wow I'm so glad I stumbled into this. I've been doing ballet on and off for years and the instructers *always* encouraged the curled toes rather than extending my feet! I have a lot of unlearning to do.
Thank you so much for this! I'm coming back to ballet for myself after many years and I love how your classes are super slow and technique focused because I haven't found that anywhere else. Having done it before, it's easy to feel when you've snapped back into it, but so hard to figure out why something's not working the way it's supposed to. I can only imagine how hard that would be for someone who'd never done it before and it would probably lead to injuries and giving up.
I've been dancing for 8 years and have been curling my toes the whole time. I just got approved for pointe and when i went to the physio therapist she told me i curl my toes. I didn't even know i was doing it. Now ive been working so hard to re learn to point my feet. This is the reason ive had so many over use injures like tendonitis. I'm still working on relearning to pointe any tips?
Omg. I danced for 6 years. I have VERY flat feet (genetically speaking) and no one stopped to tell me to reach forward with my toes. They always just wanted a prettier shape 🤦🏼♀️
Oh yes, many teachers want the right shape or look instead of the correct technique. I'm glad you found the video useful :) Reaching forward with the toes is really important!
You are the best, so perfect. I hope to see videos on foot massaging especially for the middle of the sole and the toes, as a working women I have some problems with them. Thanks again :):):)
I have the bad habit of curing toes while pointe, I couldn’t get rid of it 😩 I’ve been dancing for 7 years only realized this problem last year. I tried different exercises so far none of them worked. So frustrating...... thanks for the video I’ll try to practice along with it.
Actually, I did it right but then I thought you had to crowl your toes because I saw professionals doing so and trying to do it like them. Luckily enough I then discovered your channel and this Video 😅
This is why you go to professional academies of dance rather than hot shot small town dance competition team troupes - we were taught (once upon a time, back in the 90s), and I was praised, for doing exactly wrong thing with feet: curling toes. I had no idea, because how would I?? I even had private lessons with the teacher - those mean nothing if they're teaching incorrect forms! 😝
Is it possible to relearn to pointe over 8 years in? I didn’t train well early on and have a lot of built in bad technique. I’m trying to break it all down but it’s hard
Hi! I really hope you see this because I don't know where else to turn. I'm 30, I've been doing ballet since the age of 3 in a slow-progression school (we work on exams for a year, then work on a show/performance for a year, also including theatre and tap). In a few months I will be doing my Ballet Intermediate IDTA exam, which contains pointe at the end. I don't think I curl my toes (which I'm thankful for after seeing this video!) but I came here for advice for pointe because I feel like my toes (or maybe it's my whole foot, but I think it's just my toes) aren't pointed enough to get over the box properly. I've never had a fantastic point but my ankles are strong and my teacher (who's inexperienced at pointe tbh) says the ankle looks good, so I conclude it's the toe strength/flexibility: My relevees are strong on flat, for example, so I conclude that it's my toes. Do you have any advice or is it just using bands (which you advised against for beginners, but I assume become necessary the more advanced you become)? It's probably worth noting that I too only relatively recently became aware of pointing the toes separately to the ankles, but I've been doing this (and the exercise you demonstrated in this video) for several months (without bands) but I'm struggling on pointe. Please help 🙏
Hi there! I can't give you specific advice without seeing you dance, but I can suggest ways to have more control when on pointe. If you are struggling with getting on the box, I would recommend a softer shank for the shoe. The "roll through" sensation on pointe takes a while to master and it's easier with a softer shank where you can get used to the feeling without having to work too hard. With pointe, it's the whole body that is helping you with the control. I usually recommend that new pointe dancers work on strengthening the hamstrings, glutes, and core. If you use other muscles to pull up and out of the shoes, your feet will take less impact. As for strengthening your toes, wearing your pointe shoes for barre (and tendus) will do wonders for your toe strength (pointing through a pointe shoe is similar to pointing through a theraband). Thanks for reaching out and I wish you the best of luck with your exam!
Hello thank you so much for this video, I’ve been practicing every single day on your absolute beginner ballet class videos and I have a huge passion for ballet ever since I was 5 years old I would go to a Ballet institute, and live out my dreams, but after I reached the age of 6 or 7 or so, I had epilepsy ( when I was only 4 ) and so I had to stop for a while, but I got cured from it at the age of 10 years old, now I’m 15 years old, and I’m ready to continue what I have been waiting and dreaming for! So I’m very appreciative that I stumbled upon your videos until I one day go to a ballet institute again. Also I have a question regarding feet pointing, do you have to do the half toe movement before every single time you go for pointing your feet in general? ❤️
regarding ur question: i don’t think so? i mean, if it helps u and it doesn’t go in the way of the performance or movement, than go for it, but eventually u won’t need that half toe anymore
You don't push beyond the cramp. You stop and stretch a little in the opposite direction to release the cramp. Only do a few each time. Over time the foot will get stronger and stop cramping. Be patient.
Very interesting! I liked the step by step, but it might be helpful for your viewers if you showed jumps filmed with a special slow motion camera. Just a thought :)
I don't actually practice Ballet. I just want to strengthen my feet. This video was super helpful and straight to the point. Thank you so much!
wow I'm so glad I stumbled into this. I've been doing ballet on and off for years and the instructers *always* encouraged the curled toes rather than extending my feet! I have a lot of unlearning to do.
Thank you so much for this! I'm coming back to ballet for myself after many years and I love how your classes are super slow and technique focused because I haven't found that anywhere else. Having done it before, it's easy to feel when you've snapped back into it, but so hard to figure out why something's not working the way it's supposed to. I can only imagine how hard that would be for someone who'd never done it before and it would probably lead to injuries and giving up.
I've been dancing for 8 years and have been curling my toes the whole time. I just got approved for pointe and when i went to the physio therapist she told me i curl my toes. I didn't even know i was doing it. Now ive been working so hard to re learn to point my feet. This is the reason ive had so many over use injures like tendonitis. I'm still working on relearning to pointe any tips?
Omg. I danced for 6 years. I have VERY flat feet (genetically speaking) and no one stopped to tell me to reach forward with my toes. They always just wanted a prettier shape 🤦🏼♀️
Oh yes, many teachers want the right shape or look instead of the correct technique. I'm glad you found the video useful :) Reaching forward with the toes is really important!
You are the best, so perfect. I hope to see videos on foot massaging especially for the middle of the sole and the toes, as a working women I have some problems with them. Thanks again :):):)
As a runner try to stretch snd strengthen my feet, this was very helpful. Thank you! I want to get into dancing for sure one day.
I have the bad habit of curing toes while pointe, I couldn’t get rid of it 😩 I’ve been dancing for 7 years only realized this problem last year. I tried different exercises so far none of them worked. So frustrating...... thanks for the video I’ll try to practice along with it.
Love these short informative videos
Do a million more pointing and flexing toes exercise videos please, you really help me out!
This was so helpful cause I’m a ballerina and I am having trouble with pointing without feeling pain
Thank you, this helped ✨🌸
Thank you! This helped so much!
Thank you!!
Actually, I did it right but then I thought you had to crowl your toes because I saw professionals doing so and trying to do it like them. Luckily enough I then discovered your channel and this Video 😅
This is why you go to professional academies of dance rather than hot shot small town dance competition team troupes - we were taught (once upon a time, back in the 90s), and I was praised, for doing exactly wrong thing with feet: curling toes. I had no idea, because how would I?? I even had private lessons with the teacher - those mean nothing if they're teaching incorrect forms! 😝
Is it possible to relearn to pointe over 8 years in? I didn’t train well early on and have a lot of built in bad technique. I’m trying to break it all down but it’s hard
Thank you!
Hi! I really hope you see this because I don't know where else to turn.
I'm 30, I've been doing ballet since the age of 3 in a slow-progression school (we work on exams for a year, then work on a show/performance for a year, also including theatre and tap).
In a few months I will be doing my Ballet Intermediate IDTA exam, which contains pointe at the end.
I don't think I curl my toes (which I'm thankful for after seeing this video!) but I came here for advice for pointe because I feel like my toes (or maybe it's my whole foot, but I think it's just my toes) aren't pointed enough to get over the box properly. I've never had a fantastic point but my ankles are strong and my teacher (who's inexperienced at pointe tbh) says the ankle looks good, so I conclude it's the toe strength/flexibility: My relevees are strong on flat, for example, so I conclude that it's my toes.
Do you have any advice or is it just using bands (which you advised against for beginners, but I assume become necessary the more advanced you become)? It's probably worth noting that I too only relatively recently became aware of pointing the toes separately to the ankles, but I've been doing this (and the exercise you demonstrated in this video) for several months (without bands) but I'm struggling on pointe.
Please help 🙏
Hi there! I can't give you specific advice without seeing you dance, but I can suggest ways to have more control when on pointe. If you are struggling with getting on the box, I would recommend a softer shank for the shoe. The "roll through" sensation on pointe takes a while to master and it's easier with a softer shank where you can get used to the feeling without having to work too hard. With pointe, it's the whole body that is helping you with the control. I usually recommend that new pointe dancers work on strengthening the hamstrings, glutes, and core. If you use other muscles to pull up and out of the shoes, your feet will take less impact. As for strengthening your toes, wearing your pointe shoes for barre (and tendus) will do wonders for your toe strength (pointing through a pointe shoe is similar to pointing through a theraband). Thanks for reaching out and I wish you the best of luck with your exam!
Is it just me, i get the ankle movement but my toes WONT POINT. Like the joints in my toes won’t allow me to point? How can i fix this?
Hello thank you so much for this video, I’ve been practicing every single day on your absolute beginner ballet class videos and I have a huge passion for ballet ever since I was 5 years old I would go to a Ballet institute, and live out my dreams, but after I reached the age of 6 or 7 or so, I had epilepsy ( when I was only 4 ) and so I had to stop for a while, but I got cured from it at the age of 10 years old, now I’m 15 years old, and I’m ready to continue what I have been waiting and dreaming for! So I’m very appreciative that I stumbled upon your videos until I one day go to a ballet institute again. Also I have a question regarding feet pointing, do you have to do the half toe movement before every single time you go for pointing your feet in general? ❤️
regarding ur question: i don’t think so? i mean, if it helps u and it doesn’t go in the way of the performance or movement, than go for it, but eventually u won’t need that half toe anymore
💕thank you
So I wonder… doing this I indeed get cramps. But what do you do? Do you have to quit/take a pause when feeling it or can you push it a bit further
You don't push beyond the cramp. You stop and stretch a little in the opposite direction to release the cramp. Only do a few each time. Over time the foot will get stronger and stop cramping. Be patient.
I don’t really get it, like I can’t control myself from it
Very interesting! I liked the step by step, but it might be helpful for your viewers if you showed jumps filmed with a special slow motion camera. Just a thought :)
We should not fold our toes, we should only fold our foot. Am I right???
Glad I don’t need to know this.