Traditionally, male ballet dancers do not go en pointe. However, there are exceptions, such as when playing a female character in a pantomime or comedy routine, or when dancing as a character like Puck. Moreover, traditions are changing, with progressive dance companies enabling both men and women dancers to make a choice as to wearing pointe shoes or not. It must be noted that the lack of ongoing training en pointe can make it harder for male dancers but again, some ballet schools now have an expectation that male dancers will learn pointe work too, especially since it helps train good balance techniques and helps every dancer appreciate the harsh toll that dancing en pointe extracts.