Is it possible to live with a sickled foot?

[Guest devion101]

Hi,

I am, if I may say, a pretty good dancer on pointe. What can I say? It comes naturally. The only problem is that my right foot has a sickle. Not a really serious one, but it's by no means perfectly straight. My shoes' platform is even slanted in its wear pattern to match it... Anyway, I've tried everything to correct it! My foot naturally sickles, and it seems like it's uncorrectable. My teachers ignore it now. Denise Dabrowski was the only one that stayed on it... Is it possible to be good with a sickle? I can work just fine and balance and pirouette like no tomorrow, the sickle doesn't affect me at all! Is it absolutely necessary that it be corrected? There's no way that I would just leave it and not make any effort to correct it, I'm always thinking about it, but it's just always there to some degree. Anyway, any input about living with a sickled foot would be great! Maybe we should start a club : Sickled Foot Dancers Anonymous

Cheers,

Devion

[Mel Johnson]

If it's a sickle out, then the problem is slight. But if it's a sickle IN, you in a world a' hurt. Either way, the load-bearing of the foot is off-kilter, but the sickle in looks awful, besides.

[Guest devion101]

Hey,

It's a sickle out. What's really strange is, my new dance teacher actually wants us to sickle in, which I completely disagree with and my foot can't do naturally anyway... She says that that's what major companies look for. Sure, I'd like to be in ABT someday, but I'm not about to break my ankle to get there!

Cheers,

Devion

[Victoria Leigh]

Devion, a sickled foot is a sickled foot, and it's not a good thing, no matter which way it goes. It must be corrected for safety and strength on pointe as well as for line. A dancer without a good line of the leg and foot will not have a career today, even if she survives serious injury from dancing on the wrong part of the foot.