Pointing Toes Without Curling! | Broche Ballet

A lot of you on Instagram asked us how to point your feet without curling up your toes! This is a really important skill to master in ballet. Not only does it make your feet look pretty, but it also prevents injury - especially in pointe shoes! Follow along with Julie to learn some of her favorite tips and tricks to help you lengthen and extend those toes!
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[@BrocheBallet]

Dance with me online! Join me for live Zoom classes plus a huge on-demand video library with follow-along classes for pirouettes, extensions, pre-pointe, pointe, and more! brocheballetonline.com Or, perform on stage with me in Miami at our first annual International Adult Ballet Festival, a 5-day intensive and showcase for passionate adult ballet dancers of all levels. www.internationaladultballetfestival.com

[@swaggy.peyton6342]

As a competitive dancer, I haven't done much ballet but I was still surprised to learn that no dance teacher ever corrected me on this! Thank you for this! ❤️

[@BrocheBallet]

You're welcome, I'm glad it helped! I will say that different styles of dance do point their feet differently. For ballet, the emphasis is on function & length of toes, since our toes are so important for pointework and are required for rolling up in our shoes. For other styles especially those that have more bare feet visible, tend to scrunch the toes more to try to achieve a curved foot even though the toes lose their power. So, this is not necessarily universal across all dance styles, but definitely how we use our toes in ballet! :)

[@sineadcoakley5284]

I always used to struggle with curling my toes, but after watching this video and trying the exercises consistently my ballet teacher says that I have the best feel in the class! Thank you so much, I love your videos.

[@leylaboudieb6971]

I used to think I had quite good feet and they are still strong, except I’ve always been curling every toe except for the big one under.. since the age of three 😬 so here we go re-learning that entire process....

[@BrocheBallet]

Leyla Boudieb I like to think of it as “leveling up” not “re-learning”! We are always learning new stuff that causes us to examine our technique in different ways! That’s why ballet is so great :)

[@tinyquokka]

This is super helpful, and I don't think many teachers actually look out for something like this as well, not until we get to pointe. Thank you for the video!

[@BrocheBallet]

You're welcome! I'm so glad to hear it was helpful. You may also enjoy this video on what it means to be ready for pointe, which goes over a high-level overview of what it means to be "ready for pointe"! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZzVqGdnqpd9iZI

[@louisianalady7105]

Ballet exercises are the perfect strengthening activity to prepare for downhill snow skiing season in Colorado! ⛷🎿❄️

[@BrocheBallet]

Yes!!! Core, stability, balance and agility are perfect for the slopes! What other skills have you found helpful?

[@jessieborrell1856]

Hey, that was me who asked about this! Thanks for making a video! This was super helpful. I think part of my problem is I have really tapered toes and wide metatarsals so they look a bit odd (to me anyway!)

[@BrocheBallet]

Yay! We had a bunch of people DM us as well, so you're definitely not alone with this challenge!

[@jojoandnana]

I just had a ballet class today, and my teacher mentioned that I have toes curling problem. I was kind of know what's wrong with it but didn't know how to fix it till watched your video. Thanks a lot of demonstration. I would like to take every little step of my learning before getting on pointe!

[@BrocheBallet]

Great, I'm so glad that the video was helpful to dig deeper into that correction! Happy dancing! :)

[@maddisontdog]

Great arches!!!

[@BrocheBallet]

Thanks! :)

[@jalapenojalapeno5590]

I've never seen this channel before but I subscribed immediately because I've been needing this video for YEARS! I have naturally flat feet which causes some problems for me, and my college roommate said learning ballet when they were a kid helped their flat arches and helped them have healthier feet. I didn't know how to find this video but God let the algorithm drop it in my recommended, so praise the Lord, and thank you for what you are doing! Your teaching is so clear and exactly what I need. Just doing these exercises has helped me gain a better understanding of my feet and how toes work, so hopefully this will help me even more in the future!

[@minosarchive]

I started ballet this year and my toes are so weak(?) out of my control(?) right now--it is crazy! I hope this gets better with time like you say in the video, haha, my brain is working 110% trying to coordinate my toes, and there's so many gaps and twitches right now. I don't really have the body awareness to feel confident in this yet. But the way you explained this in this video is helpful. Thank you.

[@aamanpour3630]

you're wonderful! thank you for being so concise and actually showing us bare feet!

[@BrocheBallet]

You're welcome! So glad it was helpful! :)

[@dennislandmesser]

Wow, did I ever have this completely wrong. Many thanks for sending me in the right direction.

[@BrocheBallet]

You’re welcome! So glad it was helpful!

[@reiayanami870]

This was super helpful! I've been dancing for 15 years, and have always curled my toes under, and no ballet teacher ever corrected this... An important question, though: I've got Morton's foot/greek foot, with the 2. and even 3. toe longer than the big toe, my calluses are under the second and third toe ball joint, and the 2./3. toes are always bent (since otherwise they couldn't reach the floor, with the callus and foot lifting the 2./3. toe in the air about 1 mm/0,04 inch, even when standing normally, even with removing calluses regularly) - so I am really used to curling all, but especially the 2./3. toes under when pointing, and it's proving very difficult to unlearn, even with your (and also a couple of Lisa Howell's) exercises... Any ideas? (besides seeing a orthopedic surgeon and specialised physio, which I am going to do soon?)

[@BrocheBallet]

Hi there! Thanks for your comment! We always joke at the studio, that we'll just cut it off ;) Some ideas are below that might be helpful: I've suggested to dancers with bent toes like this to sort of hold the toes straight and practice pushing onto the floor or their hand while holding the toes straight to see if the toes will get used to pushing while straight. Basically hold them straight while they do the work of pushing. You might also want to try taping your toes to the big toe to encourage them to remain straight while you point. I hope that helps a little bit - I know it can be really tricky when your toes are bent at rest. Good luck! :)

[@holalale4613]

You are so great. Could you give us more about feet and toes exercises? , I have a lot of problems with them while pointing.

[@BrocheBallet]

Thank you! Thanks for the suggestion! We'll work on that! In the meantime, we do have a few more foot related videos on our channel ☺️ Let us know if those help! ❤️

[@fayewstrange7424]

Whenever I point my toes I get these (OMG)cramps in my feet. Any suggestions on how not to these terrible cramps

[@BrocheBallet]

Faye W Strange hi Faye! Thanks for your question! Those terrible foot cramps are really common! When you point your foot, make sure that you aren’t sickling, or pointing inwards. A lot of times this will trigger a cramp. Be sure to think of pointing your ankle straight on (or even a little outward) and then trying to extend the toes and reach them long instead of trying to make a fist with your foot. Those cramps are really no fun, so I hope that helps!

[@susanwilturner2641]

Are there additional exercises or massage or tools to use? Any extra tips advice cause so often my instructor tells me to point my toes ? Thanks n Advance

[@susanwilturner2641]

Often we are prone hold our breath when learning. It might be helpful visualize elongating reaching out long and toe arch and your breath sending energy like nurturing flow of water. Also consider extra hydration, supplemental magnesium in diet. Susan Wilturner MD 😇🍎

[@gabrielasankos]

thank you so much!!! I have pretty good ankles and arch, the same as my friend who has been dancing for about 5-6 years, and I have only been dancing for 2 at the moment, BUT cannot for the life of me fix my toes! hopefully this will help!

[@BrocheBallet]

Awesome, good luck! I hope it helps! :D

[@erickmims4078]

Your a great instructor!!

[@BrocheBallet]

Thank you! I appreciate it! Happy point-ing :)

[@erin8808]

I watching this video after many years of no dancing. My modern dance teacher was a stickler for a point without curling the toes. I don’t miss the feet cramps though

[@abigailrawlings8976]

Thank you I e been waiting for this I’m a ballerina and I can pointe my toes !!!

[@BrocheBallet]

Awesome! Thanks for watching! :)

[@hattiexxx2672]

this video was so helpful! i’ve been dancing for years now and always got compliments on my feet but the other day i noticed that when i point i always overlap my second toe across my big toe but no one has ever corrected me before! now it’s back to basics but i’m glad i found this video so i can stop with my bad habits! thank you 🙏🏼

[@BrocheBallet]

We're so glad to hear that this video was helpful! It never hurts to go back to basics -- those steps to really train correct habits will propel you forward in the future! Happy dancing :)

[@EA-ps4wc]

@@BrocheBallet Are there exercises to train your toes to not curl over each other? I have this issue as well

[@BrocheBallet]

@@EA-ps4wc It's very common for the toes to naturally overlap. We want to build "toe independence" so that the toes learn to operate independently First, wrap a Theraband around each individual toe and point your feet using the band as resistance. Just be mindful that on your littler toes, you don’t need to pull very hard in order to get enough resistance. Second, you can use a toe spacer (either an actual product like Yoga Toes, or wrap paper towels between your toes like they do when you get a pedicure) while you work on pointing your toes to train them to point apart from each other. Keep practicing and those toes will keep getting stronger and more independent!

[@EA-ps4wc]

@@BrocheBallet Thank you for advice! I'll be sure to try these

[@aamanpour3630]

I like that you mentioned forming new neural pathways... that is exactly what happens when we become accustomed to an unfamiliar exercise. Is that similar to muscle memory? I noticed you have such a beautiful arch naturally but I do know that is not at all vital in actually being able to get the foot into a pointe position.

[@BrocheBallet]

Great question! Muscle memory might be more like a habit, or a routine that gets triggered based on a cue. Whereas the pathways might be the mechanism that causes the action. But that's worth double-checking from other sources :) And you're right that a natural arch in the center of the foot is unrelated to (1) how far your ankle can extend, and (2) how far your toes can point! Happy dancing!

[@rebex_94]

this is great

[@BrocheBallet]

Glad to. help! Happy point-ing!

[@brownie_gamersquad2110]

Rn I’m 12 and I just started learning ballet last year, and into 2 months of learning ballet I noticed that my toes aren’t comfortable pointing, and actually hurting. Soon enough I found out that I have been curling up my toes the whole time, i’ve tried to improve pointing my toes but I always get to frustrated and just five up, Now after like 12 months I still can’t point… And currently I’m trying to watch this video at least 5 times a day to improve. I hope it work 🤞

[@BrocheBallet]

Keep going and don't give up! It takes time and patience to re-train those toes. Day by day, little by little, and you'll get there :)

[@lisahamer6213]

So glad you made this video!! I have been curling my left foot, but now I get cramps in it when I pointe without curling...Any tips x

[@BrocheBallet]

Awesome, glad the video is helpful! It is extremely common to have arch cramps when you point your feet. First, you'll want to do some general health checks -- are you sleeping enough, eating enough, drinking enough water, have enough nutrients and minerals (salt, magnesium, potassium)? Second, massaging your arches with a ball daily to work out those muscles (I have another video on this on my channel kzbin.info/www/bejne/noXPYXiJmsiSmrc) Third, if after several weeks of good hydration, nutrition, sleep etc PLUS daily arch massages, you might visit a specialist to check in and see if there's something else going on. Dance physiotherapist is most ideal (so many of them do online consults these days which is amazing and so helpful!) Good luck, and happy pointing! :)

[@hongkongaise3720]

What a helpful video! As an adult beginner, I do have another question concerning the feet: I am often being corrected by my teachers that I should "push my heels forward". But I am confused which muscles I should actually engage to achieve that (and my teachers were never clear to tell me how). I wonder if you have addressed this issue already, or maybe that would be a topic you can cover in the future :) ? Thank you and keep up the good work 👏

[@BrocheBallet]

I'm so glad it was helpful! There are two directions that your teacher could mean for "forward" for the heels. There is the "wing" shape and there is turnout. The "wing" shape will change the shape of your ankle via the "evertors" -- Check out 1:38 into this video for that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2LVhICbZq2rnKc And for turnout, here's a search for all the turnout videos on my channel kzbin.infosearch?query=turnout Happy dancing! :)

[@itsreaganluv3325]

Do you have any more tips on how to essentially relearn this concept. For the past 8 years I've been doing this and I want to fix it now that I am en pointe and want to join a pre professional company./

[@plant2188]

I’m not sure if you’d still answer questions, but when I do this, my toes don’t feel fully engaged? Is it normal to feel like my toes are more “relaxed” when they’re not bending and they’re lengthening?

[@theonlygosha]

I’m practising for a performance in a few months :)

[@BrocheBallet]

That's SO exciting!! Merde! :)

[@dreamybabe]

When I try this my toes spread really wide. Is that normal?

[@sarahbb7227]

awesome...Seeing your feet I realize I have medium high arches...lol...and I cant believe i have been curling...noooo...the worst part is I can actually do it properly...just had no idea...I am now determined to work on my pointing skills!!!

[@BrocheBallet]

That's the spirit! You'll get it! :)

[@smolsnacc975]

It's a habit for me to bend my toes when pointing my feet and they've actually bend without me doing anything, so trying to straighten my toes while flexing my foot is what's challenging me the most. BUT I will practice and try to get the pointed foot I've always wanted!!

[@BrocheBallet]

It's very natural to have toes that curl when you point your feet, and as you say, we are working to train them to learn how to be straight! You might also look into the condition called "hammer toes" where your toes have a little bend in the middle joint. All of these tactics do help to straighten them, but it might help to learn more about that topic as well! Happy pointing! :)

[@broadwaybutterfly310]

I'm not even a dancer (wish I was though), I just found this video because I was trying to figure out if it's possible to point your toes if you don't have (much of) an arch in your foot. I'm flat footed and have never been able to point my toes much during stretches... did some of the exercises and now my feet feel very cramped up but I wonder if I keep trying will that change? I don't know why I really want to be able to point my feet but I do :/

[@BrocheBallet]

Thank you for joining us on KZbin! We're thrilled to have you. Foot cramping is so so so common! I recommend working to massage the soles of your feet with a ball to help the muscles relax! Massage is a really powerful tool for improving your point and to ward off cramps. This video explains how to do it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/noXPYXiJmsiSmrc Happy pointing :)

[@pinkryn1074]

Hi, I have a bit of a problem my big toe is able to point straight but, the rest of my toes crunch even when i just walk normally! Is there a way to solve this? Many thanks Kathryn (P.S great video 😊)

[@BrocheBallet]

Hi Kathryn! Thanks for reaching out! That's actually exactly what this video is trying to help you with! Generally speaking, people's big toes are naturally straight while the little ones curl. The exercises in the video aim to help *train* your little toes not to crunch! Almost everyone's toes crunch naturally, but as dancers, we need to train them to lengthen :) I hope that helps, and happy dancing!!

[@pinkryn1074]

Thank you so much! I will continue to follow these exercises! ☺

[@elialenaud9403]

How long does it take normally to make the toes to stop curling?

[@BrocheBallet]

It could take several sessions of practice in close succession to retrain your movement patterns (e.g. 4x per week for a few months). Some dancers pick it up quickly but others could take longer, especially if you have very strong training such as gymnastics to point with a very curled toe.

[@terri2kool]

What is the recommended time to hold the stretch? My feet are SUPER tight and I’m not sure if I am holding the stretch too long and if that’s going to be counterproductive to the overall lengthening of my feet muscles

[@BrocheBallet]

Knowing how long to hold a stretch is definitely tricky. Especially with the tiny little muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your feet, you have to listen to your body and be attentive to how you're feeling during the stretch. Generally 30 seconds is a good rule of thumb to start with and work your way up from, especially with feet. But definitely abort the stretch sooner if you feel bad pain. If you're really tight, you may also want to incorporate massage with your fingers on the tops of your feet and front of the ankle, and with a hard ball underneath your feet. I have a little info on this here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2LVhICbZq2rnKc I hope that helps a little! Good luck! :)

[@terri2kool]

Broche Ballet 💚 sweet! Thanks for that info. I’m going to check out the other link and start my practice ASAP!

[@BrocheBallet]

Terri K awesome!! ❤️

[@shireenharoun4423]

I've noticed that when I do extensions my foot looks flat especially in develope a la seconde and it breaks the line any tips would be useful

[@BrocheBallet]

This could be because of a few reasons! It could be that you're "winging" your foot, which means that you're bending your ankle so your toe points behind you instead of pointing with a straight line down your ankle. Or, it could be because you might want to work on gently stretching the top of your foot to get a straighter line on the top of the ankle as well as working on pointing the toes more so that they will create a curved line at the end of your foot! We have another video on how to prepare your feet for pointe which talks about some of these concepts! I hope that helps :)

[@shireenharoun4423]

@@BrocheBallet thank you yes I do need to strengthen my feet and calves I used to be able to do doubles on pointe now I can barely totter joys of being an adult dancer lol

[@BrocheBallet]

Shireen Haroun keep working at it and you’ll keep improving and getting stronger! :)

[@natalialynn4285]

When I point my toes and try to lengthen my four small toes they end up kind of staying "in the air" while I'm pointing and are way higher than my big toe. Any tips?

[@BrocheBallet]

It's very common to have all kinds of different situations with our toes when we point! I recommend trying to place your foot on the ground and press into the floor with all of your toes. You can also use your hands like I show at 3 minutes into this video. That will give your toes something to push on to help train them to use the muscles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n16cdX5vfbdjbNk

[@KiraHelenRose]

I've been pointing incorrectly. I'm now having to relearn how to do it right. The only issue is my right foot isn't as coordinated as my left and struggles to do it. It's also super exhausting on the soles since those muscles are the ones working to achieve it. My feet are super sore just from practicing it a little bit. Once the feet are strong and able to do it, are the toes still tense like they are pressing, or are they more relaxed and loose in the position? When I see professionals articulate their toes in videos, the toes always have a sort of relaxed appearance. Maybe it's just due to the strength they have, makes it look as though they are barely trying and not pointing super hard to achieve it.

[@BrocheBallet]

Building up toe strength is definitely challenging! I wouldn't say they're loose when pointed, but I agree it does look like it sometimes! Professionals make everything look so easy! Your toes should be pretty straight to prevent blisters while in your pointe shoes. You're not necessarily pointing so hard that you're in pain but a bit of tension and strength is definitely necessary to get yourself on your box!

[@KiraHelenRose]

Broche Ballet but in soft shoes in class, when I point my toes, how hard do I point them? That’s how I ended up curling my toes, because they say “point your foot as hard as you can.” And for me, the hardest I can point is curled toes. So when I point with straight toes, in tendu for instance, do I use resistance and tension, as though my toes are pressing against something, or is it lighter?

[@BrocheBallet]

​@@KiraHelenRose Curled toes definitely aren't handy. Try to lengthen and spread your toes out. You can also practice just pointing from the ankle and then slowly adding in toes. Try this video! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2LVhICbZq2rnKc

[@KiraHelenRose]

Broche Ballet or even when we do flex and point in class (soft shoes). As I articulate into the point, should it be as though the toes are pushing hard against the air, or do they just fall into place without using resistance in the muscles?

[@BrocheBallet]

@@KiraHelenRose I wouldn't say force, but more stretching and lengthening. Really reach those toes! Hope that helps! :)

[@FleurDeCersier]

Thank you so much for the video! I never knew I did this. I also didn't realise at first because I'm not curling my big toe, just the small ones. I did ballet for years when I was a kid but they didn't teach any technique so I'm currently trying to undo all of the bad habits and learning all of the good habits that I never developed. Edit: just tried to not curl my little toes and I was actually able to do it on my left foot but I can't manage it in my right foot for the life of me.

[@BrocheBallet]

Awesome, I'm glad to hear the video was helpful! Keep practicing and I know you'll get there with your right foot too!! Happy dancing :)

[@vsm6847]

Hey, thank you for the explanation. It's very helpful. It was a little hard to hear you though, so maybe try clipping your mic closer to your mouth? Ty!

[@BrocheBallet]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@MoreThanFuel]

my arches go directly into a Charlie horse as soon as I attempt to point. Any tips for this? My arches have been cramping frequently since I was a teen and I'm 26

[@BrocheBallet]

It is extremely common to have arch cramps when you point your feet. First, you'll want to do some general health checks, sleeping enough, eating enough, drinking enough water, have enough nutrients. Second, massaging your arches with a ball daily to work out those muscles (I have another video on this on my channel kzbin.info/www/bejne/noXPYXiJmsiSmrc) Third, if after several weeks of good hydration, nutrition, sleep etc PLUS daily arch massages, you might visit a specialist to check in and see if there's something else going on. Dance physiotherapist is most ideal (so many of them do online consults these days which is amazing and so helpful!) Good luck, and happy pointing! :)

[@michaelturner5001]

Hi, when I’m pointing my feet I find it really difficult to keep the little toe on my left foot in line with the others. It seems to point out to the side, leaving a gap. This is so frustrating and I’m not sure what I can do to correct this. Please could you help?

[@BrocheBallet]

Maybe you could try wrapping a theraband around your pinky toe (or even your finger) and pulling to the left while you try to coax your pinky toe to pull inwards towards your other toes to try to wake up those instrinsic muscles in your feet. Sometimes it can indeed be frustrating when your toes don't do exactly what you want, but waking up those neural pathways is very possible! Keep going! :)

[@aamanpour3630]

I find my toes splaying when I do this and it's so annoying! Also, when I point my ankle I don't get much of an arch in the top of my foot... is this lack of flexibility/strength? Any tips for getting that arch on top of the foot? Even without pointing the toes the flexed foot is soo pretty! Sorry for all of the questions.

[@BrocheBallet]

Thanks for all the questions! The range in the top of the foot right where the ankle meets the foot is all about massage and breaking up tissue. There's a really tough band of tissue that runs horizontally across it called the retinaculum that can really tighten up over the course of a human lifespan! You want to massage it with your thumbs or with a ball, or visit a professional such as someone who does body work, physical therapist, or chiropractor! Hope that helps! :)

[@aamanpour3630]

@@BrocheBallet Thank you!

[@hazalnienkevanhethof7268]

After 8 years of break I am back to ballet for 3 years and recently brave enough to go back en pointe. But I have realised instead of holding myself up on my toes I let them curl under me which results in my feet sinking in the pointe shoe. I checked my fit, in every pointe shoe I let this happen and my toes just became lazy I think. My question is, is this happening because I am curling my toes? Is this exercise helpfull for this problem too? Thank you.

[@BrocheBallet]

Congratulations on getting back onto pointe! That's fabulous! :) It very well could have to do with toe strength to keep those toes long and reaching in your pointe shoes. Keep strengthening those feet and keep an eye on if it starts to help you not sink into your shoes. Also make sure you're lifting up with your legs, core, and whole body!! Hope that helps, and happy dancing!

[@hazalnienkevanhethof7268]

Broche Ballet thank you for the answer 😊 I will do the exercise everyday

[@aaliyahetc.6687]

is it normal for my foot to hurt? like i feel like something will break if i go too far

[@BrocheBallet]

Hmm, general "pain" is always difficult to describe, but I would say that if your foot feels like it's going to break, then it's possible you've got something else going that you want to get looked at. Perhaps some tendon inflammation or other structural challenges. I'd recommend visiting a chiropractor or physical therapist before doing too much more pointing to make sure that you're not doing any damage!

[@urmrloverman]

I have a question.. what if my toes automatically curl?

[@BrocheBallet]

Great question! Most people's toes automatically curl, and that's exactly what this video hopes to help you learn! Our goal is to train our curly toes to actually strengthen and lengthen. Keep working at it! :)

[@maddisontdog]

Me again, do you get a lot of comments in public about your arches being so high and beautiful? And as a dancer I assume you don’t wear heels often or not at all?

[@louisianalady7105]

I just looked your school up-- and the web says "permanently closed"! I'm in Colorado, was looking forward to attending classes. Hopefully you will re-open after the virus is controlled better. 🙏🏻

[@BrocheBallet]

Unfortunately our physical location is indeed permanently closed. We couldn't financially make it through the difficult summer. But, if you'd like to meet me (Julie) in-person, check out the festival in Miami next summer! www.internationaladultballetfestival.com/ And if you'd like to attend classes in CO, a wonderful group called Blissfully Yours Ballet took over one of our 3 studio spaces :)

[@louisianalady7105]

@@BrocheBallet - oh goodness, thank you for the information you've provided! I'm thankful that you all can continue online. Where do I go to join the Zoom classes? I just happened to have found you on YT. Your welcoming personality must make you an incredible educator. I subscribed right away. I'm returning to ballet after a decade, and your kindness drew me in, as well as others. You're so encouraging! Blessings, Dr. L.

[@BrocheBallet]

@@louisianalady7105 Thank you, I'm glad to hear the videos have been encouraging for your ballet journey! You can find my Zoom program here: brocheballetonline.com/ Happy dancing! :)

[@spice2321]

so i have pretty flat feet and i don’t know if that contributes to this but, whenever i point, the ankle point is pretty normal, i just can’t really point my toes. they just don’t go down

[@BrocheBallet]

Sometimes the tendons on your toes on the top of your feet can be tight and prevent the toes from going down, or it can be that the bottom of the feet needs to get stronger in order to pull the toes down!

[@spice2321]

Broche Ballet ohh! is there any way to loosen the tendon? if it is the bottom of my feet how can i resolve it? i’ve been been curling my toes because of it but now i want to correct it!

[@BrocheBallet]

@@spice2321 Loosening the tendons is a very delicate process and I'd recommend working with someone who you can see in person to help you with it so they can advise you properly. Maybe that's a physical therapist or chiropractor, or even a ballet teacher locally who can look at your feet and suggest options. As for strengthening the bottom of your feet, the exercises in this video and in our other foot strengthening videos will help your feet get stronger! :)

[@spice2321]

Broche Ballet thank you for responding! i’m pretty sure that it is the bottom of my feet because i can push my toes to the floor easily, i just can’t hold it there!

[@BrocheBallet]

@@spice2321 Great! Keep strengthening! :)

[@marieskreeskjeldal9431]

But i wonder how your other toes( except the big toe) is going to look🤔 Isn’t it hard NOT to get them crooked if you want them to «touch the ground»?

[@BrocheBallet]

Yes, you're right! It is indeed quite difficult to train the toes to point straight and not knuckle / bend while they are curving. We want to feel like we are pointing the arch / ankle and reaching or stretching the toes, instead of pointing or bending the toes. It requires a lot of work on getting the brain and toes to communicate! Happy dancing :)

[@marieskreeskjeldal9431]

Broche Ballet thank you! I tried to do what you said, and now my point is much better! I wish I learned that before I started to point wrong! I have danced for 5 years but never really pointed right. So thank you!

[@BrocheBallet]

@@marieskreeskjeldal9431 I'm so happy to hear! :D

[@karadiberlino]

Define grownup! 🤔😁

[@Sam-my2xk]

Abby Lee approves. 😂

[@PrairieWolf-xo8yx]

My son just can not point his toes.

[@GizmoNKC]

I have just started pole dancing and so many artists really forcefully curl their toes. I think it looks so ugly! It looks like nothing cute!

[@BrocheBallet]

Nicole K.C. We also prefer to point with long toes versus curled! So pretty :)

[@ailyepotts3895]

Bro they won’t stop curling

[@BrocheBallet]

It's definitely not an easy task to re-train your toes! Keep working at it :)