Adults in First Pair of Pointe Shoes 

I started ballet at 47 and at 49 got my first pointe shoes. I love it so much. A year and a half ago I was fitted by Josephine 😃 I’m from Costa Rica 🇨🇷

This blew my mind. I... you mean I could actually take ballet classes as an adult and be welcomed? I could go on pointe? WHAT!

The past Friday I was fitted for my first pair of pointe shoes. I wanted to do ballet since I was 3 years old and somehow I never did. Time passed and every academy I went to kept telling me “I was never gonna be on pointe” because of my age. I am 19 now, I started ballet 6 months ago and because of my determination, tomorrow is my first pointe class. Everyone can dance! Edit: Doing Nutcracker now, I got a solo as a doll and understudying Clara!

I was just fitted for my first pointe shoes last week. I’m 33 and started dancing at 30. I was super excited and confident at my fitting. I took a bunch of pictures and even had the fitter take pics, as I had no one with me! She was laying on the floor snapping pics and sharing my excitement! I also got into ballet because I wanted to do something for myself. Ballet definitely became my happy place and changed my entire life! 💕

I'm 17, and I fell in love with ballet at 12 but we couldn't afford ballet. So at 15 I started working part time to earn money, and I LOVE IT. I'm enjoying every bit of my lessons, and practicing at home. This is a never regretted decision I've made in my life. Although there are people who judge me, such as my parents friend, who actually asked me "isn't ballet for kids?? Like only 5 year olds start ballet. U cant start so late" which made me want to prove them wrong (: so I did. *when my parents found out I'm starting ballet under my own expenses, they actually paid the lessons for me and all I had to do was to but the leotards and the ballet shoes! ❤❤

I started recreational adult ballet classes when I was 33 and got my first pointe shoes when I was 41. It's an incredible feeling to realize a childhood dream. But it's important to find a good teacher who takes your learning seriously and also a good studio who makes you feel welcome.

Awesome! So glad I stumbled across this video! I am 60 years old now but started ballet at age 57.

This was incredibly encouraging to watch! Thank you for being so supportive of us adult ballet students!

This is me! I stopped at 14 and now im in my 40’s and want to come back and learn toe. Great to know there are others out there like me. 👏🏽

Half a year ago, at 14, I entered my first ballet class. When I was young, I couldn't afford it, so I told myself that I didn't want to learn. Ever since I was around 12, I've gained intense interest in it, but never started learning because I thought I was "too old" "too fat" or "not flexible enough". Last week, I asked my dance school staff if I could join other regular classes, not just 1 adult ballet class a week. She asked my instructor, and the instructor advised me to join the intermediate foundation class! Please don't let anything stop you. It's really worth it

I started at 19, when I went to university and had access to free ballet classes. I absolutely love it and invest in a class at a studio too at the moment. I am pretty anxious about my first pointe shoe fitting as I once had an injury in my ankle. So I decided I'll take my mum to the appointment.

I started pointe at age 43. I found that most pointe shoe fitters don't take you seriously as an older adult and just slap a shoe on you and send you home with whatever. So it's very important to go in somewhat educated and don't let them send you home in something your not completely comfortable with. I went to NYC to all the dance shops for fittings. I was so excited but left almost in tears because I was blown off at all the stores so obviously. At capezio, they showed me where the shoes where and left me on my own to find my own shoe

Josephine, could you do an update or follow-up to this one, please? One that is not all talking, but actually fitting one or two adult ballet dancers into pointe shoes, like all your other awesome episodes. Also, any tips or a whole episode on adult dancers (say over 30, 40+) *coming back* to ballet. Our bodies know/remember alot and at the same time often are completely different than the body we may have had at 2, 12 or 17. Non-dance injuries, lack of class time, pregnancy, giving birth, commuting to work, sedentary jobs, life events all can be part of what we bring back to ballet, 10, 20+ years later... PS a shout-out to Jana at RU-vid channel "Ballerinas by Night", the glorious and ever-lovely Kathryn Morgan and her epynonymous RU-vid site, most encouraging taskmistress ever RU-vidr Alessia of "Lazy Dancer" and everyone over 30 who danced ballet. We are all that!

I started at 15, but I wasn’t able to go en pointe until 20 because for two years (17-18) I hadn’t had proper funding from my family, and I stopped so the fees what would have been for ballet, could go towards my father’s chemo treatment. I realized since I was the one begging to do ballet, my admiration and enjoyment was much stronger than that of my classmates who’s mom would make them take lessons. When I turned 19 and started again, it wasn’t easy. I insisted on paying my own tuition, and driving myself. The next year I went en pointe after a rocky start . I just always said, “don’t wish for it, work for it”, and one day my hard work finally paid off. Now I’m with the San Diego Civic Light Opera as a principal dancer! It doesn’t matter when you start, or when you go en pointe. Determination and Discipline (DD my username 😉 )are key factors when dancing and when doing anything really. Stay confident and you can honestly do anything!

Absolutely love anything connected to ballet, it is so amazing and you just have to see the lengths these dancers go to in order to perform this art. Getting the right pair of pointe shoes important, the pointe shop does an incredible job

I'm a late starter at 17 and sometimes I do feel like I want to be a proffessional. My family can't really afford more tgan one lesson a week so I'm kind of stuck. I practice everyday but I feel like I need more. Hopefully soon I'll find a job and be able to fit it in my schedule with school and dance. I'm also thinking about going to a more professional studio that is actually cheaper than where I go now. The problem is that it's an hour away. I am trying to figure it all out and hopefully I can get to the place I want to be.

There is where I take ballet classes!! I just started in January at 20 years old and I love it. There's people of all ages here and Julie is so sweet and awesome!

I'm 59 and have been a yoga and Pilates student my whole adult life, and now I plan to take ballet because it's something I've always wanted to do. Your videos are so interesting and helpful and I really appreciate you sharing your vast knowledge.

This is so inspiring! I absolutely miss dance because we couldn't afford it when I was younger. Knowing that there are places that let you take ballet classes as an adult just makes my heart happy

This was prob one of my favorite videos I’ve seen from you guys! So inspiring and positive where a lot of studios don’t want adults to do pointe or just do more than a basic beginner ballet class. I wish I lived near Broche Ballet!!

I’m 29 and would like to start ballet once things calm down in the world. And I live in Colorado, so I’m glad I found this video!! 😁

Great video! Super informative and motivating! I'm an adult ballet dancer. I'm started two years ago and I'm 22. I'm on pointe now,I was fitted im Freeds and I love dancing! It's never too late! 🙂👍

Thanks so much for visiting us! We had such a fun time chatting with you! ☺️

I'm a (much) older dancer and - shops take note - I went to great lengths to have a professional fitting for pointes, a very well known (and expensive) brand with which I was getting on fairly well. The result was so useless, and the attitude so desultory, that I simply abandoned the brand and found a shop where I feel properly attended who sell an own brand, perfectly adequate for my few classes and much more economic.

I started ballet in my late 20s and 2 years in I started pointe. I love the adult ballet community. They are all so supportive and welcoming. I didn't think that I could do pointe but my amazing and loving teacher never taught us as if we couldn't. She always taught adult classes like we could do it and I progressed so much because of her.

I've been watching your videos but never found this one until today. OMG so happy! Ballerinas mentioned they were late bloomer coz they started at 13 or 16....and I just started at 29! I freaked out. Now I feel better =D Thank yoouuu!

Wow! What an awesome dance studio! I wish we had an adult ballet program like this here in Reno, NV! I’m 32 and danced as a kid but stopped at about 12 yrs old. I would love to jump into again after all these years but it’s hard as an adult when all there is beginner level classes and I kind of figured that point was out of the question for me! So cool! Come to Reno!!

I started at 29, almost 30. I got my first pointe shoes at 31 I think? I worked very hard for that year and a half and oddly, pointe work was easier for me than dancing in flat shoes! This is such a great video. I was lucky and have great instructors, a great fitter, and this is such a wonderful video for people who aren't lucky enough to have that.

Ballet is definitely my happy place. I need to return that.

I’m an adult dancer! I started this year, I’m 23 and I’m so excited for my first pair!!

I always wanted to do ballet as a child. I used to practice the positions at home from a book. My family didn't have the money. But at 36, I still really want to start! It's nice to know I'm not too old.

I have done ballet on and off for about 8+ years since i was 3. I have always had an admiration for it but none of the work ethic and my parents never forced me to do anything i didnt want to. So every time I quit I was happy for a moment... then sad bc id see my friends doing great things (and i still thought it was the most beautiful form of dance I had ever seen). By the time I was ready to put in the work (I was maybe 15) my parents could no longer afford it. When I was 17 they were able to put me in a basic class for about a year and a half where i found that i had truly changed my perspective and really wanted to do this. I tried to stretch and exercise regularly to maintain my flexibility (careful to not do too much in case i had bad form) I am now 24 and while consistently dreaming of starting ballet all this time... ive decided that as a gift to myself, For my 25th birthday, I will gift myself my dream and officially start taking classes. I could not be more excited! I live in SoCal, and I want Josephine to fit me for my first pair of shoes in a couple years

Love this! I started ballet at 28, last year and I’d always wanted to take ballet, but I never did. I decided to just dive in and it’s honestly changed my life, I can no longer see my self not doing ballet and even started taking a class that performs. Also training to go en pointe.

Fantastic! Very encouraging for us dancers for life, Cali vibes dude. ❤️🌺

I’m 22 and just restarted doing ballet 3 months ago. I started ballet when I was 4 and when I was 11 I got a pretty bad injury from a autoimune disease that affected my ankles. I pushed through until I was 14 but I couldn’t keep dancing and had to stop. Now here I am: Doing what I love despite not being so good at it as I used to be!!

This was the BEST video I saw on adult ballet, it gave so much information and hope that I still have a chance in ballet. Thank you so much.

This is amazing that y’all shared this!! love you guys!!!!

I'm 19 and my teacher just gave me the okay to go on pointe and I'm so excited!!!

I LOVE your videos! I trained in ballet/tap/jazz/gymnastics as a child, from age 3 to 12 but quit prior to dancing en pointe. As an adult, I have wanted to get back into dancing for years, but adult classes typically leave much to be desired. I finally found my studio at 40! They welcomed me into the level 3/4 classes with open arms. I train with mostly 10-12 year olds but it's truly been a lovely experience, and I feel like I really belong. My goal is to dance en pointe. It is never too late! This video is a great inspiration for adult dancers!

So glad I stumbled across this ! 😍😍😍

SO TRUE what she's saying about adults not being able to find a good progressive technique program or a studio that will let you dance as an adult! I feel so lucky to have found my studio.

🧚🙏💞🎶🎹 I didn't get back till my sixties! Xmas I'm 66! God bless y'all And Ballet Fantastique in Eugene Oregon!

I started ballet at 31 and been doing it for over 4 years now. I love it! I identified with a lot of what they were saying. I did dance (tap and jazz) for about 5 years as a kid, starting at age 3, then my mom cut the cord right before I was supposed to start ballet because we didn't have money for dance anymore. I wish I had started again in my early 20s, not 30s, but c'est la vie.

High five, fellow adult dancers! ❤️

I was 16 ish when I got my first pair, went with my entire class and it took an HOUR. Boxy toes, high arches, very narrow heels, and ridiculously strong feet - my first were Sanshas, then I think Bloch, Gaynors, and back to Blochs. I'm planning on going back to pointe class after Christmas, and probably going to go back to Gaynors. I just remember them working out really well and I don't want to keep spending money on quickly broken shoes.

Could I ever go en Pointe? Im 26, overweight, and all my life, ive had this gnarly bunion on my right foot. I'm fascinated by ballet and would love to be able to go en pointe one day. Classes would be great exercise too

As a little girl I adored ballet, but I only got a couple of lessons. Now I'm in college and my plan is to go into dance education and open a studio with a low cost, for kids like me who didn't have the money for it and to have adult classes for people returning with that love of ballet 😊

I started at 26 and am rounding the corner to 28 and just got my pirouette. Still strength training to get to pointe but i know I am in a safe environment to work my way there❤️

I took some classes when I was 3-8 and then stopped. I’m currently 19 and I fell in love with ballet and started up again in the start of the school year. I took some classes at my community college but I felt like it was hard to keep up. I had to drop out of college to take care of my grandparents so there went my classes. I have found one studio where they taught to adult dancers but it was also hard to keep up, I apparently was practicing with intermediate students instead beginners, even though it said beginning/intermediate ballet. I haven’t gone back due to transportation difficulties but I’m not sure if I really want to go back and practice with intermediate dancers again. I have been practicing along to Kathryn Morgan’s beginning ballet videos but I really want to work up to pointe in a studio. Is there any studios in the Los Angeles area for adult ballet dancers?

Does a studio like this exist in SoCal?? I’ve dropped in on a couple adult classes, but never felt very comfortable as someone with 0 dance experience. I’d love to go through the proper levels like the kids do haha

I would love to get your insight into getting a fitting as an adult dancer.

Hi Josephine, my case is a little bit different... I'm a 22 years old french girl and i started ballet one year ago but i am disabled. I got one vertebra left (got an arthrodesis on my L4) and my femur is broken (still gotta take my nails off) since 3 years now. I do walk with a stick, and my both pinkie toes are broken (one has a nail and possibly could necrose as they told me in the hospital and i can't move it anymore). I really started pointe by myself a few weeks ago with Relevé shoes from Domyos (which is a big mistake i know it) and they really don't fit my feet, i just can't get over the box. I'm gonna go to a Bloch shop next month and i'm really afraid they just refuse to fit me and sell me new pointe shoes down to all of these. What's your advice ? I know i can do it and just would not if it was too dangerous for me. Btw, i am a dancer since i was 6 years old (practiced jazz at this time, and practice oriental/tribale dance and hip hop since 10 years now and breakdance soon), i never stopped dancing. PS : Thank you so much for your videos, you are so beautiful and amazing, i just love what you do ! 🖤🖤🖤

So I was in ballet when I was younger and dancing en pointe then I had to stop back in 2006 right before YAGP and haven't danced in 15yrs. Last August I got back into ballet as an adult because I wanted to not because I was put in it. It was very weird putting pointe shoes on again but gosh I missed it.

I hope I can find a way to take adult ballet classes when I'm older. I'm a senior in high school right now, and I've known for a long time that dance isn't what I want to do professionally, but it is such a part of my life that I don't ever want to lose it completely. Still, I have med school in mind, and it keeps bothering me that this is my last year as a dancer. 💔

And I thought I started late at 12 😂 I’m a competitive Scottish Dancer (which is based out of ballet) and have been since I was 5 and I did ballet when I was like 3-6 so I’ve always been dancing but I loved ballet and really wanted to start contemporary and ballet so I got enrolled in a teen class for both, the next year I went to a higher level ballet with a lot of younger kids lol so I kinda felt embarrassed and we all started pre-pointe in that class. Then I skipped a level and went en pointe so that’s where I am now 😂 I want to either dance professionally, for a contemporary company, be a dance teacher, be a Rockette or Broadway dancer, or all of them at different points in my adult life lol but I don’t know if that’s possible.

How did you start The Pointe Shop? Did you get a loan? How many pointe shoe brands did you start with and what brands were they? How did you learn to fit pointe shoes? Do you fit ballet slippers?

I studied ballet intensively when I was a teenager. I started late at 13 but trained every day for 3-4 hours and was on pointe by age 15. But I left the dance world at age 20 due to personal demons I had to deal with. 24 years later when I finally got much healthier my love of dance was reawakened. A year ago I enrolled in adult ballet classes and adult pointe class (four or five months into classes). I also practice on my own quite a bit. I LOVE dancing, even more so now, because there is no competition or pressure. I do it for sheer love of dancing. Pointe shoes have been a struggle to find the right fit as I have very high arched feet that are very wide at metatarsals, taper to heel, and Egyptian very tapered toes. My feet are also very bony, very little fat on them. I have tried Capezio contemporas (the shoe I wore many years ago but doesn't work now), Grishko 2007 and Novas (wore those for months but vamp cut into my metatarsals), Freeds (very uncomfortable), and Russian Pointe Sapfirs and Rubins. Right now I am in Rubins and they are the most comfortable so far but I sink in them a little as the box is too square for my feet. Sapfirs hold me up more but are too painfully tapered even in a 5W and very little padding. I LOVE the v vamps on the Russians, and the strong supportive pre arched supports, but I have yet to find a good fit in the box. I have very strong feet/arches (see my pointe video) but a big toe that stands out and causes me problems, and newly acquired bunions. I'm hoping to go back for yet another fitting in October. My second toe joint under my metatarsal area is always very sore on both sides but especially the right. I sometimes wonder if it is worth the trouble at my age of 46, but i am still convinced there is a good pointe shoe fit for me lol. I've made a lot of progress in them despite the obstacles. I really appreciate the support that is out there nowadays for adult dancers, especially who don't want to be professionals but still want solid high quality training and the same respect for pointe shoe fittings as the youngsters. Thanks for posting!

If anything hobbyist ballet dancers will be able to last longer enjoying the sport as the intensity of learning it as a career doesn’t present the opportunity to ruin the body or ones mental health. From my research it seems a lot of the profession still has work to do regarding those aspects in considering their dancers well being.

I am overweight can you fit overweight adults in pointe shoes like me? Is 19 an adult? My child is 20.

Nice

And I thought it was too late for me, as I'm 21

It's so difficult in the UK, to find a ballet class that will encourage pointe in adults. Such a shame. I think it's more of an American thing that I wish was a trend that was picked up for the rest of the world. Thank you for giving some hope!

Funny that in dance stores in Spain you're not allowed to take pictures or film the fitting.

I want to sign up for ballet classes but I'm 37, kinda fat, and completely out of shape. I have abdominal separation from pregnancy so I also pretty much have no core strength. But I really want to. 😕

DJ is my happy place. But I think ballet could be A happy place for me.

I'm 34 and have EDS. I always wanted to take ballet as a child but we didn't have the money.. I have thought about doing adult classes but I dislocate easily so I'm afraid I would fail.