Weak Feet

[Guest thepinkfairy]

I am finding recently that my feet are weak. In exercises like doing frappes on the barre on rise (demi pointe), I am finding difficult. Also my pointe work has been very weak lately because I have come back from a two week holiday. But it has been about four weeks of regular classes, and yet I'm still weak. Any strengthening exercises?

[Victoria Leigh]

Relevés, elevés, tendus, dégagés, pas de chevals, frappés, sautés. Basically just classes, and then some extra work on the above things. Do them in technique shoes, very slowly and carefully, and then repeat in pointe shoes.

[Guest thepinkfairy]

Thank you for your advice , but what are eleves

[Guest PointShuPrincess]

Eleves are like releves...except you do not bend your knee. You keep it straight. This will definitly straighten your feet. Good Luck!

[Victoria Leigh]

Yes, elevés rise from straight legs instead of from demi plié. And they are good for strengthening, mixed with relevés.

[Guest thepinkfairy]

Thanks again Just one more question, what are pas de chevals?

[Victoria Leigh]

Pas de cheval (step of the horse) is a very good exercise for the muscles of the foot and learning to articulate the foot. Start in a 5th position demi plié, peel the front foot off the floor, both knees still bent, and then straighten the standing leg as you PUSH the instep of the working leg out to a dégagé. I find them most effective practiced to the side, but they are done in all positions. They can be done quickly, and even without the demi plié, however, to really benefit from them as an exercise they need to be slowly enough to feel the resistance as you push out and the other leg straightens. They are very similar to a fondu and extend to 30 or 45º, except that the working foot starts in 5th and not in cou de pied.

[Guest balletgirl427]

My teacher has told me to do one-legged eleves and releves. Try them at the barre with two hands, and then with one hand.

[Guest Tinytutu30]

Hey! I started pointe last fall and my mom thinks I'm pretty good. I'm in pointe 3 and 3 is the highest. My mom was a dancer too. Well I'm going to work on Fautte' or fatte(idk the spelling ) on pointe. What are some excersises to make your ankle and foot stronger?

Please help! By next month I want to be able to do them. I'm going to practice these excersices at least 2 hours a day!

 

 

you guys!! come on... more than 50 people visited this and noone responded except for some people. please give me advises. I'm almost desperate!

Edited August 20, 2005 by Tinytutu30

[Guest dancer522]

fouette* and I'll wait for a moderator to answer before I say anything.

[Victoria Leigh]

Tinytutu, questions about technique go in the Young Dancer forum. Only questions about the shoes themselves go in Pointe Shoe Topics

 

Anyway, ballet makes your feet and ankles stronger! Tendus, dégagés, frappés, pas de chevals, and of course elevés and relevés and more elevés and relevés!

 

For fouettés on pointe one needs to be able to do a decent double pirouette on pointe, and also a lot of one foot consecutive relevés. Be sure that you have the technique to do these things well before trying fouetté turns!

[Guest Tinytutu30]

I'm sure my technique is good enough. I'm new here so I don't know where to put things. Sorry!! and thanks for the tips

[Guest dancestar123]

Do ALOOT OF RELEVES THEY HELP SO MUCH. I AM 13 AND THOSE HELPED ME SO MUCH.

 

I wish you much luck and i hope youll be able to do them till next month. I hope these will help you and i wish you become a great dancer!

[Victoria Leigh]

Not a problem! Do tell me if I have put you in the right age category though.

[Guest get-the-pointe]

therabands work great for foot strengthening, not sure about ankle though (ask a teacher ).

 

I know this doesn't go with the topic much but do you take dance in spring grove?