Eloise Hollamby

Beyond the Pointe: Assessing Readiness in the Young Dancer

When a young dancer presents in clinic, understanding the demands of pointe can change what we assess and how we interpret what we see.

In this interactive, hands-on workshop, participants will step inside the assessment of the young dancer and explore the physical demands that underpin progression to pointe. Rather than relying on isolated tests, the session will consider what we can learn from movement, physical capacity and the dancer’s individual presentation.

Drawing on current pointe-readiness research, we will explore what the evidence supports, where uncertainty remains, and how to interpret assessment findings in context. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of the demands of pointe and practical assessment principles they can apply when young dancers present in everyday podiatry practice.
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Eloise Hollamby

Eloise Hollamby is a podiatrist and founder of Pointe & Play Podiatry, a Brisbane clinic focused on paediatric and dance podiatry. For nearly a decade, Eloise’s clinical practice has centred on children and adolescents, with particular interests in developmental and gait presentations, paediatric musculoskeletal conditions, hypermobility, and the unique foot and lower-limb demands of young dancers.

Before podiatry, Eloise trained extensively in classical ballet, completing a Diploma in Dance (NZ) and studying at the Queensland Dance School of Excellence and New Zealand School of Dance before dancing in Europe. This background continues to shape her clinical approach, combining an understanding of dance technique and training demands with lower-limb assessment in children, adolescents and young dancers.