pointe
4
8.5
- noun
- /pwæ̃t/
- Specialized
:
en puntas
- We started out diagonally across the floor, one by one, chainé turns on pointe.
- pointe shoes
- ballerina en pointe
- pointe class
Examples
-
Often she grew tired, stumbled, or lost her balance, and after a few falls, she stopped wearing her pointe shoes.
Fiction book (1997) -
Hands clasped, we face each other, do our arabesques en pointe, then our hands let go.
Fiction book (1996) -
Plus, I would have never learned as much about pointe shoes as I did.
Blog text (12) -
And then they go en pointe for hours and hours.
-
Overhead, someone was practicing pique turns and falling off pointe every so often.
Fiction book (1990) -
I danced with the Ballet Chicago Studio Company until 16, when I started itching to ditch my pointe shoes.
Blog text (11) -
One is Caitlin's, and hanging over the corner of the other half-open door are Julianna's special-ordered pointe shoes from Freed's of London.
Fiction book (1993) -
The eras of the ballet glide by on pointe and leap with a grand tour jeté into the wings.
Fiction book (1992) -
Two female dancers enter dancing "hard"—bodies upright, on pointe, arms extended upward—and they stiffen the male dancer's resolve.
Academic text (2000) -
The dancer elegantly stood on her pointe during the final performance, showcasing her training.
Synonyms
A traditional body pose used in ballet, often showing the feet
How Elevated
- Specialized
4
8.5
Surface Forms
Etymology
Pointe comes from French pointe, meaning 'point' or 'tip', and shares the same root as the English word point. In ballet it means standing on the tips of the toes, so the name describes exactly what the dancer does.