I want a better ballet arch!?

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Question:

I am 10 years old and have been dancing since I was 2 years old!. I am a really good dancer, and I take 3 classes a week, help out with a younger girls class, and am in a company!. I really want to be en pointe next year, but my arch is horrible! Can you please give me some exersizes to make my arch better!? also, I curl my toes!. Does anyone know how to stop that!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

ok several things first!.!.!. I personally think that your still too young to be dancing en pointe no matter how good a dancer you may be!. Your bones are also still developing and are still quite weak, starting to early can seriously damage your feet later and create all sorts of problems!. I started pointe when I was 12!. Secondally, having an arch that needs to be worked on is much better than having one thats overarched!. People who have the "perfect arch" tend to have problems with pointe shoes as they constantly break them because the support in the shoe is weakened much quicker than some one with a less impressive arch!.

To improve your arches will take time and lots of stretching!. Try "walking through" your feet!. ie flat (stretched legs) then demi then point and push over so the top of your foot (toes etc) touches the ground and bend into it!. When you walk through your feet alternate don't do both at once!.!.!. both painful and dangerous!

You can try crossing one foot in front of the other, pointing it then again pushing over!. With the other foot, bend your knee so it forces the other to bend and puts pressure on the foot!.

If your already have pointe shoes- first position, rise then plie on then!.!.!. pushing the arches out!. also, tendu to second, stretch leg (aim to have cap on floor) then bend the foot and lean!. Really work that arch by sinking into the foot!. Just be carefull when working in pointe shoes you may accidently break them!.

I had a problem with curling toes too and its good you've noticed them now!. Grab a friend (a fellow dancer is best) point your toes then while your pointed have them uncurl your toes!. This gives you an idea of how bad and how it feels to have the stretched!. I don't know any specific exerices per se but once you get a feel for what it shoud feel like uncurled, work on getting that same feeling when dancing!.

Hope some of these exercises help, and excuse the bad spelling on ballet terms, my french is rusty as its been a few years since i've written and talked ballet terms!.

:o)Www@QuestionHome@Com

you should definately use a thera band, seriously it works so much if you really use it all the time, i curl my toes as well you just have to work on trying to lengthen them another thing that will help you is always rolling through your feet when you do anything instead of up popping up onto demi-pointe when you start pointe i would get a softer shoe, such as a capezio or a chacott or a softer bloch, well actually most shoes you can get in a softer shank but a capezio would be a good 1st shoeWww@QuestionHome@Com

right first, most people are born with a certain arch and some people are just lucky others have to work just to get half of what they get!. You can buy these bands and do certain foot exercises to strengthen your feet and it's arch and there's even this machine - it's hard to explain but here's a link:
http://www!.dancedirect!.com/uk/Products/A!.!.!.

As for going up on pointe i don't want to be mean but at 11 its too young - your feet haven't stopped growing yet - and plus if u go up when your not ready your more prone to injury - if you wait till your feet are strong enough I'm sure you'll be amazing - just don't rush - trust me i was lucky enough to have strong feet but i watched my friends push themselves up to early - not a pretty sight!Www@QuestionHome@Com

I'm sorry but you need to be 13 years old to participate on Yahoo! Answers!. When signing up for it you said that you were older than this so you basically lied :)

You should purchase a theraband and start doing exercises that are shown on this vid: http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=LoSy5jLys!.!.!.

My arch also improved like crazy when I started pointe work, so if you ever go on pointe expect it to improve :)

I hope this helpsWww@QuestionHome@Com

To help with your arches try to exercise them everyday using a thera-band which you can find in most dance magazines and to help not grip the toes just relax themWww@QuestionHome@Com

okaaaaaaaaaaay!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.
Have people stretch your feet a lot (push down on your foot/ankle)
Make sure that they push down on your ankle not your toes!.
As for the curling of your toes, just imagine yourself straightening them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com