Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability of Pointe-Readiness Tests
Annette Karim1, Christopher Patterson, Michael Wong
1Dep. of Physical Therapy, Azusa Pacific University, 701 E. Foothill Blvd., Azusa, CA, 91702-7000, USA. Akarim@apu.edu.
Medical Problems of Performing Artists
|August 31, 2025
Summary
The topple, airplane, and sauté tests demonstrate good to excellent reliability for assessing pointe readiness in dancers. These movement assessments are reliable for both experienced and novice raters when reviewed in real-time.
Area of Science:
- Dance Science
- Biomechanics
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Pointe readiness assessments are crucial for preventing injuries in ballet dancers.
- Standardized and reliable tests are needed to evaluate a dancer's physical preparedness for pointe work.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of three specific pointe-readiness tests: the topple test, airplane test, and sauté test.
- To determine if video review of these tests provides consistent results.
Main Methods:
- Ten pre-professional and professional ballet dancers were videotaped performing the topple, airplane, and sauté tests.
- Twenty-two raters reviewed the videos at real-time and slow speeds across multiple sessions.
- Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to assess reliability.
Main Results:
- Good to excellent intra-rater reliability was found for both real-time and slow-speed video reviews (ICC range = 0.83–0.96).
- Good to excellent inter-rater reliability was also observed across various review conditions (ICC range = 0.85–0.96).
Conclusions:
- The topple, airplane, and sauté pointe-readiness tests exhibit acceptable reliability.
- Raters, regardless of dance background, can reliably conduct these movement assessments using video review.
