Toes, Toes & Tips
Dancing Smart Newsletter
May 19, 2006
Announcements
No announcements this week with the exception that it is my daughter, Dylan's 16 th birthday today!
Onto the question of the week.
Question of the Week
I have what I think is quite a typical "foot question"; I'm one of those who automatically crunch their toes when pointing the foot. Now, my problem is, my toes simply don't seem to accept any other command than "flex" (which works fine) or "crunch"! I know I should "elongate" the toes and such, but whenever I try, I end up pressing them downwards. I've been working a lot with that exercise where you flex the toes first, stretch ankle and arch and let the toes point at the very end only, but even then, they just crunch up! And if I try to stretch the toes out real long and straight, they flex upwards! Is there anything I can do about this? Is there something wrong with my toes altogether?
I would be so very grateful for any suggestions!
All the best,
Tina
This is a great question, Tina! First off - there isn't anything wrong with your toes; I have seen this pattern quite often. What I would suggest you do is to release the front of the shin, specifically the anterior tibialis muscle. It is the muscle that is to the outside of the shinbone. It acts to flex the foot (dorsiflexion is the proper movement terminology.) Sometimes there is an imbalance between the strength of the intrinsic foot muscles that are in the underside of the foot and the front of the calf muscles. Release the tension of this muscle by gently kneeling on a pinkie ball and rolling over this muscle. It may be quite sore, and allow your comfort level to be your guide in how much pressure you put on it. Check out pointing before and after doing the pinkie ball and see if that helps.
Next Question
My daughter will be 10 years old in September. She began dancing by age 3 and currently takes 5 dance classes per week, including pre-pointe technique. She is a very strong dancer with a petite build and high arch. Her dance instructor feels she is ready to begin pointe class in September. My daughter is very excited, of course. I agree that my daughter is ready to progress to pointe but I am concerned about foot development and injury. The teacher feels that my daughter is strong enough to begin pointe and that it is a limited amount of time each week, so that my daughter can begin pointe safely. Does this sound reasonable? Thank-you, Christine
This sounds reasonable to me, Christine. There are 10 year olds that are very strong, and 12 year olds that are very weak. It was good that you voiced your concern to her teacher, and that the amount of time will be very limited when she begins next year. As her mom, I would keep a close watch on how her feet look before starting pointe. Are the toes all in a straight line, or is the big toe moving towards the second toe? I would not expect her to have any baby bunions at age 10 - and - I would keep a close eye on her feet to make sure she doesn't begin to develop one! The when to begin pointe work does vary, and your daughter is on the young side, but as long as you monitor her feet, and she is working on very simple, pointe preparation exercises, it may be just fine. I don't imagine that the teacher will have them in their pointe shoes for much more than 10-15 minutes at a time. She certainly is not at an age where you would be doing much more than that. Continue the dialogue with her teacher, ask as many questions as you need in order to feel comfortable with this decision, Ask how the decision is being made, and don't be afraid to also ask your doctor for his/her opinion- as he/she would be better able to tell you about your daughter's growth pattern.
Final Question
I found your article online concerning strength for dancers. I am currently a NSCA-CSCS certified personal trainer and Professional modern dancer with a BFA from NC school of the arts. I am living in Manhattan and am interested in training dancers. I cannot seem to find an organization through which dancers go to for strength and conditioning information. Do you have any advice as to where I can look for a job as a personal trainer for dancers or for a professional company, or if there is anyone or company you know of that has this job?
Best Regards,
Karen
Congratulations on all your hard work, Karen! There is such a need for your services. There isn't an organization that specifically is set up for dancers. IADMS, the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science might be an organization that you want to connect with. They have a website at www.iadms.org .
I would encourage you to put up fliers at dance studios explaining what you do and how you would do it. Check out the Harkness Dance Center, and West Side Dance Physical Therapy where Marika Molnar, PT, is the director. She's wonderful!
Most of all, just start training dancers. There is nothing more powerful than word of mouth. The dance community is a pretty close-knit one, and a good massage therapist, physical therapist, trainers, etc., can quickly build their practice just through referrals.
Dancers need you and I have no doubt that it won't take long for you to find eager dancers who are in need of your services. Good luck!
Have a great week!
Warm regards,
Deborah
"Education is the key to injury prevention"
Have a Question?
Email your questions to Deb at AskDeb@thebodyseries.com or visit her online at http://www.thebodyseries.com.
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Deborah Vogel is a dancer, author, and master teacher who conducts workshops across the U.S. for both student and professional dancers. Her numerous articles on dance technique and injury prevention have appeared in Dance Spirit and Dance Teacher magazines. She is the Director of the Institute for Performance Studies and a faculty member at Oberlin College and the OC Conservatory of Music. During her years in NYC she co- founded the Center for Dance Medicine. Deborah makes her home in Oberlin, Ohio.
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