Screening Protocols for Pointe Readiness in Young Adolescent Female Dance Students: A Delphi Study

Introduction: There is an increased injury risk during pointe training if dance students are not physically or technically prepared. The objective of this study was to find consensus between dance experts pertaining to the most reliable screening protocols when determining pointe readiness in young adolescent female dance students. Methods: Dance experts (10+ years of professional dance (pointe) experience/teaching pointe experience/clinician to dancers), were recruited through multiple dance teacher/science groups on social media. The Delphi method was utilized via Online Surveys and distributed in rounds until consensus was found. Questions were created, and subsequent rounds were devised based on analyzed data from the previous round. Descriptive and thematic analysis was used to collate, rank, and analyze data. Consensus was determined at 60% agreement between the dance experts' answers. Results and discussion: Fifteen dance experts completed Round 3 with 80% consensus. The most important physical attributes were ankle alignment, pelvic stability, ankle strength, ankle stability, and lower limb alignment. Screening measures consisted of medical history, teacher assessment, heel raise test, single leg plié, plantarflexion. Functional skills tests were heel raise test, single leg sauté, holding passé relevé on demi-pointe, balance, and pencil test. All agreed that teacher assessment is more reliable than a test battery. Overall, responses corresponded with statistically significant evaluators yet were not conclusive. Conclusion: Contradictory responses meant providing reliable outcomes to the objectives was challenging. Further research projects are needed to indicate any association between testing and teacher assessment for pointe readiness.