Improving Dancers’ Feet and Footwork – Digital Download

Improving Dancers’ Feet and Footwork by Janice Barringer gives dance teachers a practical approach to developing stronger, more articulate feet and cleaner footwork. While the concepts are especially valuable for ballet training, the principles can support dancers across a variety of dance styles.

Janice explains how the structure and movement of the foot and ankle affect technique, then demonstrates ways to improve strength, flexibility, articulation, and control.

Video Play Length: 1 hr, 10 min

Topics covered include:

• Structure of the foot 
  
• Movement of the foot and ankle 
  
• Half point versus three-quarter point 
  
• Rolling through the foot 
  
• Foot action used in battement tendu, battement dégagé, relevé, sauté, and piqué 
  
• Common foot-placement challenges and ways to improve them 
  
• Exercises designed to strengthen the feet and improve overall footwork 

The digital download includes:
⚠️ Please download to a computer, not a mobile device.

• Video instruction with Janice Barringer covering the structure of the foot, metatarsals, arches, and toes; ankle flexibility; sickling and winging; and pointing or stretching the foot 
  
• 6 barre exercises and 3 centre-floor exercises designed to strengthen the feet 
  
• On-screen assistant: Arielle Starling
• Technique Notes