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knuckling...


BalletPointe87

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ok...so i am knuckling in my pointe shoes(i think)-that is what people on a different site told me when i posted pics- it just looks like the box of my pointe shoe isn't under my ankle & kinda looks like my foot is reclining back(even if im pretty well on top of my box). & i also curl my toes when in flats when i point(i dont know if that has anything to do with anything or not). so is knuckling on pointe from lack of ankle strength/flexiblity or foot strength. my teacher never says anything but thats probably cuz you have to be like at the same angle as the shoe to see it(like on the ground). anyway, what are some excersises to keep from doing this...i really want to stop...i hate it!!!

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You can see knuckling from teacher's-eye level. It can look like a number of things, but it's all basically the same on the inside of the shoe. Instead of standing on the end of the pad of the big toes, you crumple the toe over, and stand on the knuckle of the toe. Practice on going from demi-pointe to full pointe without a plié inbetween. It would be interesting to know how many years of study you've had, and what your present class schedule is.

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And STOP curling your toes when you point your foot!!! :grinning: When you curl your toes you are not pointing through the leg and the instep, you are just "pointing your toes"....which does NOT work! And yes, that will carry right through to pointe work and cause the knuckling. So, first learn how to correctly point your feet, then practice doing it in pointe shoes, and then go on point and get up out those shoes, not down into them!

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i have been dancing(jazz) for 6 years & ballet for 4 years-2 of those years for on average 3 hours a week & currently 4 hours a week(1.5- 2.5 on pointe) but hopefully 6 hours after tonight. and im 16 by the way.

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Just curious, BalletPointe, if the curling of your toes is being corrected by your teacher? I'm concerned that perhaps she/he is not seeing that, if the knuckling is not being noticed and corrected. I know this sounds strange, but there ARE some teachers who allow the body weight to remain in the center of the body when doing a tendu, which means that one is not over the supporting leg and there is weight in the toes of the working foot. That causes crunching of the toes instead of actually pointing the whole foot.

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Knock knock...

 

It took me ages to learn how to point my toes without curling them under. What I did was work lots on straightening and lengthening my toes when sitting watching TV, studying etc.... This taught me what muscles to use to actually point my toes. Also, I did the exercise where you pick up a pencil with your toes, which helped me to learn the feel of those tiny muscles in my toes.

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i'm seeing that my big toe & second toe dont curl(well second toe is a bit but thats cuz my toes are naturally curved a little)-just the rest of them. & i'm not shifting my weight on my working foots toes during tendu...my weight stays ontop of my supporting leg. i have been working on strengthening my feet & i think its getting better. thanks!

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