It may seem like harsh treatment, but you can not rush going en Pointe!! Age is certainly a factor. A dancer must be at least 12 to 14 years old to have the properly developed leg and ankle muscles, but you must also have at least two to three years of intense ballet training (at least three classes per week) before you can even consider lacing up your first pair of Pointes. You teacher will know when your ready. Sadly though, some dancers never go en Pointe do to a lack of coordination. This is one of the sad facts of live. But that should not disuade you from staying with ballet.[/i]