What You'll Learn
- How to isolate ankle movement while maintaining a still knee for improved stability
- Techniques to strengthen the lateral shin muscles through winged demi-pointe drills
- Methods for building intrinsic foot strength using ball compression and toe presses
- Integration of the quadriceps and kneecaps to support functional foot movements like the fondu
- Targeted stretches for the Achilles tendon and arches to maintain flexibility
About This Video
Strengthening the feet is a fundamental aspect of ballet training that often requires specialized attention beyond the standard barre routine. At Broche Ballet, we believe that building a solid foundation is the key to longevity and grace in dance. This 13-minute conditioning session, titled Pre-pointe: Strengthening Feet with Ball Exercises, is specifically crafted to bridge the gap between basic footwork and the advanced demands of pointe work.
Even if you are not yet planning to go en pointe, the exercises provided here will dramatically improve your stability, balance, and aesthetic line in any style of dance. This practice introduces a small ball as a primary resistance tool, offering a different stimulus than the common resistance band. We start by focusing on ankle isolation.
Dancers often struggle with unwanted knee movement when trying to articulate the feet; here, you will learn to keep the knee stationary while moving the ankle through its full range of motion. This specific focus builds the stabilization muscles necessary for secure turns and balances. A unique highlight of this session is the winging exercise.
By holding a winged demi-pointe position against the resistance of the ball, you target the lateral muscles of the shin. This helps in achieving the desired aesthetic line in ballet while also protecting the ankle from rolling or wobbling. Furthermore, the practice includes deep toe presses and ball squeezes that challenge your intrinsic foot muscles.
We encourage you to exert enough force to visibly compress the ball, ensuring you are building true, raw strength. To make these exercises functional for actual ballet movement, we integrate the whole leg. We focus on pulling up through the kneecap and engaging the quadriceps.
This total-body awareness ensures that your foot strength supports larger movements like a controlled fondu or a powerful jump. Finally, we finish with essential stretches for the Achilles tendon and the arches of the foot, promoting a healthy balance of strength and flexibility.
