Q: I’ve made the transition from ballet to modern and have noticed an alarming decrease in ankle stability when on relevé. I assume this is due to a loss of ankle strength. What kinds of exercises are best for strengthening my ankles to alleviate this problem? A: Modern dance often asks you to control your […]
Q: Two years ago, one of my dancers fractured her ankle and was out for six months. Upon her return, I cautiously allowed her to take pointe class, but treated her as if she was a beginner, because she was rolling out into supination, and I was fearful she would reinjure her ankle. Her mother […]
Dancers are trained to think often about the range of motion, stability and power of their extended lines: the point of the foot, the reach of the penché, the explosion of the sauté in the air. But finding that same mix of flexibility and strength in the flexed foot is just as integral to technique […]
Q: A student of mine recently got a bad sprained ankle, and it’s been weak ever since she returned to class. Are there any exercises you suggest to strengthen it? A: Your student needs to begin her recovery process by retraining her nervous system to find center at the ankle joint. The human body immediately […]