3 Tips for a High Demi Pointe!

Reaching a high demi pointe in ballet is not only correct, but it will make your dancing easier! In this video Abby and Jana share three tips to help you achieve your highest releve!
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Music credits:
Divertimento K131 Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

[@melissafisher4598]

That weight forward tip was gold!!! I had an immediate difference

[@heatherjane910]

This was super helpful!! After all my years of ballet as a kid, I don’t remember the “forward action” part. Huge difference, thanks!

[@annemarie1323]

My ankles just don’t bend that far. Any tips for improving ankle flexibility?

[@RymVri108]

Every single time you go up on releve, push as high as you can and forward in your feet. Every. Single. Time. It’ll get there. Stretch your ankles *carefully* if you do any stretches.

[@kaleighb-v1123]

Same😔

[@diarraamoa1312]

Actually your ankles will stay the same its usually the flexibility in your arch changes

[@maplesyrup903]

Stretch your ankles before and after. Morning and evening and always practice. If you keep doing it your body will get used to it which will make it easier. All about adapting to it ☺️

[@mathildewesendonck7225]

Same here 😕 Unfortunately, the ankle is a really stiff joint. Flexibility can‘t really be improved much in adults (I‘m a doctor and I did some research about anatomy of the foot 🦶 etc because I‘m also a ballet 🩰 nerd 😅)

[@SA-bd8tp]

Aaaah....yes! Love your video's!!!

[@tcramos70]

Good tips. Thanks.

[@jessicabee9299]

Great video as an adult beginner really appreciate these tips 😊

[@yukiannie666]

Same here

[@sunnygem21]

Simple but important points. Great :-)

[@christinepadua593]

Thank you so much!

[@ana.catarina]

Abraço de Portugal !!

[@JessicaLorrin]

Any tips for an adult beginner with hypermobile joints on strengthening an old ankle injury?

[@delainegneco7352]

What's going on with me is that I have low arches, and I have a low demi pointe. Also, this is a problem when I try to go en pointe, cause my arches don't let me. Do you have any tips for improving the arches?

[@BallerinasByNight]

Even with low arches I think you can achieve a high demi pointe with some strengthening and safe stretching. In demi pointe try doing forced arched releves, really concentrating on trying to keep your heels up in the same place as you straighten your knees. You can do this in pointe shoes too and you'll get more of an ankle stretch as well. I would suggest doing theraband exercises to help strengthen your arches! We have a video with some theraband exercises that we just posted the other week :)

[@physhac]

I must have injured my foot (not sure how) and so on my right foot I can no longer all the way up in releve. Have you encountered anything like that?

[@jdutka13]

I have a high Demi pointe, but when I go up on Demi pointe passe I don't go up as high in Demi pointe as I usually do. Sometimes when I go up on relive in 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th (My studio doesn't use 3rd) I lose turn-out, any tips?

[@kendramagee]

Same😀

[@vuilkreng]

This might be a weird question but would being able to walk in high heels help with this? Or practising walking in heels in general? Since the foot position seems similar

[@BallerinasByNight]

Demi pointe might be able to help us with walking in heels, but I'm not sure the opposite is true. Wearing high heels too much is not good for dancers due to how they can shorten the calf muscles and make the achilles tendon stiff. We always want to have the opportunity to lengthen the calf and achilles in between working on the high relevé!

[@vuilkreng]

@@BallerinasByNight Thank you so much for your answer!

[@SopranoRocker2010]

@@BallerinasByNight Can confirm on both points (pun intended). I can walk on heels for hours because of demi pointe, but one also does have to be careful with frequency. Too long in heels without any sort of break or stretching and you will get shortened calf muscles.

[@januaryskies4647]

Why aren't you doing a quick plie' before you go into a full releve'?

[@G_Alli]

Tbh I had no idea you had to scrunch your toes, so I wasn’t doing that, and when I did I got even higher!

[@BallerinasByNight]

The toes should be flat, not scrunched!

[@AriRHen]

so the toes should be completely relaxed? I kind of push down with my toes on releve, I still try to keep them flat.

[@poolahpot]

Have you all ever watched salty sugar plumb’s teaching vids? She really is a great teacher. (I don’t like that once in a while(not very often) she has a potty mouth slip up, but I guess that’s why she calls herself salty) kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqKkqXqLjd2Yqbc

[@vencaf3926]

I love your calves. I´d like to see your calves more detailed.

[@wookinooki9023]

false, incorrect, incomplete. and the chit-chat is not helpful. You HAVE to use your AT when doing a relevé, you cannot do a relevé without contracting your calf muscle. contracted calf muscle = taut AT. The issue of the relaxed AT is only when you point OFF the floor, like a dégagé, jeté or battement. Most people cannot do that high relevé (foot at 180°), they don't have that flexibility in the foot bones, and it's ok. Nureyev never did a full relevé, look at his arabesques on demi-pointe, his foot is at 45°. When you are in full relevé (i.e. foot at 180° = the top arch of the foot is OVER the toes), only your 1st and 2nd metatarse are touching the floor, the #3-4-5 are not aligned, unless you have a triangular foot like a duck LOL. So it's difficult to balance on 2 little bones, your foot might be at 180° seen from the side, but there will be a 20° angle when seen from the front ("winged" = reverse of a sickle). But if you do a demi-relevé (foot at 45°), all 5 metatarses are in contact with the floor, and it's more stable, however your calf muscle has to work harder. You have to strengthen all those things anyway to be a good dancer.

[@karamarie7646]

Thank you for this info!! Very helpful. Just wondering how you know all this? I'm trying to find reliable sources to educate myself. Thanks!