How to Improve Your Arch for Ballet?
5 Tips for Stronger, More Defined Feet
Before diving in, let’s ask an important question… What Does a Better Ballet Arch Mean?
What Does a Better Ballet Arch Mean?
There are certain foot characteristics that many dancers dream of. However, I have three things to tell you.
First, the bad news—let’s rip the band-aid off quickly. Many factors affecting your arch are genetic. So, you might not achieve the extreme arch you envision.
Now, the good news—you don’t need the perfect arch to dance beautifully.
Anecdote; One of my teachers once told me a story. When she danced for the National Ballet of Cuba, she had a colleague with flat feet. Yet, she danced flawlessly.
So, what truly matters? Strength. Not just in the arch, but also in the ankles. A high arch may create beautiful lines, but strength is essential for movement and injury prevention.
Maybe now you’re thinking, Then why am I here? I just want an enviable arch!
That brings me to the third point—while genetics play a role, you CAN improve your arch. Let’s talk about how!
“The job of feets is walking, but their hobby is dancing.”
Amit Kalantri
5 Tips to Improve Your Arch
Warm-Up First!
Always do cardio warm-ups before stretching to prevent injuries. These exercises are suitable for trained dancers who understand their bodies. If you’re new to ballet, always practice under the supervision of a professional instructor.
1. Stretch Beyond Your Limits
This tip comes first because it’s the foundation for everything else. To get the most out of the other tips, you need to apply this one consistently.
Stretching is the key. To make progress, you need to stretch beyond your natural range.
Whether on pointe or demi-pointe, stretching beyond your natural arch is what will make the difference between staying the same or making progress.
In class, you may do exercises like pointe-flex or plié-relevé. These build strength but not flexibility. However, flexibility enhances your arch and expands your range of motion, reducing injury risk.
When working in demi-pointe, push your arch beyond your toes.
When in pointe shoes, extend your arch over the box.
You may clearly observe in the picture how the ballerina is pushing her arch over the box of the pointe shoe and beyond the tip of her toes.
Exercise: Hold your foot in an over-arched position for one minute on each side.
This does not necessarily aply when dancing, where the focus should be standing with enough support to perform correctly.
This exercise greatly enhances flexibility and helps improve your arches and insteps in both strength and elasticity. However, it should always be performed under proper supervision or training. Additionally, the difficulty level should be increased gradually.
How to start:
Use a soft surface like a yoga block or cushion.
Support yourself with a barre or wall.
Begin with one foot at a time. Once comfortable, try both feet together.
Exercise: Shift your weight onto your arch 10 times per foot. Extra challenge? Try both feet together for 5 reps.
3. Use Your Pointe Shoes as a Lever
Pointe shoes have a firm box which provides support. This makes them a great tool for stretching your arch, as seen on the picture 3.
Exercise:
- Sit on the floor with pointe shoes on.
Place one foot flat against the ground.
Hold the shoe in place and push your arch over your toes.
Return to neutral and repeat.
Repetitions: 10 times per foot.
4. Plié-Relevé à la seconde
Back to a classic—with a twist. Rising slowly to relevé strengthens your feet. It is common practice to work on this exercise by rolling through releve from the toes and all the way up. But on this ocasion the focus will be on pushing past your current arch.
Exercise:
- Start in à la seconde (second position).
Rise to relevé on pointe.
Do a plié without lowering from pointe.
Push your arches outward.
Straighten and hold.
Repetitions: 10 times.
5. Sit on Your Arches
The first tip should always be applied to every exercise. However, tip #5 is the ultimate exercise for improving ankle and arch flexibility..
Exercise:
Simply squat while wearing pointe shoes, sitting on your arches as shown on picture 5.
It may seem simple, but if you’ve never done it before, it can be challenging. Even attempting it will help improve flexibility.
"In my feet are my dreams, and my dreams move through them."
– Anonymous
BONUS TIP:
Practice the following exercise on demi-pointe first. Then, try it with pointe shoes.
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*Disclosure statement* This post contains affiliate links. Should you decide to purchase/sign up through any of the links, I will receive a small commission to invest back into my business. Thank you for your support!
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