Instructional Strategies, Behaviors, and Standards

Teaching Sample

From a Children's Creative Dance Class

Design For Instruction

A Space Unit Plan from Section 4 of My Teacher Work Sample

Day	Learning Outcomes Addressed	Instructional Strategies	Use of Technology	Adaptations for Learners
Day 1 D I R E C T I O N S & G E N E R A L / S E L F S P A C E	By the end of a 90 minute class period, Dance 1 students will be able to demonstrate clear pathways in an across the floor phrase.	Introduction: Explain who I am, why I’m student teaching, and what I expect from students. Discussion: Why do people dance? Make a list of reasons on the board. Explain that this class focuses on looking at dance as an art form. Introduce BEST. Warm up: Walk around the room. Follow directions to review old and new concepts (shape, locomotion, general/individual space, and pathways). Across the floor: Teach a phrase in which partners interact with each other. Practice it. Analyze pathways and general/individual space, finding occasions of both within the phrase. Cool down: Stretch major muscle groups and review what was learned during class.		Some students may need to execute the partner phrase alone or with me, if learning disabilities will cause them to interrupt the chain of students moving across the floor.
Day 2 L E V E L S & P A T H W A Y S	By the end of a 90 minute class period, Dance 1 students will be able to (1) verbally articulate how dance can have meaning in cultural context, and (2) demonstrate high, medium and low levels with clarity.	Warm up: As students walk in from the locker rooms, have them join in and learn “Ya Abud” (an Israeli dance). Practice repeatedly, each time analyzing a different spatial concept. Bellwork: Define culture and identity. Discussion: How does culture influence identity and vis versa? How is dance a part of culture? Folk Dance: Explain that I have Scottish ancestry, so it is part of my identity and culture. Teach the Scottish Schottische. Tribal Dance: Teach an African –inspired phrase of movement that can be used as a warm up in the future. Cool down: Stretch major muscle groups, while discussing the ability of dance to communicate meaning.		Students with special needs may need extra help from the teacher or another student to keep up with the rest of the class (especially when learning Ya Abud).
Day 3 P O S I T I V E / N E G A T I V E S P A C E *See below for full plan*	By the end of a 90 minute class period, Dance 1 students will demonstrate clarity of positive and negative space in an improvisational performance. Students will also be able to identify similarities and differences between their peers’ use of positive and negative space.	Bellwork: Show three resumes (one with too much white space, one with too many words, and another with a good balance). Have students write which one will get the job and why. Introduce Concept: Show pictures of dancers in shapes. Introduce the concept of positive and negative space. Explain that resumes should have a balance between positive and negative space, but dancers also like to play with extremes to find more contrast. Warm up: Walk around the room and review spatial concepts according to my directions (high/low shapes, locomotor pathways, etc.) Across the floor: Practice the partner phrase and emphasize its use of positive and negative space. Improvisation: Each student will create 3 shapes based on a picture, focusing on the use of positive and negative space. Perform in two groups while improvising transitions between each shape. Look for positive and negative space during locomotion, as well as axial movement. Cool down: Stretch major muscle groups and analyze the spatial qualities of familiar stretches.		Model the instructions for the improvis-ation, and review the sequence more than once to avoid anxiety.
Day 4 R A N G E & C O N T R A S T	By the end of a 90 minute class period, Dance 1 students will be able to demonstrate contrast in large and small ranges while performing a center floor sequence.	Bellwork: Respond to the following quote: “There are dark shadows on earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.” –Charles Dickens (The Pickwick Papers) Warm up: Learn and practice a Bartennieff X phrase on the floor. Do up-downs, jumping jacks and reverse jumping jacks as a class. Across the Floor: Review the partner sequence. Perform and grade according to the rubric found in the unit assessment plan. Center Floor: Learn a phrase of movement, and analyze its use of range. Composition: Split class into groups of three. Give each group a spatial concept and 2 locomotor movements to emphasize in their composition. Have each trio manipulate the range phrase according to their prompts.   Cool down: stretch major muscle groups while reviewing vocabulary for the written quiz on day 5.		Trios can be assigned in a way that allows successful/enthusiastic students to work with other students who need extra help. During composition work time, make sure every group understand the assignment. It may need to be explained several times.
Day 5 (Valen-tine’s Day) R E V I E W / P E R F O R M	By the end of a 90 minute class period, Dance 1 students will be able to explain why movement compositions are interesting, using space vocabulary.	Bellwork: Quiz on Space. Warm up: In a large, heart-shaped pathway, do the following locomotor movements: run, slide, jump, hop. Heart Facts: Practice the Bertennieff X phrase, then lay on the floor and learn about the heart. Read from Peggy Hackney’s Breath chapter. Give DGA recommendations for physical activity. Across the Floor: Perform the partner sequence several times, while reviewing various spatial concepts. Composition: Give students time to work on trio compositions. Perform: Each trio will be given the opportunity to perform their piece with music. After each group, the class will discuss and analyze the use of space within the performance. Journal-write: students will discuss ideas about the use of space, and how spatial contrast can create meaning and visual interest.		Some students may need more time on the quiz. If so, it can be finished after class or during SRC time.

Student Teaching Evaluations

Summary Statement Completed by Cooperating Teacher:

Meryl was forced into a "sink or swim" situation half way through her student teaching experience when I was no longer able to teach due to a health problem. Suddenly, she found herself in charge and legitimately running every aspect of her teaching day. I feel Meryl has grown from a student teacher with some confidence to a capable educator with confidence to effectively run any classroom. Her most notable growth has been in time management and discipline. She seems to have found the recipe for lessons which are always full of both movement and conceptual information. She has a masterful way of engaging students from the minute they step in the studio to the end of a class period. Meryl is often found smack-dab in the middle of the circle conversing with students and interacting with them at their level. Her students genuinely like her. I believe Meryl has found her balance and teaches with her own convictions. She is always prepared, positive and enthusiastic. She is self reflective and improving her own teaching technique has been a priority. She is professional in her dealings with students, parents, peers and administration. In my opinion, Meryl has successfully executed and completed her student teaching at Viewmont High School. I would give her my highest recommendation for future employment. She has been a joy to work with. Thanks for the opportunity.

Summary Statement Completed by University Supervisor:

It is my pleasure to recommend Meryl McFarland for a dance teaching position.

Meryl has always been a stellar student academically, actively involved, and invested in her education. Her student teaching experience is no exception. 

Meryl is committed to the core curriculum in dance. Indeed, she is committed to both dance and education. She understands the broader scope and she entered student teaching with gusto to not only teach dance skills, but also life skills. 

I believe one of Meryl’s greatest attributes is her ability to absorb all the good she can. I witnessed this in our brief conversations following visits. She fervently listened as I offered ideas and suggestions. Her unassuming and humble way of accepting feedback is commendable. For, one sensed that she so willingly applied the feedback not for her own gain, but for her students. I often left those observations uplifted due to Meryl’s ability to boost others.

Early on in student teaching Meryl struggled with management and motivation in two of her classes. Her sweet and docile manner lent itself to this. I believe that Meryl will continue to improve in this area and has expressed more and more confidence concerning this area. 

Part of this new-found confidence stems from a profound situation in which she was placed. Meryl’s cooperating teacher unfortunately suffered some serious health issues during the latter portion of her student teaching. Meryl courageously stepped in to not only finish student teaching, but also the school year. Meryl continued to teach her original assignment of Dance 1, Dance 2, Dance 3, and a health class as part of her minor. She then added two yoga classes to assist the situation. I was thoroughly impressed with Meryl’s professionalism and positive attitude through the entire process.

Shortly after learning about Meryl’s cooperating teacher I met with the assistant principal. He was incredibly complimentary of Meryl. He expressed how grateful they were for her willingness to facilitate the circumstances. He indicated that he had observed her classes to give support and that he held no concerns. He then went on to explain how Meryl recently addressed a disgruntled parent’s concerns with poise and professionalism. Receiving this report from an administrator was commendable.

I know that Meryl will have success as she enters the teaching profession, and I hope you find her a worthy candidate.

At What Age is it Safe to Start Pointe Shoes?

An undergraduate research paper entitled "Save the Ballerinas: Ensuring a Safe 

Transition to Pointe Shoes" 

Pointe shoes stand as a symbol of the beautiful aesthetic of ballet. However, this visually dainty shoe can cause some not-so-dainty complications for the dancers who wear them, particularly when worn prematurely. Scholars in the field of dance science agree that pointe shoes can cause injury to a dancer when worn before she is ready. But exactly how to determine a dancer’s readiness for pointe work remains debatable. Traditional trends suggest that age is the best way to know if a dancer is ready for pointe shoes. This belief is based on claims that skeletal maturity is the most important pre-pointe factor to look for in ballet dancers. Some scholars believe that it is more important to look for muscular strength than skeletal maturity in dancers who desire to train with pointe shoes. Contrary to traditional beliefs, I maintain that skeletal maturity and age requirements are not needed to dance on pointe, but skeletal alignment and muscular strength matter most. Considering the risk of injury associated with a dancer’s transition to pointe shoes, I also assert that ballet teachers should know how to assess the strength and alignment of their students. It is up to teachers to make sure that the transition to pointe shoes is a safe one.

In studying the issue of when is best to start pointe work, the topic of tradition seems recurrent. Ballet itself is deeply rooted in tradition. Attire, technique and even teaching methods are all affected by the traditions of the past. Pointe shoe training theories are also tradition-motivated. Dance scientists and teachers have long used age to determine a dancer’s readiness to “go on pointe.” This idea of age requirements may come from George Balanchine, who is well respected for revolutionizing ballet and bringing the art form to America. He believed that ballet training should begin at age eight, and extend for at least four years before a dancer considers pointe work (Shah). By Balanchine’s standard, ballet dancers must be at least 12 years old to start working with pointe shoes. If a dancer starts taking ballet classes after age eight, she should wait longer to go on pointe. Though there is no factual or medical base for Balanchine’s standard, professionals today still follow his traditions because he is so highly revered. For example, Dr. Hamilton of the New York City Ballet agrees that dancers must begin their ballet training four years prior to receiving pointe shoes (Barringer and Schlessinger 140-141). It is true that ballet training before receiving pointe shoes is necessary for dancers to gain proper strength and balance. Surely some dancers need four years of ballet training before going on pointe. However, it is not true that everyone needs the same amount of time to prepare for these advanced level shoes. Attaching a universal age onto the acquiring of traits such as balance is neither necessary nor accurate. Despite this fact, Balanchine’s beliefs about pointe shoe worthiness continue to prevail among countless ballet studios across America.

Many studios are unaware of Balanchine’s age-focused traditions, but still teach that turning 12 years old is an appropriate bar for dancers to reach before receiving pointe shoes. Dance teachers commonly accept that at this age, foot bones are mature enough to handle pressure that comes with pointe shoes. Dance specialty physicians Justin Howse and Shirley Hancock suggest that dancers should not begin pointe work without mature bones, and doing so is risky for one’s health. As a preventative, they suggest waiting until bones are fully mature before beginning pointe work. They submit that “there are certainly well-known dancers who were not strong enough to start their pointe work until they were over the age of sixteen and this has proved no handicap to their career” (59). However, Howse and Hancock may not recognize the amount of time it takes for bones to mature fully. Female growth spurts are usually not over until the age of 16 (Micheli and Fehlandt), and skeletal structures may not fully ossify, or finish growing, until the age of 20. Sometimes the ossification process doesn’t even begin until age 14 (Barringer and Schlessinger 142). If a dancer wishes to become a professional ballerina at the conventional age of 17 or 18, she would benefit enormously by developing her pointe technique sooner than the average-ossification age of 16.

Just like Balanchine’s opinions about age, the belief that bones must ossify before using pointe shoes is a myth based on tradition. Thank goodness that dancing on pre-adult bones does not necessarily equate to injury. If it did, most ballet dancers would be constantly crippled. Dance trainer Selina Shah states, “while injuries have been attributed to skeletal immaturity in gymnasts, dancers have never been shown to suffer such injuries.” We may never know exactly where the belief began that dancers would wait to dance on fully formed bones. Shah also discusses the possibility of dancing before the standard age of 12: “restricting pointe work based on a specific age requirement is tradition, rather than science. In fact, in South America, children are permitted to dance on pointe as early as age 5 or 6 without any evidence of injury.” Similarly, Krassovska believes that dancers can go on pointe as early as age 8 if they fit her requirements for body strength and composition (Barringer and Schlessinger 141). It is not necessary to merely wait for skeletal maturation to begin pointe work because bones do not mature on a timeline that is consistent for everyone. Even within one person’s body, bones often do not mature at the same time (Musil 65). There is no unconditional age at which every person’s growth plates finish growing. Still, even with this knowledge, the requirement of age persists for many in the dance world at large. According to some former doctors of the Royal Ballet Schools in London, “there is no particular age at which pointe work should be commenced… and to be dogmatic about an age does not make any reference to the child’s maturity or immaturity” (Howse 59). It is pointless to restrict the use of pointe shoes due to standards (such as age) which are irrelevant. However, these irrelevant standards are still used because of ballet’s strong cling to tradition.

Because we in the ballet field have been focusing too much on tradition and not enough on science, injury is still a main concern for those who receive their first pair of pink satin pointe shoes. Since the 1830’s when pointe work began, pointe shoes have been highly esteemed because of the risk factor that comes with wearing them. While dancing on pointe (see fig. 2), all of the dancer’s weight is distributed downwards through the small metatarsals and phalanges of the feet. As the laws of Physics demonstrate, when force is applied to a small surface area, as opposed to a larger one, there will be more pressure. So there is more pressure on
the joints in the foot while on pointe than while dancing on demi-pointe (see fig. 1). With over 30 joints in the foot (Haddad), applying unnatural pressure on them through pointe work can surely have negative effects. According to research performed by Jennifer M. Gamboa et al, 53% of injuries in “elite nonprofessional dancers” dealt with the foot and the ankle. This study presents some implications that ballet dancers should not avoid: footwear used by dancers can, and sometimes does, negatively influence their health. The best way to avoid injury in such an unnatural, dangerous environment is for dancers to be prepared to wear pointe shoes. If a dancer is not strong enough, damage to the foot and ankle can be chronic and sometimes permanent.

When a dancer begins using pointe shoes, adequate musculature is paramount. Muscles can provide support by keeping the weight out of the feet and stabilizing the bones themselves. When muscles contract, they take responsibility over a portion of the body’s weight, making it easier for the lower body to hold everything above it. A podiatrist from New York City, Dr. Louis Galli points out that most ballet dancers have loose ligaments because of the emphasis on flexibility in dance. His remarks show the significance of having proper strength on pointe. As summarized by the authors of The Pointe Book:

"Because of their loose ligaments… [children who come to ballet] have better extension and better lines. Dr. Galli’s concern regards the fact that ligaments support the joints: if the ligaments are loose, what will support them? The answer is the muscles and tendons; but that is not their primary function. Their primary function is to move the body. Therefore, these children have a false sense of flexibility. They are loose jointed, but their muscles and tendons are tight. They are asking their muscles to do the job their ligaments would normally do" (142).

Since ballet students generally have loose ligaments, it is important that their musculature is strong enough to stabilize the wide range of motion in their joints. Studies have shown that this stabilization is possible, even with looser ligaments. Muscles and the tendons attached to them can provide stability to bony structures (Musil). For example, Femino et al found that the flexor hallucis longus and peroneus longus (muscles of the lower leg) help provide stability to the structure of the foot’s arch. Considering the fact that weak, hypermobile feet can cause injury to pointe dancers, it is important that dancers who are considering pointe work have sufficient strength for skeletal stability. If dancers have an appropriate amount of strength, their alignment will usually be acceptable as well. Strength and alignment are very closely related, and both are needed for safe dancing on pointe.

Many scholars agree that proper alignment is a key component of safe pointe work. Some teachers don’t allow students to receive pointe shoes if their natural alignment is not right. Paskevska states the importance of good alignment: “if the body is aligned from head to foot, the dancer will experience the force in one vertical plane. But if the body is misaligned, gravity will pull on it in several different planes . . . thus it is that malformation and permanent damage can result . . .” (135). Attempting perfect balance on misaligned bones can create negative tension and shearing forces on a dancer’s body. Also, a misaligned dancer is more likely to lose control of herself and fall on the ground during pointe work.

While professionals in the field of ballet generally agree that decent alignment is necessary, some take this prerequisite to the extreme. For example, many famous Russian ballet schools restrict the usage of pointe shoes if a dancer has imperfect anatomical alignment. Unfortunately, some dance teachers in America also deny the opportunity of pointe work to dancers whose feet are misshapen. In some cases, restricting pointe shoe ownership is best for the dancer, but teachers and scholars often fail to recognize that there are ways to compensate for bony disproportions. These compensations are especially possible when it comes to imbalances of the length of foot bones (metatersals and toes). Alan Woodle, a podiatrist from Washington, invented “toe caps” for ballet dancers. These custom made caps compensate for different toe lengths, allowing dancers to move on pointe with proper alignment and equally distributed weight. There are similar devices such as Dr. Scholl’s toe pad inserts that can also alleviate disproportionate skeletal makeup (Allen). If dance teachers are aware of possibilities such as these, perhaps more opportunities will open up to students who would otherwise grow to hate ballet for rejecting them. Teachers have more power for ballet advocacy and safe training than one might think.

Some dance professionals believe that Physicians know best whether dancers are ready for pointe or not. For example, professional dancer and medical doctor Selina Shah states, “a health care provider can make a reasonable determination based on knowledge of anatomic, training, and performance requirements thought to be critical for a successful transition to pointe dancing.” But unless health care professionals are trained to work with dancers distinctively, they lack the field-specific knowledge and experience needed to assess dancers for pointe shoes. Never having danced on pointe, most physicians don’t know the level of strength and ballet technique required for safe pointe work. It is essential that students are evaluated on an individual basis, and with standards based on knowledge of the human body. Physicians understand the body very well, but they do not understand the individual students. Unless they attend several ballet technique classes, physicians will not know the ever-revealing habitual alignment and movement patterns of their patients. The person who spends enough time with the students in a dance setting is, of course, her teacher.

A heavy responsibility rests on dance teachers to decide when dancers can receive pointe shoes (a signed note from the teacher is often required upon purchase). It is of supreme importance that teachers understand the progress level of each student. Some teachers tend to look at the progression of entire classes at a time. But every ballet class has students with varying skill levels and natural makeup. As a result, teachers must pay close attention to individual levels of technique, strength and alignment. As Howse and Hancock state:

"Starting [pointe work] before the child is physically and technically ready is potentially very harmful. Waiting until the correct time, as far as that individual child is concerned, will have very positive advantages. There will be far less risk of injury. She will be able to achieve the correct technique more readily and accurately and will progress more speedily" (59).

Because there is no universal rule for when a dancer is ready for pointe shoes, teachers need to know the individual status of each student. The health of each dancer is at risk when a ballet teacher does not understand the progress level of each student. In order for instructors to track the progress of their dancers, they must know how to assess strength.

As knowledge of the muscular system comes, teachers can effectively develop their own method of testing dancers to know if they’re ready for pointe shoes. With a knowledge of which muscles are working during pointe work, teachers can focus on strengthening and assessing those muscle groups (such as plantarflexors and dorsiflexors). Sandy Allen, teacher of beginning pointe classes for 35 years, says that there are two areas of strength that should be assessed before allowing a dancer to obtain pointe shoes. These are: Strength of core and strength exhibited in a series of releves. She chooses to assess pointe readiness by observing a simple, yet difficult exercise. Allen suggests that if a dancer can maintain good alignment during 16 consecutive releves in arabesque, she has adequate core and leg strength to safely begin pointe work. Tests such as this can be developed by any teacher, according to the dancers’ needs. As stated before, there is no perfect, absolute method to determine when dancers are ready for pointe shoes. However, when based on correct principles, tests such as Sandy Allens can provide valuable feedback to the educated teacher.

As discussed above, alignment is also important when it comes to pointe shoes. According to Barringer and Schlesinger, if a dancer tends to pronate (distribute weight to the medial side of her toe shoe) on pointe, she could develop bunions/hallux-valgus and longitudinal/medial arch problems. If the dancer supinates (places more weight on the lateral side of her toe box), this can put too much stress on the outer ankles (lateral malleoli), leading to potential strains. Strength in the pronators and supinators is therefore paramount in order to maintain the correct center of gravity over the toe box on pointe. These are just a few of many examples of how weakness in muscles can lead to misalignment and injury. Damage to the foot and ankle can be chronic and sometimes permanent, depending on the particular situation. Ms. Browne, a principle dancer for the American Ballet Theater company is a good example of paying attention to alignment. When she teaches pointe class, she looks for proper anterior and lateral lines of gravity to ensure that her students are dancing with correct alignment (Barringer and Schlessinger 146). In her course packet, Musil concisely outlines these ideal lines of gravity (24). From a lateral viewpoint, teachers should know the line of gravity: it should pass from behind the ear through the shoulder joint, down through the hip joint, the knee joint (behind the patella) and the ankle (just anterior to the lateral malleolus). Looking from the front (anterior view), the line of gravity should go from the hip (anterior superior iliac spine), through the knee at the patella, through the ankle joint, and through the second toe. With pointe shoes, teachers must also understand that the anterior line of gravity should go directly through the middle of the pointe shoes. Also, this line of gravity should form a 90 degree angle with the floor. If the line of gravity goes off to one side or the other, the experienced teacher will know how to strengthen opposing muscles to pull the foot into correct, safe alignment.

When teachers understand the anatomy of legs, feet and pointe shoes, they can advise students/parents what to look for in the right pointe shoe. Dancers are not prepared to begin pointe work unless they are wearing the right pair of pointe shoes. These beautiful shoes are fun to dance in, but teachers need to see pointe shoes as a piece of equipment which should be taken seriously. For example, if a dancer’s foot flexibility is limited in plantar flexion, a shoe with a soft, more curved sole could help her keep the toe box flat on the ground while on pointe; whereas a dancer who has a strong, flexible arch can purchase a more stiff-soled shoe. Some dancers who are ready to dance on pointe fail to keep up with their potential because they are wearing the wrong pointe shoe for their feet. Having the wrong pair could cause injury even more than not having enough strength, so the teacher must understand this before permitting dancers to go on pointe.

Students cannot be very safe on pointe if their teachers do not understand the mechanics, risks, and prevention strategies behind the beauty and grace of pointe shoes. The best way to prevent injury for beginning pointe dancers is to have well educated teachers (Allen). It is up to the teachers to know about resources available for finding the right shoe. It is up to teachers to decide who has strength enough to dance safely on pointe. And it is up to teachers to understand the individual bodies of those they teach. Instead of looking purely at age or bone maturation, teachers need to assess the muscular strength and skeletal alignment of their students. Dance programs in post secondary education must stress the importance and process of verifying pointe shoe preparedness. This can be done without too much difficulty by including anatomy and pedagogy components in college ballet courses. As dancers, our bodies are our instruments. Teachers have the responsibility to understand and take care of those instruments which they teach. As awareness is raised about correct teaching principles, the population of future ballerinas will become safer and more protected from injury.



Works Cited
Allen, Sandy. Personal Interview. 16 Mar. 2010.

Barringer, Janice, and Sarah Schlesinger. The Pointe Book: Shoes, Training and Technique. Hightstown, NJ: Princeton Book Company, 2004. Print.

Femino, J. E., et al. “The Role of the Flexor Hallucis Longus and Peroneus Longus in the Stabilization of the Ballet Foot.” Journal of Dance Medicine and Science 4.3 (2000): 86-89. SPORTDiscuss. EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb. 2010.

Gamboa, Jennifer M., Leigh A. Roberts, Joyce Maring, and Andrea Fergus. :Injury Patterns in Elite Preprofessional Ballet Dancers and the Utility of Screening Programs to Identify Risk Characteristics.” Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 38.3 (2008): Print.

Haddad, Steven L. “Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle.” Orthoinfo.aaos.org. American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Sept. 2008. Web. 16 March 2010.

Howse, Justin, and Shirley Hancock. Dance Technique and Injury Prevention. 2nd ed. New York: Theatre Arts Books/Routledge, 1992. Print.

Micheli, Lyle, and Allan F. Fehlandt. “Overuse Injuries due to Tendons and Apophyses in Children and Adolescents.” Clinics in Sports Medicine 11.4 (1992): 100-6. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.

Minden, Eliza Gaynor. “History of Pointe Shoes and Technique.” Gaynor Minden New York. Gaynor Minden, Inc., 1998. Web. 9 March 2010.

Musil, Pam. Dance 342 Kinesiology and Related Sciences for Dancers: Study Packet. Brigham Young University. Provo, UT. Print.

Paskevska, Anna. Both Sides of the Mirror: The Science and Art of Ballet. 2nd ed.
Pennington: Princeton Book, 1992. Print.

Shah, Selena. "Determining a Young Dancer's Readiness for Dancing on Pointe." Current Sports Medicine Reports 8.6 (2009): 295-9. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.

Teitz, Carol C., Richard M. Harrington, and Hannah Wiley. "Pressures on the Foot in Pointe Shoes." Foot and Ankle 5.5 (1985): 216-221. Web. 16 Mar. 2010.

Weiss, David S., Rachel Anne Rist, and Gayanne Grossman. "When Can I Start Pointe Work? Guidelines for Initiating Pointe Training." Journal of Dance Medicine & Science 13.3 (2009): 90-92. SPORTDiscus. EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb. 2010.

Woodle, Alan S.“US Patent 5129165 - Custom Toe Cap For Ballet Pointe Shoe and Method of Weight Distribution.” Patent Storm LLC. Patent Storm, 14 Jul. 1992. Web. 24 March 2010.