Foot Foot Feet
Right Foot Left Foot,
Feet Feet Feet
Little feet big Feet
Lots of feet I meet.
I think a lot about the feet I meet, as a teacher of little feet, big feet, stiff feet, flexible or fat feet, or long skinny ones.
Saturday I was thinking about my responsibility when a little girl asked me to tie her shoes. Her ballet shoe came undone, and I had to tie it. Ballet shoes used to be made out of calf leather, then kangaroo, now often canvas. The strings were cords, now they are elastic. I tie them, "Make a double knot!" she requests. I cannot get the tiny elastic around twice. I have fat knobby arthritic fingers, hard to do small things. "Please make sure you tie the shoes before the next class!"
I wonder about the way we fit the ballet shoes, snug as a glove, so the foot points beautifully.
I worry about the effect of shoes that are too tight. The Chinese used to bind the feet of some dancers, so the feet would stay tiny. Well, not really, because when you see x-rays, you realize that the bones are just out of place.
I do not want my students to end up with crooked toes or feet when they get older, because I fit the shoes too small. Most of my students feel their toes squeezed when they wear shoes that are very snug. Ballet shoes are such soft leather, that they stretch as they are broken in, and mold to fit the form of the foot.
I sometimes talk to the students about how to cut their toenails. Ingrown toenails are a problem for many students, and the tight fitting shoes will cause problems if the nails are cut too short, or cause pain if they are left too long.
Most dancers are experienced with dealing with their nails, with ingrown nails, and how to prevent them. It is the younger students who are trying to be fashionable that have problems. They want to grow long nails, shape them in fancy ways, and do not consider how their skin is growing or how the pressure of the shoes will impact onto the edges of the toe. High heel shoes, shoes with pointed toes, or unusual shaped shoes may seriously harm your feet, and even end up hurting your knees, back and neck because you compensate balance throughout your body and spine. Sandals or loose flip-flops can be the most harmful because the foot has no support, no arch beneath, and your foot can easily fall off.
I worry about toes and take care that little young dancers point their toes without curling them under, clawing or hooking the big toe. These all cause later problems, some serious enough to necessitate surgery for the professional dancer.
I want to talk to the parents of a 6 year old in the Ballet one class. She is so serious, with a determination and fire that makes her one of my favorite students. Her feet are extremely flexible and her toes curl under when she points. When she points to the back, en arriere, her big toe collapses. I stay awake at night with worry. It is the joint of the big toe that is on the ground, not the big fleshy part of the big toe...trouble for the future. If I allow her to continue that habit, while she is young, what may she experience when she is older? A habit that causes bunions of the big toe, pain in the area in back of her ankle with swelling, to the extent that she will not be able to do point work. She may have severe clicking and pain in the ankle area, and need to have an operation to scrape the excess scar tissue that has built up in her ankle. Maybe there will never be a problem, but I cannot ignore the possibility. Strengthening the muscles underneath the big toe will allow her to stretch her foot to the back without curling her toe under, and teaching her to pull her body up, stengthen the leg on which she is standing and not lean onto her foot will help her reach her leg back properly. All this will put her ahead of other 6 year olds, and when she reaches 10 or 12 years of age, she will have the toe and ankle strength to begin pre-pointe exercises in ballet without experiencing pain in her ankle. Often the parents do not want to hear the details of this analysis. It seems too petty. I explain the details to Dad while the child listens. He understands what she may not at her young age.
Another student has curved ankles which we call "sickled" like the third world cultures use for harvesting grain.
Her toes are not aligned with her knees, her ankles making a curve outwards, and she goes on a half-toe by standing too far over her little toes. I know this dancer will end up with a sprain at some time, either when she does a quick jump, a sudden turn, or a move where she ends up on the side of her foot. We need to reteach the foot triangle, and make sure each student understands the balance between the heel, big toe and little toe. That creates a stable platform which effectively support dancers whatever they attempt- turns, jumps, extensions, balances.
Students wanting to start into pointe raise a lot of questions. They have to have the advancement needed, and the age proper to bone strength. Usually that is at least 12 years old(after the growth spurt). We have several evaluations that the student must take make sure they will be successful and not harm themself. Like the elephant, the ballerina dances on her toes, but gracefully so that they both deserve to wear thse fluffy tutus.
We prepare by assigning pre-pointe exercises to be done regularly, working the entire body, from the toes, the ankles, the knees and legs, through out the back and shoulders. Dancers are able to safely rise to the toes because they are safely trained, advised by a professional that is experienced, and who has their well-being in mind. We intend to see our dancers with healthy feet into their old age. If we can't walk because dancing has harmed us, we do not need to continue the practice.
Feet Feet Feet
Little feet big Feet
Lots of feet I meet.
I think a lot about the feet I meet, as a teacher of little feet, big feet, stiff feet, flexible or fat feet, or long skinny ones.
Saturday I was thinking about my responsibility when a little girl asked me to tie her shoes. Her ballet shoe came undone, and I had to tie it. Ballet shoes used to be made out of calf leather, then kangaroo, now often canvas. The strings were cords, now they are elastic. I tie them, "Make a double knot!" she requests. I cannot get the tiny elastic around twice. I have fat knobby arthritic fingers, hard to do small things. "Please make sure you tie the shoes before the next class!"
I wonder about the way we fit the ballet shoes, snug as a glove, so the foot points beautifully.
 |
| foot at left normal; at right the bound foot makes us realize what might happen when we wear inappropriate footwear |
I do not want my students to end up with crooked toes or feet when they get older, because I fit the shoes too small. Most of my students feel their toes squeezed when they wear shoes that are very snug. Ballet shoes are such soft leather, that they stretch as they are broken in, and mold to fit the form of the foot.
I sometimes talk to the students about how to cut their toenails. Ingrown toenails are a problem for many students, and the tight fitting shoes will cause problems if the nails are cut too short, or cause pain if they are left too long.
Most dancers are experienced with dealing with their nails, with ingrown nails, and how to prevent them. It is the younger students who are trying to be fashionable that have problems. They want to grow long nails, shape them in fancy ways, and do not consider how their skin is growing or how the pressure of the shoes will impact onto the edges of the toe. High heel shoes, shoes with pointed toes, or unusual shaped shoes may seriously harm your feet, and even end up hurting your knees, back and neck because you compensate balance throughout your body and spine. Sandals or loose flip-flops can be the most harmful because the foot has no support, no arch beneath, and your foot can easily fall off.
I worry about toes and take care that little young dancers point their toes without curling them under, clawing or hooking the big toe. These all cause later problems, some serious enough to necessitate surgery for the professional dancer.
I want to talk to the parents of a 6 year old in the Ballet one class. She is so serious, with a determination and fire that makes her one of my favorite students. Her feet are extremely flexible and her toes curl under when she points. When she points to the back, en arriere, her big toe collapses. I stay awake at night with worry. It is the joint of the big toe that is on the ground, not the big fleshy part of the big toe...trouble for the future. If I allow her to continue that habit, while she is young, what may she experience when she is older? A habit that causes bunions of the big toe, pain in the area in back of her ankle with swelling, to the extent that she will not be able to do point work. She may have severe clicking and pain in the ankle area, and need to have an operation to scrape the excess scar tissue that has built up in her ankle. Maybe there will never be a problem, but I cannot ignore the possibility. Strengthening the muscles underneath the big toe will allow her to stretch her foot to the back without curling her toe under, and teaching her to pull her body up, stengthen the leg on which she is standing and not lean onto her foot will help her reach her leg back properly. All this will put her ahead of other 6 year olds, and when she reaches 10 or 12 years of age, she will have the toe and ankle strength to begin pre-pointe exercises in ballet without experiencing pain in her ankle. Often the parents do not want to hear the details of this analysis. It seems too petty. I explain the details to Dad while the child listens. He understands what she may not at her young age.
Another student has curved ankles which we call "sickled" like the third world cultures use for harvesting grain.
 |
| Elephant foot on the left... |
We prepare by assigning pre-pointe exercises to be done regularly, working the entire body, from the toes, the ankles, the knees and legs, through out the back and shoulders. Dancers are able to safely rise to the toes because they are safely trained, advised by a professional that is experienced, and who has their well-being in mind. We intend to see our dancers with healthy feet into their old age. If we can't walk because dancing has harmed us, we do not need to continue the practice.
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