SICKLE FOOT (pidgeon toed)

The term sickle means ‘in the shape of the crescent moon’. Sickled feet are hideously ugly in dancers.

It should be avoided at all costs! A sickled foot not only shortens the line of the ankle to the toe, but it also misaligns the ankle when working and can lead to injury and sprains.

The foot should be effortlessly extended in line with the body’s natural alignment to give an accentuated and elongated appearance, ankles should be strong.

EXERCISE

With your foot off the floor, draw as large a circle in the air as you can with your toes, without moving the shin. Make your circle as round and full as possible, taking it slowly and not rushing. Do this 20 times, then reverse the direction. After that, do the same thing on the other foot. Most people notice that going in one direction is significantly easier than the other. This exercise will help strengthen the muscles and tendons around your ankle, preventing future injury. It’s also a good warm up before dancing.

Stand with your legs straight, and shift your balance toward the balls of the feet. Then press into the ground and feel yourself lift up onto the balls of your feet. Stand as high on the balls of your feet as you possibly can, then after a few seconds, lower yourself back down gently. Do not allow your weight to shift back to the heels too quickly. Since this exercise goes from a flat foot to a pointed foot, it is important to stretch the foot back afterward, or risk tightening the calves.

YOU CAN ALSO TRY THIS WITH A SPONGE/SOFT BALL BETWEEN YOUR ANKLES 😜