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ballet exercises

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  • 15-09-2008 10:45pm
    #1
    pkumohideeile
    Closed Accounts Posts: 103 ✭✭


    I'm looking to strengthen my feet arches and ankles by doing some of the foot exercises that ballet involves. I'm a 25year old male long distance runner and need this work to prevent guaranteed injury when I increase my running this winter.

    Can anyone recommend some ballet school I can go to find out more info? Or better yet, know a good person that could do a one to one sort of paid session to teach me the exercises and technique?


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    #2
    Aspiration
    Registered Users Posts: 717 ✭✭✭Aspiration


    I'd suggest starting a beginners ballet course. Off hand, relevés and elevés would help you strengthen your ankles, however this will only be effective if you are rising correctly and your body weight is correctly distributed and you're not sickling. You can do many variations of relevés and elevés - different positions, although if you're starting off I recommend starting in first position and build from there. If you have a barre handy, once you want to progress you could do these in arabesque and attitude. Ideally, you should be able to balance without the barre.

    If you want to strengthen your arches, a good exercise is as follows.

    1. Sit down with your legs straight in front of you.
    2. Flex your feet.
    3. Slowly start pointing your feet, rolling through your ankles first.
    4. Once you have your feet in a "demi-pointe" position, stop and roll back to flexed position.

    You should repeat this 10 times and then roll through to full pointe.

    You could also invest in a thermaband which you could help flexibility.

    If you need help finding schools that have beginners classes, let me know and I'll have a look around for you.


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    #3
    pkumohideeile
    Closed Accounts Posts: 103 ✭✭pkumohideeile


    Thanks for that reply. I wish there was just a book i could read though. I think i understood most of what you said. I've never had a connection with ballet ever. I'm a mountain runner as i said, and i'm 25. I'd be very intersted in the ballet lessons. If you could help that would be very good for me since i'm clueless at the moment regarding what is good and bad in ballet. But one thing i'm understanding is that a teacher is needed to make sure the exercises are being done exactly right or else an injury will occur down the line.

    So, help?


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    #4
    Aspiration
    Registered Users Posts: 717 ✭✭✭Aspiration


    Unfortunately books won't be as effective as having a qualified ballet teacher there to correct your mistakes. There are so many schools around that have beginners ballet classes. Here's just a few I can think of off the top of my head:

    Cois Céim
    Dance House
    NPAS
    DTI
    Star Struck Stageschool

    If you do a search online for these schools you'll get a feel of the classes provided and what kind of school they are and if they suit you.

    Even though in ballet you'll be working alot with core muscles as well as ankle and arch support, you should also look into Pilates for all over body conditioning.


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