316 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology
Palpation: You can palpate the distal portion of the flexor digitorum
longus tendons by placing a finger under the middle phalanx of any
of the lesser toes (toes 2 through 5) while actively flexing that toe.
Proximally, the tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, and flexor hal-
lucis longus all cross behind the medial malleolus in close proximity.
The mnemonic “Tom, Dick, and Harry” can be used to help remember
the relative order of these muscles (figure 6.20). Their tendons are
positioned from anterior to posterior in the following order: tibialis pos-
terior (Tom), flexor digitorum longus (Dick), and flexor hallucis longus
(Harry). Hence, the tendon that can be seen and felt just posterior to
the medial malleolus is that of the tibialis posterior, with the other two
sequentially behind this tendon.“Use the Floor”
T
he directive to “use the floor” is commonly used by teachers in association with movements like
tendus and dégagés. As just discussed, one of the important roles of the tibialis posterior and long
flexors of the toes is to press the toes into the ground for “pushing off” in locomotor movements. So,
one desired anatomical interpretation of this cue is to emphasize pressing down into the floor as the
foot slides forward on the floor, rather than just shape the foot into plantar flexion with little or no
contact with the floor as it moves forward. The former approach of emphasizing pressing into the
floor is a useful way of strengthening these posteromedial crural muscles (and many of the intrinsic
muscles of the feet), as well as rehearsing the skill of pushing down into the ground to generate the
forces (ground reaction forces) that are responsible for propelling the body in the desired direction. If
performed with the desired but often unrealized emphasis, the relatively simple movements of tendus
and dégagés can provide significant benefits for dancers.DANCE CUES 6.1
FIGURE 6.20 Relative position of tibialis posterior (Tom), flexor
digitorum longus (Dick), and flexor hallucis longus (Harry) (right
foot, medial view).FIGURE 6.19 The flexor digitorum
longus (right foot, posterior view).Lateral Crural Muscles
The lateral crural muscles are located on the lateral portion of the lower leg in the lateral compartment
of the leg. The lateral crural muscles are composed of the peroneus longus and peroneus brevis. These
muscles are closely associated in terms of origin and function and are sometimes jointly referred to as