I've been taking modern dance for 2 years and absolutely love it. I want to start ballet and I know a lot of the elements of modern dance are also used in ballet so I'm trying to work myself up to pointe. Long road ahead but since we're all stuck in our houses, I can do this every day to prep up. I need to get myself a theraband though. And possibly some pointe shoes when I'm ready. Edit:I finally got the equipment for this! Everything for pointe in the video, I'm just doing in demi-pointe.
I'm an old dancer who never got feet truly strong enough for pointe, but I've been trying strengthening exercises like this because I still enjoy various types of dance and have always wanted to see if I could improve my releve. Way back in college my teacher did tell me it was crazy the improvement she saw in me in my 20s. Things started clicking a little more and I had access to stronger ballet teachers at that point. In these exercises we were both doing our weak side at the same time (for me though, my left). It's crazy that I struggled to even wing my left foot!
Katie ily so much. you’ve really helped me a lot in my technique, and I can’t thank you enough for it. Ballet is my favorite form of dance, by far, and I want to defy the stereotype that I can’t be a ballet dancer because of who I am. thank you so much. So so so much. sis said “ Pause this video if you need to”. you knew it would take us forever to get in our pointe shoes 😂😂
Ok first of all, you are an absolute QUEEN for posting all these classes and exercises for everyone to practice and get stronger with! Kathryn, you ROCK!!!!! And now my question for any and all dancers/health enthusiasts in the chat: I'm an ex-dancer (15 years dancing, 8ish years not, and just started dancing again a few months ago). I noticed that I get a LOT of crepitus/popping in my ankles and feet when I point or go on releve, etc. It doesn't hurt or anything, but it persists even after I'm warmed up. It's in both my ankles/feet, despite the fact that I've never seriously injured my ankles, and there's no history of joint disorders in my family. I think I've always had it, but I'm noticing it a lot more now that I'm older (I'm 25). Does anyone else also have this / know whether there are exercises to make it happen less? I just discovered I have snapping hip syndrome, so I'm a little suspicious I have "snapping ankle/foot syndrome" too, but I was just curious if other people also have this idiopathically~
Thank you Kathryn. I love these exercise. I can’t do the pointe yet on one leg, I just do step by step. Thanks for making ballet so accessible for everyone who wants to learn.
This is a brilliant video. I'm a sprint and strength coach, and lot of evidence coming out now that stronger feet are key for faster running. I took a lot from this video. Really good science here as well.
Okay tips for beginners: Use a light theraband if you’re just starting (like what she said!) If you have a hard time with these exercises it’s okay! Keep working, getting on pointe is hard, ballet itself takes a lot of work! DONT IMMEDIATELY GO ON POINTE IF YOURE NEW TO BALLET OR HAVE NEVER TAKEN A CLASS BEFORE-Okay this should be obvious why not to do that, if you’re new to ballet you could seriously injure yourself, and we don’t want that, also, you should take a ballet class. You might do something wrong (go up wrong, stretch wrong ect.) RU-vid VIDEOS DO NOT COUNT AS CLASSES-They do help with some of the basics, basic bar, basic stretching, some are more complicated and such, but you should try to go to an in person class. It will help! And last Try your best! Ballet is hard, but if you keep trying you’ll get better and better
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5d4S7gF344o.html - the first exercise in this video is meant to train the muscles to point your toes without scrunching them! I'm working on this as well - good luck
At 9:43 - I've heard this before, but the use of the term "half a tendu" when doing these ginch exercises is a misnomer. This is because the tendu does not pass through the ginch position, and a half tendu would therefore never look anything like this. The term "half a tendu" more resembles the part where it's "just toes," but not perfectly, since she seems to be applying more weight to the ball of the foot then would ordinarily occur before the closure of a correct tendu. I think the "just toes" is good for programming roll-through, and the ginch exercises are great for programming the ankles for hops en pointe, however, neither of these exercises are half a tendu.
