Improving your arch

Dance Magazine, Jan, 2009 by Kristin Lewis

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Do you dream of having feet as perfectly arched as Paloma Herrera's? Unfortunately, bone architecture is genetic, so you aren't likely to wake up one morning with the feet of your fantasies--no matter how many releves you do. Luckily, you can still improve strength and flexibility, even if your feet are as flat as pancakes. "If you have less than perfect feet, focus on how you use them rather than obsess that your arch isn't high enough," says Dana Hanson, a teacher at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Here are some do's and don'ts to help you maximize your potential.

* Do stretch your feet after barre in ballet slippers. Joffrey ballet mistress Charthel Arthur gives this exercise between barre and center combinations: Stand in parallel facing the barre with feet a few inches apart. Very slowly bend the knees in a demiplie. Lift the heels off the floor, stretching the arches as far forward as possible and keeping weight over the second toes. (No winging, sickling, or wobbling.) Next, straighten the knees as you rise while holding that high demi-pointe. Then reverse the sequence: Bend the knees (maintaining the high half-toe), lower the heels, and straighten the legs. Repeat this eight times.

* Do wear your pointe shoes longer. "I encourage young students to wear as soft a pointe shoe as possible," says Arthur. "They depend on hard shoes too much to hold them up." Wearing your shoes a little softer requires you to develop strength in your legs and feet. The stronger your foot, the better you'll be able to use your full range of motion and have the most pointed foot possible.

* Do work the arches of your feet with a doming exercise. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Keeping the toes and heels on the floor, lift your arches as high as possible without tensing up the toes. Hold for 10 seconds; repeat 15 to 20 times. (When you're strong enough, repeat this exercise standing instead of sitting.) This targets the muscles that support the metatarsals to create an "archier" foot. Megan Richardson, certified athletic trainer and clinical specialist at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York, advises rolling out the arches on a tennis ball after doming.

* Do use a Theraband. From pointing and flexing, to ankle circles, to toe strengtheners, the tried-and-true Theraband is a mainstay for promoting strong ankles and toes, good articulation, and flexibility.

* Do work at three-quarters. Hanson gives this exercise in pointe class: With one hand on the barre in first position, demi-plie, releve, release to three-quarter pointe, push back to full pointe, roll down in plie, and straighten the legs. When you're strong enough, try it one leg at a time. Work slowly, giving each step one full count.

* Don't allow anyone to stretch your feet--unless you've both been properly coached or are being supervised by a qualified teacher. Overstretching will strain the tops of your feet and do nothing to improve your pointes.

* Don't put your feet under the couch or piano. Richardson says that this kind of extreme stretching places undue stress on the bony arches of the foot and can lead to injury.

** Don't take your pointe shoes off when it's time for allegro. The challenge of working through your feet from the ground to the air is essential to meet the demands of a company's repertory but also for building strength. Aim to fully point your foot every time it leaves the floor and to roll through demi-pointe as much as possible. (If you don't dance on pointe yet, you can also do this in shankless pointe shoes.)

** Don't use medieval-looking products that take the control of a stretch away from you. "I've had students ask me about contraptions that stretch their feet, but it could be dangerous," says Hanson. "The individual must gauge how much pressure she is applying." Instead, Hanson suggests taking the arch of your own foot in both hands and gently stretching. Let go of the arch and try to hold your foot in that position.

** Don't get tunnel vision. It's OK to focus on your feet, but they're only part of the picture. Hip and core strength are directly related to foot alignment and balance. "If you want good balance with a high releve, it's a full-body effort," Richardson says. Dancers with fatigued or weak hip muscles can be more susceptible to ankle sprain.

** Don't wear pointe shoes before your teacher says you're ready. "Some dancers think if they get in pointe shoes earlier, they'll develop stronger and pointier feet," says Richardson. "Pointe shoes are not a tool for increasing flexibility." When your feet are still growing, the talus is softer and more susceptible to fracture. (The talus sits between the heel bone and the tibia and fibia; it has a bony bit that can protrude slightly.) If you put pressure on the posterior part of your ankle, whether from improper stretching or dancing on pointe too soon, the end of the talus can actually break off, causing a number of problems.