I didn’t mention it earlier, but when you’re studying, and you have a sickled foot problem, you need to get in front of the mirror. You need to see what you’re doing, so you can feel and see the difference when you make the corrections. This is the only way you’re going to be able to cure your sickled foot.

You must see what it feels like, and you must feel what it looks like.

Standing in first position, we’re going to work The Battement Tendu Front & Back. The proper French terminology is Battement Tendu Devant & Derrière.

In class, when I see a sickled foot pointed to the front, there again is the familiar problem of the outside curve of the foot. When I sickle my own foot, I am so much aware of the muscles along the outside of my leg that continue to curve along the outside of the foot down into the little toe.

Whereas when I correct it, then I feel the muscles along the inside of the leg, and the inner ankle bone connecting to the big toe. When you keep that shape of your foot as you brush to the back then you will retain your turn-out. Again, in class I see students letting go of the outward rotation and brushing the foot sickled to the back.

As we continue moving to the back from first position, once again I feel the inside of the leg and the inner ankle bone connecting to the big toe. However, when the foot is sickled, then we’ll see that curve from the outer ankle bone connecting to the little toe. When I do this, I feel the muscles on the outside of the leg.

As return the foot to the front while brushing through first position, the correction is to think of bringing the inside of the leg and the heel forward.

And, also, when you point the foot to the fourth position front you can think of deliberately angling the foot—beveling it—or we say “winging” the foot—which looks a lot nicer for the line of your body than a sickled foot. The foot is not fully pointed and in fact is more of a relaxed point so it can be angled/beveled/winged.

When you point back, realize that eventually this becomes the look of your foot in arabesque and attitude. Nothing looks worse than seeing an arabesque with a sickled foot. The leg is straight but when you sickle your line drops to the floor. You always want your arabesque line to continue up into the air. You need to know what it feels like when you bevel your arabesque foot so that you know the difference.

Get in front of the mirror and practice beveling your foot so you can feel what muscles you’re using.

When you do a battement degagé to fourth front, you want to offer your heel.  When you degagé to the back, you want to feel the inside of your leg facing the floor so the leg is fully rotated and turned out. To help you do this, always feel free to adjust the turn-out of your standing leg. Showing your arabesque leg completely turned out is what matters most. It’s not how turned-out your standing leg, it’s whether you show a beautiful arabesque leg and foot.

To strengthen your foot and make your ankle more flexible, be sure you press your foot flat against the floor as you pass through first position.

As the leg moves forward, remember it’s the heel that leads the inside of the leg and foot. Moving back, put the foot completely flat in first position, and remember the inside of the leg and foot should face the floor.

These ideas should help you cure your sickled foot.

In our next blog we will discuss Rising To The Half-Toe.

To dance is to live – Finis

We also recommend:

• The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 1 Barrework: Barrework for Beginners
• The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 2 Barrework: Barrework for Advanced Beginners
• The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 3: Barrework
• The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 4: Intermediate Barrework
• The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Levels 2 & Up: The Power Barre
• The Thinking Dancer: Working at the Barre Levels 2 & Up – Basic Ballet 8