winging the foot

[FouetteFanatic]

My teacher told me that when I point my foot it looks sickled even though it isn't. She moved it to a winging position and said to not point the last three toes very hard. My foot looks alot prettier this way, but it gets pretty hard to hold it like that because my foots not used to it and after a while my arches start to hurt. Am I doing something wrong or is it supposed to strain a bit?

[Mel Johnson]

I had to overcome a sickle-in that almost looked like a club-foot when I did tendu. That's what you have to get used to when you point the foot from now on. Trust your teacher. She can see you, we can't.

[fouette809]

ya I have the same problem. My teacher doesnt notice it as much now because I do theraband excercises to help me shape my foot

[Guest cheeriodancer10]

I had that exact same problem when I switched studios! At my old studio they had never even corrected me on it so I didn't know I was doing anyhting wrong. I worked so hard on reversing my sickled foot that now sometimes my teacher says I'm winging it too much!

[Guest tigger_fan_ann]

I used to have that same problem. I'm bow-legged so it looks like my calves are turning inwards instead of straight down. So when I point all my toes, it looks like I'm sickling in even if I'm not.

 

You're teacher's right. You just have to get used to it...you will, actually. Just keep pointing that big toe and second toe more. ;)

[Marenetha]

I'm like that too. My feet are shaped weird, so that it's really hard for them to look straight - they either look really winged or sickled.

 

I deal with this by winging my foot a bit, but yikes it can be a bit unpleasant for the side of my leg ...

[Nycbdancer]

Yeah... I have a funky foot too. Kind of like my arch and instep are all straight and parallel to the inside of my foot. THen I have this weird extra bit on the outside of my foot. Always been that way. Never been an issue though. It makes me look like I'm always winging my feet. Grr... not so good sometimes.

[toedancer]

I know I'm digging up an old thread , but I have this problem too. My legs are bowed so that there is a very fine line between straight and sickled when I pointe my feet. I also have a tendency to sickle anyway. My teacher gave me theraband excercises to do correct this and build strength to be able to wing my feet more. They consist of tying the theraband to a chair or table, looping it around my foot and carefully winging it and returning it to a straight position against the resistance. Do you have anymore advice on how to help fix this? I am very eager to overcome this particular obstacle.

[Mel Johnson]

I know that exercise, and it's good, but you don't actually wing the foot, because that involves some unpointing of it. The foot stays fully pointed, and you pull it toward the big toe direction away from where the theraband is secured. That stretches the connective tissue on the inside of the foot while it's still pointed.

[PinkSpaghettiShoes]

what is winging the foot?

[Victoria Leigh]

Try typing the word 'winging' into the search box in YD, and I think you will find a lot of information.

[PinkSpaghettiShoes]

thanks, anne

[Guest kat.loves.ballet]

I had the same problem but in reverse sort of. I have very flexible ankles, so i tend to either wing or sickel. I usted to wing to much, so then when i tried to fix it i started to sickle. The challenge is finding the spot right inbetween that is not winged and not sickled.

[sballetgrl]

Yup! Anytime you change a way that is part of your technique, it WILL feel strange. I had a teacher this summer who corrected me on my port de bras and it did feel a bit strange at first.

[i_think_therefore_i_DANCE]

I wing my foot, which causes me to roll(since rolling the foot is the same position as winging), but i've been having some problems with the tendons on the outside of my ankle. any suggestions or stretches for this tendon? (sorry this is off topic)

 

I wing my foot, which causes me to roll(since rolling the foot is the same position as winging), but i've been having some problems with the tendons on the outside of my ankle. any suggestions or stretches for this tendon? (sorry this is off topic)