Personal Achievement

Going on Pointe for the First Time

Pointe shoes are special shoes for ballerinas that allow them to dance on their toes. The

shoes are designed so that dancers can stand on their toes with more stability. It requires lots of

ankle, thigh, knee, and core strength to be able to go on pointe, but even more to be able to dance

on pointe. Pointe is not something you can do soon after you start ballet. You have to reach a

certain level and have the strength to, or else it can cause many injuries. I’ve been doing ballet

since I was very young, basically my whole life. I have always loved dancing. Even before I

started ballet, I would start dancing whenever there was music playing. When I started ballet and

discovered what pointe is, all I wanted to do was dance on pointe.

Pointe is used in professional dancing, which requires a lot of skill. Building muscle in

your whole body is essential to dance on pointe. There is a lot of physical strength and skill

required to dance on pointe. However, the same as it is in sports as well, mental strength is

important to dance. Going on pointe is scarier than most people think it is. Having to hold your

whole body weight on your toes is quite scary when you come to do it. It is easy to twist your

ankle or fall on it if you don’t have enough ankle strength, and one injury goes a long way in

dance. Since you have to support your whole body weight with the tips of your toes, your feet

goes through a lot when dancing on pointe. It hurts a lot after being on pointe for long, but you

have to keep going in order to overcome the pain and get used to it. It is impossible to dance on

pointe without ruining your feet in some way. Basic ballet techniques are also important skills

that I have developed in order to go on pointe.

I am aware that physical achievements require lots of mental work. I am ware of my

motives as well. Ballet is something I want to keep doing, school wise and career wise as well. I
know that I have a lot to work on, both physically and mentally. I still get nervous going on

pointe with one foot. I know that I am less stable on one foot and it scares me without me even

knowing. Since I’m scared, I don’t trust myself to stand just on one foot and many times can’t

stand for long without falling. Seeing myself improve motivates me more to keep going. Since I

see that I am improving, I know that my hard work is paying off.

One of the reasons why this achievement is important to me is because I want to become

a ballet teacher and have my own dance studio in the future. I know that even though it hurts and

there is a lot to go through, everything will be worth it in the end. I am planning on going to

university for dance and to take a course that’s specifically for people to become ballet teachers.

Ballet has always been a huge part of me and I think that it will continue to be that way in the

future.