2026 Pointe Work: From Beginners and Beyond (Sydney)

Pointe Work: From Beginners and Beyond

This one-day practical workshop is designed to increase a ballet teacher’s confidence and knowledge of teaching pointe work to students at different stages of training. The workshop charts preparation and training progressions which underpin the requisites of pointe work. Participants will be introduced to, and explore through discussion, the vocabulary of pointe work from Intermediate Foundation through to more advanced levels of training. Examples of training exercises which prepare students for the progressive demands of pointe work, as well as strategies for implementing training exercises, will be explored.

Aims

• Gain knowledge and understanding of the evolution of pointe shoes and the fitting and maintenance of pointe shoes
• Improve the participants’ knowledge and understanding of pointe work with a particular focus on how to prepare and train pointe work across different stages of training and proficiency
• Share and discuss ideas on creating and teaching preparatory exercises, training exercises and pointe work enchaînements

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, participants will have:

• knowledge and understanding of the evolution of pointe shoes, fitting and maintenance of pointe shoes,
• knowledge and understanding of the principles (anatomical readiness and technical competencies) which indicate when students are ready to commence pointe work,
• developed skills to create preparatory exercises, training exercises and pointe enchaînements for different levels of study,
• knowledge and understanding of the needs of different students when teaching pointe work, and
• developed different approaches and strategies for teaching pointe work.

Date and Time

Sunday 1 March 2026 9.30am-4.30pm AEDT (Sydney)

Venue

Royal Academy of Dance, 20 Farrell Avenue, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Registration closes

Saturday 7 February 2026

Early Bird pricing until Saturday 17 January 2026

Format

In-person practical workshop

Includes practical exercises and group activities in the studio with your tutor and fellow teachers. When participating in the practical elements of these activities, you are participating at your own risk and should only do those activities that you consider safe for your own body. Before participating, please ensure you are in a safe space, that is free of obstacles, suitable to work in safely, that the floor surface is suitable and that you have appropriate footwear for that surface.

Recommended preparation

Participants should read the section on pointe work in The Foundations of Classical Ballet Technique and The Progressions of Classical Ballet Technique.

Required resources

• Suitable clothing for the practical elements

Tutor

Hilary Kaplan

Hilary Kaplan was born in South Africa. A child prodigy in various styles of dancing, she trained with the late Reina Berman (ballet) and with Mercedes Molina (Spanish dancing), Luisa Cortes and Enrique Segovia (Spanish dancing). For several years, she won most of the first prizes in Ballet, Spanish, Character and Classical Greek in all the major dance competitions in Johannesburg. 

Having done outstandingly well in all her Royal Academy of Dance examinations including achieving the Solo Seal, she was awarded the RAD Bursary, which enabled her to complete her training at the Royal Ballet School in London. She then returned to South Africa where she danced with PACT and CAPAB. 

She then married and settled down to open her own highly successful ballet school. While teaching she completed a BA at the University of Witwatersrand majoring in languages. 

Hilary was subsequently appointed a Dual Examiner and Tutor for the Royal Academy of Dance and a Dual Examiner for the Spanish Dance Society. She is a sought-after examiner and teacher travelling all over the world, appearing regularly on the faculties of international summer schools and seminars. In 1996 she moved to Australia with her husband and five daughters. While examining in Sydney that year, she met Archibald McKenzie, with whom she conducted several courses for the RAD. She went on, together with Archibald, to found Alegria in 1998. Since then she has qualified with a Licentiate Diploma in the Cecchetti method and has been recently awarded the Prestigious FRAD by the Royal Academy of Dance.

CPD hours                 

8 time valued

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