352 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology
Dorsiflexor StrengtheningInadequate strength in the dorsiflexors may increase
the risk for some injuries such as shin splints. There
have been conflicting results, but at least some
dancers tend to be low in dorsiflexor strength both
in terms of balance with their plantar flexors and
in relation to other athletes (Hamilton et al., 1992;
Liederbach and Hiebert, 1997). This tendency does
appear to be specific to dance form, with flamenco
(Wilmerding et al., 1998) and tap dancers (Mayers,
Judelson, and Bronner, 2003) not necessarily exhib-
iting this ratio imbalance or weakness that is seen
in ballet dancers. Table 6.6 provides an exercise for
strengthening these muscles with a weight (table
6.6D) or elastic band (table 6.6E, variation 1) for
resistance. All of the muscles that produce ankle-
foot dorsiflexion also produce either inversion or
eversion of the foot, and so can also be strengthened
with exercises that incorporate these motions with
dorsiflexion.Foot Inverter StrengtheningAdequate strength in the inverters of the foot is
important for preventing excessive rolling in and the
injuries associated with excessive pronation. Sitting
big toe up and away (table 6.6F) and side-lying big
toe up (table 6.6G) will strengthen the inverters in
plantar flexion and are particularly helpful for pre-
venting rolling in while on or going through demi-
pointe or pointe. Sitting big toe up and in (table6.6E) will strengthen the inverters in dorsiflexion
and is particularly helpful for preventing rolling in
while on flat or in plié.Foot Everter Strengthening
When rising onto the toes, most beginning-level
dancers and many trained dancers tend to invert
the foot, and taken together the inverters of the
foot tend to be stronger than the everters of the
foot (Levangie and Norkin, 2001). Hence, develop-
ment of adequate strength and use of the everters is
important for achieving the desired dance aesthetic
of rising up right over the axis of the foot. In addi-
tion, the peroneus longus can be seen as a direct
continuation of the biceps femoris in terms of its
location (Smith, Weiss, and Lehmkuhl, 1996), and
appropriate use of these two muscles can aid with
maintaining desired turnout throughout the seg-
ments of the lower extremity. Furthermore, adequate
everter strength is important for preventing ankle
sprains or their recurrence, and persistent peroneal
weakness is common in dancers following injury
(Ende and Wickstrom, 1982). Sitting little toes up
and away (table 6.6H) and side-lying little toe up
(table 6.6I) will strengthen these everters. Both
exercises are done in plantar flexion because this
is the position in which ankle sprains tend to occur
and in which the foot is less stable. However, dancers
who have problems with rolling out when standing
flat may benefit from adding another set performed
with the foot neutral versus plantar flexed.“Lift From Under the Pelvis as You Rise to Relevé”
T
he cue to “lift from under the pelvis as you rise to relevé” is sometimes used by teachers to encour-
age maintaining vertical alignment of the pelvis and torso as the body rises. As discussed in chapter
3, with ideal standing alignment the center of mass of the body falls just in front of the ankle joint.
So, to rise to demi-pointe or pointe, the center of mass of the body must move forward several inches
so that it is placed over the new base of support. There are many tactics for facilitating this shift. One
anatomical interpretation of this cue is to progressively shift the pelvis and torso forward as a unit
(maintaining desired vertical alignment), by focusing on using the hip extensors to position the bottom
of the pelvis over the moving base of support as the plantar flexors are used to raise the body and the
abdominal muscles and back extensors are used to help keep the torso positioned over the pelvis.
In turned-out positions, a focus on use of the lower deep outward rotators is added to the use of the
abdominal–hamstring force couple, and for some dancers this has the feeling of lifting “up and forward”
from under the pelvis. In contrast, one undesired approach to shifting the center of mass forward is
to make the shift primarily from leaning the torso forward (hip flexion), distorting the desired body
alignment and reinforcing undesired motor programs for maintaining balance.