Expert: Jennifer - 3/22/2004

Question
I have what you would call "bad dancers feet". The arch isn't very curved, they're very thin/narrow, and my toes are long and tapered. I was wondering if I would in any way be able to "deepen" my arches. And just one more quick question, how in the world am I supposed to go on pointe if ALL my weight is going to be on my big toe? Doesn't the pointe shoe help out with this some way? Thanks for your time.
Michelle

Answer
Hello, Michelle!

I'm sorry to say that as dancers, our body is our instrument, but when something about our bodies is undesirable we can't just switch it out! Instead we have to learn ways to disguise our weaknesses or to work with them. Myself, i have very stiff hamstrings, overly flexible ankles, and tapered toes.

It may suprise you that one of the best ways to improve your arches is simply to do tendus... correctly. When you do your tendus, and work your foot through the floor, you are training your arch to lift (or deepen, as you call it). Concentrate on stretching your hell and arch upward while the foot is still in the "demi-pointe" position during the tendu (when the heel is off the floor and ankle is extended, but the ball of the foot and toes are still relaxed on the floor).

This should be about the same feeling you get when standing en pointe in first position, and you think of stretching your legs, pulling up in your hips, keeping your ankles strong, and then imagine your arches reaching outward and away from each other. This imagery has always helped me get over the box of my shoe more than anything else.

You may also have someone stretch your feet for you... but be careful to only do this when you are  very warm as to prevent injury. You simply sit with your back straight and both legs stretched in front of you (it is important that you stretch your legs because the flexibility of the foot is related to the position of your leg). Then a friend sits in front of you and grasps your foot under the arch and pulls your toes gently towards themselves and toward the floor. If you do this every day, you should see an improvement.

Like you, i have tapered toes, and so en point, my big toe bears all the weight. Without good shoes or special pads, t his can be very painful and cause toenail bruising and ingrown toenails. The first way to fix this is to make sure you have well-fitting shoes. The shoes definately should help out...that's what they're for! Otherwise, we'd still be dancing en pointe in soft shoes. The box should redistribute pressure as to make it less painful to balance on the tips of our toes. If the shoe is not doing this, you may have a shoe that's to big, too wide, or with a box that's too tall. Next time you buy shoes, express this concern to your fitter.

Another way to aid this problem is with special pads made just for this purpose. You can place them over the second toe, so your second toe shares the weight burden with your big toe. These pads come in several different forms. I believe bunheads makes one, gaynor mindem makes one, and there is yet another brand (i forget the name right now) that makes makes soft jelly-like pads that are just for this purpose.

I hope this helps. If you need any clarification or have any more questions, feel free to ask!

Good luck!