Ballet Dancing and How to Take Care of Your Feet
Feet are supremely elegant appendages that we use constantly in our dancing, but we don’t realise what staggering abuse we can put our feet through. Dancers who spend hours pounding their feet on unforgiving surfaces can’t expect their feet to stay injury and stress free.
Because ballet dancers rely on using their feet for just about every aspect of their dancing, here of some more things that you can do to keep them healthy and happy.
This is how dancers can keep their toes supple:
Start by sitting in a straight backed chair with both of your feet flat on the floor. Lift your right leg slightly off the floor and bend your knee some more. Keep your calf as relaxed as possible and rotate your foot four times in one direction and then in the other. Flex your toes at the top of the circle so that your toes point up and point them at the bottom of the circle so that they point downwards. You should feel a stretch in the instep, the arch and the Achilles tendon. Repeat this exercise on your left foot.
Treat yourself to a foot massage:
A foot massage is a great way to wake up your body, and your feet especially will respond well to a hands on treatment. This massage will be easiest to do while seated on a chair. Use some massage oil. Witch Hazel Nut oil is especially effective, especially for those of you doing a lot of pointe work, as it fattens and softens the skin, thus helping to prevent blisters.
First place your right foot on top of your left thigh and allow your right knee to open to the side. Hold your ankle with your right hand to stabilize it and massage your upper foot and toes with your left hand. Press your toes backwards towards your shin and then press them forwards towards your heel. Make sure to feel the stretch along the top and bottom of your foot.
Next lace your fingers between your toes and squeeze them apart. You could hold your fingers interlaced between your toes and circle your ankles. Massage each toe from the base to the tip, gently squeezing and pulling your toe outwards at the tip.
Message your arch and instep with firm smooth strokes using your thumb to apply as much pressure as is comfortable. Next message your heel and pay special attention to the spots that feel especially tender. Be sure to rub the area where your Achilles tendon connects to your heel at the back of your ankle.
With your fingers starting at the base of the foot, firmly massage towards the toes between all the toe bones. Lastly prick the bottom of your foot all over with your fingers firmly using small sharp movements to wake your feet up.
Gently place your right foot on the floor and repeat the message on your left foot.
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