HAPPY FEET :)

Feet are by far the most important component to dancing. "Quick, fearless" feet are required to execute all motions (Greene Section 6). But this type of foot must be trained. Whether it is flexibility, strength, or coordination, everyone has something they could do to improve their feet. In dance, you feet are never simply "good enough!"

This particular exercise trains the foot for what ballerinas call a "winged" position 

        (See the upward curve to her arch? OMG PERFECT. O.o)

So basically our goal is to achieve this craziness.^

1.)  Sit down with a thear band (or elastic band) "wrapped around the forefoot" (Greene Section 6) (or upper part of your foot).

2.) Push your foot outward, creating resistance against the band. This brings your foot into a wing.

3.) Repeat 10-12 times, both in pointed and flexed foot.

This exercise is simple, but very effective. I do resistance band strengthening to my feet a few times per week.

Feet points and turned out

Feet flexed and turned out :)

Featuring me, casually trying to be cute...... 

What other activities can strengthening your feet help with? What injuries can this exercise help prevent?

-Kristin

Haas, Jacqui Greene. Dance Anatomy. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2010. Print.