Arch Enhancers

[BalletBloch]

Has anybody tried these from Dance Direct and what are their views?

[Spax]

Metatarsal exercises are better. Get your child doing them correctly and they can exercise everywhere. Under the desk at school, dinner table, watching tv. In the end my dd was doing them automatically everywhere, even in the car.

Teacher said no.

[BalletBloch]

What if your DD naturally has a low arch? my DD's metatarsals are very strong and her toes are very bendy (at the metatarsal toe joint) but the link from ankle to foot doesn't seem to want to bend..

[Julie 2 Milner]

The one where you stand your foot in I heard very bad things about but one that was good was from a spanish company. It is used sitting down. Can i remember it's name? No! I know a few boys used it. I've looked in my son's room so it is possible he has taken it to Munich with him. Next time I speak to him I'll ask him what it was called.

[balletmum20]

I think the one you are talking about Is the foot stretcher from Spain, and yes we use it, and it is very good

[Anna C]

Are we talking about that contraption you put your foot in? Or the arch enhancers you wear under tights to pretend you've got more banana-ish feet than you really have?

[Pointytoes22]

Would someone be able to put a link to the website of the foot stretcher from Spain? 

[balletmum20]

http://www.footstretch.com/en/.

[balletmum20]

I think we are all talking about the contraptions we put our feet in x

[Anna C]

Well, horses for courses I guess, but I'd rather spend the money on a jolly good dance physio who can diagnose exactly where the cause of the inflexibility lies - then do the prescribed exercises!

[Jan McNulty]

They look like instruments of torture to me!

[Anjuli_Bai]

Torquemada would be proud.

[Ja Sm]

The foot stretcher looks painful. Is that something that the vocational schools would actually recommend and use?

[balletmum20]

No I doubt any vocational school would recommend, they would recommend working the feet with foot exercise

[Pas de Quatre]

The danger is that stretching mechanically is simply weakening the foot structure and can cause injuries.  Many Vocational schools ban them. 

[drdance]

I question their efficacy in improving the arch without doing any strengthening work as well. Also, by strapping the foot/ankle into something mechanical, and forcing it into a stretch, if you do injure yourself it is going to take a few minutes to remove said device and could cause more problems.

 

You can apply some pressure passively by using your hands, which is much safer, as you can feel what's going on, and have total control over it, and also you can apply resistance with your hands to work against, as a strengthening tool. I gave this exercise to a student several weeks ago and she's worked really hard with it and has been taking photos to track her progress - I actually posted them yesterday onto the MIDAS facebook so if you want to see if it works, have a look. Also if anyone wants a video of the exercise PM me your email address and I can try to send it to you but its almost 15mb so make sure you can receive files that big first!

[tomuchtallent]

Definitely works! Thanks drdance!!

[balletmum20]

sorry, where can i see the photo, im interested x

[drdance]

Balletmum20 try this link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=518167021553458&set=a.199214690115361.43947.178080225562141&type=1&theater

[balletmum20]

Drdance, brilliant, brill pictures, and what talented children, thanks

[drdance]

Thank you. I can't take all the credit of course, as they are mostly trained by other wonderful local teachers! I really enjoy working with them though - they're all so hardworking :-)

[balletmum20]

You can see that, there so hard working, but if they want it so much, they will get it, I was very impressed though, brilliant flexibility?

[BalletBloch]

anyone with experience of the socky things that you put under tights?

[Anna C]

No, they are expensive and - just my opinion - cheating! Plus I can't see the point; if you wear them in an audition you'd eventually be found out, and if you look at the feet of pro dancers, they are (like physique) all different - some banana feet, some surprisingly straight.

[drdance]

and.. if you follow the line of the leg, over the ankle joint and then there's a bump on the top of the foot, it's pretty obvious.