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Academy Students 2008-2009
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Female students will commence work on pointe only when directed to do so
by their teacher. The proper technique of dancing on pointe requires full
development of secondary and tertiary muscle sets, proper use of muscles to
point the foot, and mastery of quarter-pointe techniques in balance and turning.
To put a child on pointe before this is achieved will severely damage the
muscles, cause bone damage and/or distortion, and lead to lumbar injuries.

Upon achievement of Level 3 status in the lower school, all students, male and
female, are required to take one specialty class per week.

In the case of female students, this will most likely be a pointe class.
However, some will not be ready, and they will instead be directed to take a
character dancing class, or some other specialty class. But by Level 4, all
female students MUST take pointe class. Since the class requirement for
Level 4 includes a pointe class, then, it is not possible for any female student
to advance to that level unless she is able to dance en pointe.

This does not mean a student not yet ready for pointe work will no longer be
acceptable for Academy study, it just means she needs more time at Level 3
for her body, muscles and technique to develop adequately. No child should
be made to feel as if she has failed for this reason, even though it is natural to
feel this way. Instead, if a particular female student is not developing as
quickly to be prepared for pointe work as others, she may be directed to have
some private classes to help her achieve this and keep up with the others in
her class. But there is absolutely no circumstance in which a child will be put
en pointe before she is physically ready, as it might give her an injury or
permanently damage her physique.