Mastering Pointework

What’s the secret to beautiful pointework? It’s the perfect balance of training and strength. One of the most common issues I see as a coach is dancers moving through their pointe shoes as if they were solid blocks—rising up in one piece and dropping back down the same way. This creates heaviness, lack of control, and often inconsistency.

The key to truly masterful pointework lies in control through the toes. When dancers strengthen and articulate their toes, the pointework becomes lighter, stronger, and adaptable—able to move with precision at any speed, whether fast or slow.

Here are the two main principles:

  1. The spring of the toes into relevé.

  2. The rolling through the toes on the descent.

On the way up: From demi-plié to relevé, think of springing the toes under. As the toes point, they should snap quickly beneath you, almost “scooching” toward the center of the foot. I like the image of a frog catching a fly and coiling its tongue back in. This action allows you to arrive on pointe faster, with greater stability, and better alignment of your body weight under your center.

On the way down: Articulate through the toes—not just to demi-pointe, but just as importantly through ¾ pointe. By controlling this full range, you avoid “dropping” off pointe and instead demonstrate lightness, strength, and refinement. It also sharpens proprioception (the body’s sense of position and movement), which improves balance, stability, and consistency.

Why It Matters:
My own pointework transformed when I first learned this method of relevé. Before, rolling up to pointe made me too slow, and I often wasn’t fully reaching pointe on every rise. Coming down felt unpredictable and uncontrolled. Once I applied the sharp relevé and full articulation through ¾ pointe—an integral part of the Balanchine technique—it became my superpower. Suddenly, I had more control, more expressive possibilities, and much greater confidence in my pointework.

It was a game-changer for me, and I know it can be for you too.

Exercise: “PliÉ Relevé, Toes Up”

This is my number-one pointe-strengthening exercise. It targets the muscles that control the toes, reinforcing the fast relevé and controlled descent through ¾ and demi-pointe.

How to do it:

  1. Start in a demi-plié.

  2. Spring up quickly to relevé, focusing on snapping through the toes.

  3. Lower through ¾ pointe, then demi-pointe, slowly releasing the toes but keeping the arch fully pointed.

  4. Press the toes against the shoe to quickly come back up to full pointe.

  5. Repeat for 8–12 reps, maintaining alignment.

Practicing this exercise regularly builds the strength and articulation you need to make every relevé and descent feel light, controlled, and expressive.

Dana Jacobson