Feet and Splits

Dancing Smart Newsletter
October 13, 2006

Announcements

Happy Friday the 13th! I love Friday the 13th's – they've always been very special to me. I moved to New York on a Friday the 13th, incorporated an early business on a Friday the 13th.. Perspective is everything, isn't it? For one person, it's a lucky day, for another an unlucky day. Our practiced thoughts create our beliefs – and only we have control over changing them.

Onto the questions!

First Question

Whenever I hear someone describe their feet as flat, it makes me think they mean pronated. There is a difference between the two. Flat feet are structurally strong feet, but without much instep or arch. There still is an arch structure to the foot, but just a very small one.

Pronated feet, on the other hand, are arches that are flattening because the foot is rolling in towards its medial border. (The big toe side) When you pronate the muscles underneath the foot often are weak, and you simply don't and can't use the floor in a very effective way.

First try developing more strength in the intrinsic foot muscles, Kristopher. They are the ones underneath the foot that are going into spasm. Practice lengthening through the ankle, keeping the toes flexed and separated, before slowly continuing to lengthen the toes while keeping them separated. This is easiest to do sitting on the ground with your foot straight in front of you. That way you can watch your toes. It will look like you are waving your toes in the air. You may cramp before you get to a full pointe. If so, know that you are working muscles that need to strength and it will just take time to strengthen them.

I was asked recently about different aids to helping improve your point – and the only one I have any experience with is the Pro-Arch. It is pricey, but in the couple of demonstrations I was given, I did feel that my flexibility improved. Because I don't own one I don't know what results I might get by using it more often. If anyone else has any experience with the Pro-Arch or other methods/equipment you've used to improve your pointe, please email them to me at DeborahVogel@thebodyseries.com and I'll include them in the next newsletter!

Next Question

Gina, good question. When I read your question I thought to myself that imagery might be the answer. Sometimes that will help them become aware that they are a whole body dancing, not just legs being thrown up high.

You might have do their dance very, very slowly, giving them a star image – meaning they are like a star with their head 2 arms and 2 legs being the points. Keeping equal energy flowing to each part of the star is essential for balance, especially when they are moving slowly. Even when one arm is gesturing, the other arm must maintain equal energy. If they don't extend through their feet while doing it slowly they will have a challenge with balance.

Have them imagine their feet are the ends of Darth Vadar's light sword – or they could imagine them selves growing into a giants body and expand to fill the space with their movement.

In fact – you could ask them for ideas and images to use. This will also help them move to a full embodiment of their movement, rather than just doing the steps. I don't mean that they should explore their characterization more, unless that is appropriate, but rather for them to increase their awareness of what their whole body is doing!

Let me know if using imagery helps!

Final Question

The basic requirement for the splits is to have flexibility in both the hip flexors (iliopsoas and quadriceps) as well as the extensors (the hamstrings) If you are doing a split with the right leg in front the right hamstrings have to lengthen and the left hip flexors have to lengthen in order to allow the pelvis to drop to the floor. It sounds like your hamstrings are in good shape but you need some extra focus on stretching the quadriceps and iliopsoas muscle. That clue came from you saying you felt a tightness in the back leg's hip area.

Try your splits and then spend 2-3 minutes stretching your quads. You can easily do that standing, bending one knee and holding at the ankle. Try to take the knee back, rather than pulling the foot towards the buttock. You can also do this stretch lying on your stomach. Just make sure you don't allow your back to arch while you are bending and lifting the knee.

After stretching the quadriceps, do an iliopsoas stretch on both sides. Then return to your splits. Is there any difference from before? If so, you'll know where to focus your stretching for a while.

Happy stretching!

Deborah

"Education is the key to injury prevention"

Copyright ©2003-2006 The Body Series. All Rights Reserved.

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.