Demi Pointe Shoes – Are they necessary?

Some dancers think that demi-pointe is a necessary step before moving to en pointe. Others, however, believe they are an unnecessary expense… or even dangerous. Are you using demi-pointe shoes in your training? Do you consider them important?

The Argument for:

Demi-pointes have a leather sole, which means they are more resistant than ballet flats. This makes the footwork harder and strengthens it in preparation for pointe work. Some of the more recent ballet flats are designed to hug the soles of the feet, creating a smooth line with little effort. Students can have difficulty articulating and stretching their feet when they are placed in full shank pointe shoes. Students can practice in a more resistant shoe to develop the strength and endurance needed before getting fitted for the pointe shoe.

Arguments against

I avoid demi-pointe shoes for younger students because they can mask a variety of faults. The most significant is massive clawing on the toes. A stiff sole can make a dancer work harder on the wrong muscles if they do not know how to isolate and articulate their forefoot muscles. It can cause a variety of problems, including Posterior Impingement Syndrome, Posterior Compartment Syndrome, and Achilles Tendinopathy. If the dancer knows how to work the front of the feet and integrates the “Doming’ exercise into each tendu, the shoes can strengthen the correct muscles.

What should you do now?

I prefer to take them out of their shoes during the “pre-pointe phase” and have them roll up their stockings (wear toe thongs if necessary) to see what’s happening on foot. Many of the students I work with have never seen what’s happening on their feet. Showing them a video shows them exactly what is wrong.

Only after the student has mastered the correct and consistent articulation of the foot in the tendu should they be put in a demi-pointe shoe. Watch to make sure they are using the front of the shoe properly. Remove the boots periodically to ensure that muscle firing patterns are still correct.

I prefer to use a broken-down pointe shoe of the same type as the shoes they wear en pointe rather than specially designed “demi-pointe” shoes. If a student breaks down the shank on their first pair of pointe shoes, they can remove it and use the shoe for parts of normal class. This gives them more feedback on how it feels to stand in the shoes.

Demi-points are not necessary for all dancers. Instead, strengthening the muscles of the forefoot through specific exercises is more important. This can be achieved by using exercises from The Perfect Pointe Book and My Beginner Pointe, as well as Advanced Foot Control for dancers.

This should clarify my position and show that both sides of the argument are correct. As usual, it all depends on the teacher’s ability to ensure that the dancers are performing their exercises correctly.

In my Level 2 Teachers’ Pointe Intensive, we will discuss how to get your students to work their feet correctly and how to help those students who struggle with this. We would love to welcome you to any of the locations established around the world for the upcoming year.

Pointe Resources

Check out these programs if you want to learn more about this subject:

The Perfect Pointe Book This course was designed originally to help dance teachers and students safely prepare for pointe work. The book contains four levels of exercises and tests that are perfect for students preparing for pointe work, those who are close to getting pointe shoes or students on pointe.

Pointe Rang: This course consists of 41 videos that are clear and concise, with a total playtime of just over 2 hours. It begins with a set of assessments to determine what structures restrict your point range. The course explores various massage techniques, joint flexibility exercises and fascial mobilizers to improve your point distance. Then, you will learn how to retrain all the muscles in the foot and ankle that stabilize the foot. This will allow you to use your newly found point range during class.

Pointe Intensive: This virtual online workshop is for Dance Teachers and Health Professionals who work with dancers. This three-day Intensive gives you the latest advice from the industry so you can better understand your students’ needs, analyze their differences, and give them tools to help them become the best possible dancers.