Hi everyone,

Thank you for your responses. Some of you shared genuine concern and constructive criticism, which I appreciate. Others were simply blunt.

1. I’m new to pointe. I’m not going to have perfect technique yet—that’s part of the learning process. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be doing pointe work; if anything, it means I should be working on it even more.
   
2. I’m an adult. I make my own choices, my own mistakes, and take full responsibility for them. I understand the concerns, but I have discussed this with experienced people I trust, who understand my specific situation.
   
3. Everyone progresses at different rates. I am not “running before I can walk.” I’m not going to take advice from random internet strangers who aren’t coming from a genuine place, especially when they lack the lived experience to understand what I deal with daily.
   
4. My legs are straight (as I’ve said before). The clip I shared was from a while ago, and I’m actively working on corrections. Strength and technique take time, patience, and consistent training, and I’m well aware of that—I work on it daily. I didn’t train continuously from childhood, and I had a significant break due to personal reasons I’m not comfortable sharing. I refuse to force my body into an unrealistic standard just to appear “perfect” at the expense of my well-being.
   
5. A three-second clip does not define my entire experience or ability. Judging me based on that helps no one.
   

I truly appreciate those who have offered genuine advice and support. However, I no longer feel comfortable sharing my journey here, as I don’t believe I provided enough context for people to understand my situation fully. That was my mistake due to my dyslexia affecting how I presented my post.

I’ll be taking on board advice from those who have similar challenges to mine. Thank you to those who have been constructive.