The 3 Things You Need to Earn Pointe Shoes What's the #1 question I get asked as a Ballet teacher? "Am I ready for Pointe?' "What do I need to work on to earn my Pointe shoes?" "How will I know when I am ready for Pointe?" "When can I begin Pointe work?" I'm going to share the 3 things you need to get ready for Pointe and earn your very first pair of Pointe shoes. If you are able to achieve these things, with hard work and dedication, you will absolutely be ready for Pointe lessons. So what are you waiting for? Get to work! 1. BUILD YOUR ANKLE STRENGTH All Pointe work needs to be supported with strong ankles and the tendons that surround them. Ankle strength is the first thing I look for when assessing a student's readiness for Pointe work. The best exercises for building ankle strength include: - Theraband Exercises - - Releve - - Pre-Pointe Exercises - - Ballet Barre ...