What I like about your explanations is that you don't sugar coat it. I hear people online giving excuses for these issues (among others), which seems like they're defending the teachers responsible for it. I used to "claw" my feet, because I wasn't taught how to point them when I was a kid, and nobody should deny that that was bad, sloppy training.
you should re-title this video as what every dancer needs to know. i had this problem for too long as a kid and it took me forever to teach myself intrinsic activation. i see too many these days with their legs ankles and feet just not being strong enough for pointe and having bad form and it makes me scream because our feet are the foundation of everything and it can lead to a lot of issues. every dancer needs this video
unfortunately this information wasnt super accessible until recently! I feel like nowadays I see little foot exercise videos on Instagram constantly. I'm glad its catching on! I too could have used this information when I was younger 🙃 pre social media struggles
I used to knuckle and sickle like crazy because the shoes I bought (there aren't pointe shoe fitters in Spain, as far as I know) had such a low vamp and the box was so narrow! I tend to clawing (?) a lot, but in everydays's life cos it's something I've done since I was little, also when I tendu my right foot. Thank you for another interesting video!
Thank you for the link and another excellent video. The little tiny muscles are so important all over the body; like if you have TMJ and your bite splint is nit adjusted correctly you will find in your neck tiny but extremely painful muscles. I broke both ankles a long time ago in a terrible car accident, that was the end of my dancing on point but I'm going to do the exercises to gain more strength and flexibility. All the best Salty!
I point my foot straight and on my toes everything is straight up not holding back and still end up knuckling. When I point my foot straight I automatically squeeze my toes or it’s very hard not to. I have bulky feet I would describe. Probably just weak muscles in the foot possibly.
Do the toes stay perfectly straight with the exception of the bend at the proximal phalanges? While middle and distal phalanges stay straight (neutral, not bending)? If so, that's very hard to achieve, like picking which phalanges bend and which stay straight. My neural pathways kind of conflate all the phalanges together as a "whole"...
I think this really depends on the person's strength and anatomy. I think *ideally* the toes stretch and stay straight. but we all know that's not realistic. we always see professionals pointing their toes and after a certain point, all that muscular contraction will cause them to bend at the middle knuckles a little bit. I think the execution is the most important part; as long as you get to that pointed position by "rolling through" or activating those intrinsic muscles (rather than just scrunching the foot and clenching to achieve a pointed foot) then you are good to go! I've had curled toes my whole life. even when I actively try to stretch them, my distal phalanges always bend. I dont know if its possible to keep the toes perfectly straight, but *imagining* that they are straight might give you the correct "feeling" and help prevent the clawing issue!
@@SaltySugarPlum Thanks for the enlightening answer! Make sense. You see some pros bending their extremities slightly but apparently the theory is to be perfectly straight.
What I like about your explanations is that you don't sugar coat it. I hear people online giving excuses for these issues (among others), which seems like they're defending the teachers responsible for it. I used to "claw" my feet, because I wasn't taught how to point them when I was a kid, and nobody should deny that that was bad, sloppy training.
you should re-title this video as what every dancer needs to know. i had this problem for too long as a kid and it took me forever to teach myself intrinsic activation. i see too many these days with their legs ankles and feet just not being strong enough for pointe and having bad form and it makes me scream because our feet are the foundation of everything and it can lead to a lot of issues. every dancer needs this video
unfortunately this information wasnt super accessible until recently! I feel like nowadays I see little foot exercise videos on Instagram constantly. I'm glad its catching on! I too could have used this information when I was younger 🙃 pre social media struggles
this has made me better at ballet
thanks, my prayers to the ballet gods have been heard
I'm so glad you're making new content again, love your advice!
This is the video I was searching for last week! I'm an adult and new to pointe, thank you so much!
I used to knuckle and sickle like crazy because the shoes I bought (there aren't pointe shoe fitters in Spain, as far as I know) had such a low vamp and the box was so narrow!
I tend to clawing (?) a lot, but in everydays's life cos it's something I've done since I was little, also when I tendu my right foot.
Thank you for another interesting video!
Thank you for the link and another excellent video. The little tiny muscles are so important all over the body; like if you have TMJ and your bite splint is nit adjusted correctly you will find in your neck tiny but extremely painful muscles. I broke both ankles a long time ago in a terrible car accident, that was the end of my dancing on point but I'm going to do the exercises to gain more strength and flexibility. All the best Salty!
i love this video for its education, but watching this made me claw at my hair, cringe and cry all in 1. fantastic video though, thank you!
You give relatable advice n you simply it so well. Tnx
thank you for making this video!!!
Gracias!!!!
your toes cracks when you curl them?
sometimes 🙃
@@SaltySugarPlum can you make a video like mine?
I point my foot straight and on my toes everything is straight up not holding back and still end up knuckling. When I point my foot straight I automatically squeeze my toes or it’s very hard not to. I have bulky feet I would describe. Probably just weak muscles in the foot possibly.
Do the toes stay perfectly straight with the exception of the bend at the proximal phalanges? While middle and distal phalanges stay straight (neutral, not bending)? If so, that's very hard to achieve, like picking which phalanges bend and which stay straight. My neural pathways kind of conflate all the phalanges together as a "whole"...
I think this really depends on the person's strength and anatomy. I think *ideally* the toes stretch and stay straight. but we all know that's not realistic. we always see professionals pointing their toes and after a certain point, all that muscular contraction will cause them to bend at the middle knuckles a little bit.
I think the execution is the most important part; as long as you get to that pointed position by "rolling through" or activating those intrinsic muscles (rather than just scrunching the foot and clenching to achieve a pointed foot) then you are good to go!
I've had curled toes my whole life. even when I actively try to stretch them, my distal phalanges always bend.
I dont know if its possible to keep the toes perfectly straight, but *imagining* that they are straight might give you the correct "feeling" and help prevent the clawing issue!
@@SaltySugarPlum Thanks for the enlightening answer! Make sense. You see some pros bending their extremities slightly but apparently the theory is to be perfectly straight.
é.è ❤❤
Simplify it..