A couple years- though it really depends on how strong your leg and foot muscles are.

By the way my comment was toward Jewlz171

Well sometimes it is just a matter of how strong you are. I tried out for the dance company at my dance studio with no ballet training. Once i got accepted into the company it was required that you take a ballet class. this was my first year of ballet when i was in fifth grade. now i am in seventh grade and taking my first pointe class. it really is a matter of how strong you are. Hope this helped you :)

i really agree. Someone with hardly any experience can easily be on the same level as someone with tons!

usually your teacher will tell you when your body is ready. It all takes time. I've been dancing for 9 years and i will finally be going on pointe soon! It all depends on when your body is ready. For some it only takes one year for others it takes almost 10! (like me :(

thats what ballet is :)

she made me fall in love with ballet all over again.

i absolutely agree with you. i'm 16 and started about 6 months ago and even i'm in the most advanced class, i have improved so much, that now i'm as good as the others. if you want it and are ready to work for it, no one can tell you that you can't do it! BALLET IS FOR EVERYONE!

WOW your amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

how much ballet experiencedo you recomend before begining pointe/

Awesome!

i love the way she carries her arms at 0:28. she´s so classy, elegant and feminine

Moonshine148... just dont listen to anything they say. just follow your dreams!! dont let ANYBODY say that you cant do something. you can do anything you want to if your heart is in it. I started ballet at 15.. its almost been a year and i have improved dramatically. all you need is a good teacher, lot of practice time, determination, discipline, and a passion. as long as you have that, you can do anything.

True, it seems it is a little about asthetics. But I'm still convinced that if one started at like 17, and really truly was dedicated, they could make company around 23. What about the handful that started at 13? Does 4 years really make that much of a difference? Would one even be able to tell the difference between a 25 year old or a 29 year old? Or a 21 year old and a 25 year old, if all 4 were at the same skill level?

Professional companies want young dancers, because if they are, lets say, 25, they will probably only have a 6 or 7 year dance career where some one who is 18 can have a 15 year career. Let's face it. As sad as it is, nobody wants to see a 35 year old dance Giselle when there are plenty of 22 year olds who can do it just as well. The ballet wold is harsh.

can you point me to something that proves this age limit?I'm not trying to argue or offend you or anything, but I don't see how you must start young to get the stamina, strength, fitness and technique of a dancer. The only thing I see that would be different is that if you started young you'd have to wait longer for pointe, which means you'd have everything before pointe down that much better.

To a degree you are right. You can practice and you will improve however to develop the strength, fitness and stamina of a dancer plus the technique and skill you need to begin at a young age. Unfortunately there is no fast track, if you want to dance for fun then by all means start now, but if you are looking at it for a career then the chances are very slim. I'm not sure on the age limit but most company's don't often accept girls over the age of 20 or so

@Moonshine148 You are right! im a trained fitness instructor and i can tell you your age is not so late-i started doing ballet seriously at age 19,though i had some professional training before-i hope to go on points soon.Ballet is a matter of natural grace,skill and consistency (discipline). If you want it go for it! Vanessa started in collage-look at her dancer profile! if you have already look up other dancers like her for more encouragement. Best wishes.

All I'm saying is that to me skill doesn't necessarily come from starting early and having a ton of years of experience. It comes from how much you practice, how good your teachers are, and how much you want it. For example, I've been playing violin for 7 years, but I am not as good as other players who have played just as long and have had teachers. Had I had a teacher, I probably would be.

I'm sorry, but I still don't see the reason why you think that way. What if I were to train for a decade and become as good as the 17 year old who has been training for a decade? Is there an age limit for joining a company, because I thought it was all on skill. I've also heard people say that there are a ton of professional dancers that started when they were around my age, so called 'late', what about them?