibility and movement quality were not evaluated by 42% and 45% of instructors, respectively. Strength, dance technique, and age were rated as the greatest indicators of a dancer's readiness to begin pointe. Finally, instructors reported low knowledge of existing pointe readiness criteria. Ballet instructors initiated pointe work at age 12 and required 5 years of ballet experience before beginning to dance en pointe. While strength, dance technique, and age were the top considerations for evaluating readiness, approximately 40% of instructors did not evaluate flexibility or movement quality prior to progressing to pointe, and overall, knowledge of existing criteria was low.
对于希望在芭蕾舞训练中取得进步的年轻舞者来说，过渡到足尖舞是一个重要的里程碑。关于足尖舞准备情况有各种标准，包括年龄、活动范围、耐力、力量、平衡和技巧。然而，舞蹈教师对这些标准的认识和使用情况目前尚不清楚。这项试点研究的目的是评估青少年芭蕾舞教师对足尖舞准备标准的认识和使用情况。采用了基于网络的横断面调查研究设计，其中包括有关舞蹈教学经验、舞蹈工作室特点以及用于评估足尖舞准备情况的标准的问题。招募了芭蕾舞教师参与。数据以百分比和频率呈现。31名芭蕾舞教师完成了来自15个州（1个国际地区）的调查。足尖芭蕾舞教学年限从2年到30多年不等，35%的教师表示有超过30年的经验。教师报告学生开始学习足尖舞的年龄为11.8岁（范围为9至15岁）。大多数教师要求在学习足尖舞之前有5年的芭蕾舞经验（范围为2至8年）。报告的足尖舞准备标准包括力量（100%）、舞蹈技巧（94%）、年龄（87%）和芭蕾舞经验年限（71%）。虽然所有教师都报告评估了舞者的力量，但分别有42%和45%的教师未评估柔韧性和动作质量。力量、舞蹈技巧和年龄被评为舞者准备开始学习足尖舞的最重要指标。最后，教师报告对现有的足尖舞准备标准了解不足。芭蕾舞教师在12岁开始进行足尖舞训练，并且在开始学习足尖舞之前要求有5年的芭蕾舞经验。虽然力量、舞蹈技巧和年龄是评估准备情况的首要考虑因素，但约40%的教师在学生进入足尖舞训练之前未评估柔韧性或动作质量，总体而言，对现有标准的了解程度较低。
