Having pointe shoes that fit well can make all the difference in you loving or hating pointe work, so it is important to get it right from the beginning. Ill fitting shoes can result in not only pain and discomfort while dancing, but also black toenails, blisters and stress fractures in the toes.
How to improve your flexibility safely in to the splits.
Dancers are constantly striving for perfection and are as a result always trying to improve their flexibility. To improve flexibility stretching should be effective, efficient and safe. Lisa Howell offers some helpful hints and her own stretch programme to improve flexibility into the splits.
Developing effective abdominal control and core strength in dancers.
The deep abdominal and back muscles are critical for a dancer to maintain good posture and strength throughout class and performance. Lisa Howell, dance physiotherapist, outlines the need for activation of the Transverse Abdominis, Pelvic Floor and Multifidus muscles and offers a guide to initiating and training these muscles.
Developing strength and improving the height of leg in a developpé.
Many dancers have amazing flexibility when stretching, but find it hard to use this when dancing, especially with a developpé. This article outlines a simple floor exercise aimed at increasing the height of you leg as well as building the strength to hold it in these positions.
Correct activation and use of the gluteal muscles in a dancer.
It is often asked in regards to ballet training how hard the bottom muscles should be working. This article makes a distinction between the turn-out and gluteal muscles and endeavours to make clear when and when not the gluteal muscles should be activated when dancing. A test for the gluteal muscles is included. Correct use of these muscles will help you in everything from jumps, to your work en fondu, your arabesque line, your back, and even your flexibility into the splits.
Dealing with Bunions En Pointe
Many girls who start on pointe are scared that they will get bunions from doing pointe work. If a bunion is present it can cause real problems with fitting pointe shoes and dancing en pointe. Dance Physiotherapist Lisa Howell discusses the reality of dancing with bunions and offers practical solutions to working en pointe more comfortably.
Ballet Can Avoid Common Foot Injuries
Many of the common foot injuries sustained by ballet dancers can be prevented, and treated, by the application of some basic knowledge about the structure of muscles in the feet. Specific strengthening of the different muscles can make a huge difference to a career in ballet, or any other dance discipline. This article discusses the causes and treatment of common dancers foot injuries.
All a dancer needs to know about patellofemoral knee pain.
: Pain under the kneecap is a common issue in the dance population. It may often be caused by a rolling-in of the feet or the knees. This pain is associated with rubbing of the under-surface of the knee cap on the underlying bone, and may be caused by poor muscle activation and control around the hip, knee or ankle. This article includes a test for VMO activation and offers some advice to improve the muscle activation around you knee. Please note that any ongoing pain should be assessed and trea
Pointe Shoes For Ballet, Which Shoe is Right for You?
Before selecting a brand of pointe shoe you must first know the anatomy of a pointe shoe and whether you are ready for pointe. You may require demi pointe shoes to train your feet so that you don’t injure yourself or waste your money. Here you’ll learn the difference between demi pointe and what makes a pointe shoe.
Beginning Pointe- What to Expect
The goals of the introductory pointe class are similar no matter where you dance. These goals include strengthening the feet and ankles, breaking in the pointe shoes, and learning proper execution of skills while wearing pointe shoes. This article details each of these areas to help you understand what to expect!
How to Choose the Right Pointe Shoe for Ballet Dancing
Pointe shoes, in many ways, can be considered an extension of the dancer. Designed for pleasing aesthetics as well as function, these shoes typically have a short lifespan, but enable the dancer to move with incredible grace and strength.
The most critical feature of any pointe shoe is how well it fits. Proper fit safeguards the dancers feet, ankles and legs and makes en pointe work possible. This is especially important for younger dancers, as proper bone development can be impaired by incorrectly fitting shoes. There are a number of brands and styles available, and no single type is built for every dancer. A dancers experience, shape of the foot and strength should be considered in finding the best shoe.
Pointe Shoes- Shopping for Your First Pair
Getting your first pair of pointe shoes is a memory not soon forgotten. From the first blisters to the spotlight at the recital, your shoes will carry you to fulfill your dancing dreams.