Day One focusses on understanding how a normal foot works. As Leonardo da Vinci said “The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.” When working properly, it allows us to run, jump and dance in the most extraordinary ways. The many bones, joints, ligaments, fascia and muscles of the foot are organised in a way that allows shock absorption, dynamic propulsion and balance in all kinds of positions.
We dive into the functional anatomy of the foot as it pertains to the dancer. This includes learning about the ones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and fascial lines that lead into the foot. We explore the various anatomical variations that you may see in a regular class of dancers, and how to tailor the class and their conditioning exercises for optimal performance.
We look at optimal positioning of the feet in standing, as well as how the foot should operate during normal walking as well as when moving into a plié or on rise. Participants learn how to carefully assess the dancers foot in many ways, including assessment of the joints in the mid and rear foot, that often are the culprit for long standing foot and ankle injuries.