Every dancer knows that having beautifully pointed feet is an asset. Unfortunately, not everyone has good feet and some have feet that are really not suitable for dancing. It is possible to improve the feet by practicing exercises that are appropriate every day but this cannot obviously change the structure of defective feet.
A good foot needs to have strength not only in the instep but also in the ankle. It should be able to turn out with ease and should have a good arch. The foot is needed to act not only as a propelling agent but also as a shock absorber. It is, in other words, an invaluable part of the dancer's machine. Very often dancers misinterpret how to use the foot and this often results in extremely unattractive positions and injury. For example: curling the toes instead of stretching them, pushing the heel backwards instead of forwards to create a "sickle" effect and flexing of the foot instead of pointing. All of these problems can be corrected with the correct exercises. The majority of dancers are constantly trying to improve their feet and although doing multiple repetitions of tendus and glisses or degages will obviously help very often something more is needed to bring better awareness to the dancer. Often a dancer who has a beautifully shaped foot with a high arch is prone to injury because of the extreme flexibility.
I have always found that the key to making the foot work well and look beautiful is to do two things. Strengthen and shape. It is extremely important to consider the relation of the feet to the spine, hips, pelvis, knees and ankles. The action of pointing the foot needs to come initially from the correct positioning of the spine, hips and pelvis. I have found that the first thing that needs to be addressed is that the dancers need to become familiar with their feet. For this to happen they must be barefoot. Have them sit on the floor and take their toes in their hands and wiggle them back and forwards. It is amazing how we sometimes just don't understand the flexibility in these joints. Stretching each toe back and forward with their hands will give the dancers a better understanding of what the toes are capable of. So many dancers forget to use the ends of the toes which give their feet the appearance of being not fully stretched.
Once they have their toes moving, I encourage them to stand up with their feet parallel and tight together. Right away we are able to see if they stand in a position that is "pronated" or "suponated". Have the dancers rise up as high as they are able to a point keeping the heels tight together. This is a good test to see how strong their arches are and if they are able to balance on all of their toes evenly. Repeat this in 1st position. I would recommend that you try these rises holding on to the barre. Each dancer will obviously have different feet and different areas that need strengthening but, at least , these simple tests give both you, as a teacher and them, as dancers a better understanding of what needs to be done . It is extremely important to remember when doing any rises or releves that the spine and hips and pelvis are all in correct alignment and that the lower abdominals are lifted in order for the knees and ankles to function in a way to help the feet.
To make a good shape with the foot it is necessary to have good flexibility in the arch and the ankle. Even dancers who do not have very well structured feet can camouflage them by working towards making a better shape. Here are some exercises that I can recommend for your dancers.
1) Standing up with bare feet, place a pencil or pen on the floor and pick it up 20 times with each foot. (This is an excellent exercise for anyone trying to strengthen their arches and especially for anyone with flat feet.
2) Walking on point with straight knees. Making sure that the weight is securely on the big toe but using all the toes for sound balance.
3) Standing facing the barre. Feet parallel and tight together. Making sure spine, hips and knees are in alignment and the lower abdominal muscles are activated. Rise to 1/4, 1/2, and then 3/4 point and then lower the heels using resistance in the calf muscles and the feet. 10 times. (Make sure you stretch the calf muscles and the achilles tendon in between sets.)
