Ballet Anatomy: Feet

Articulate, expressive and the hardest-working part of a dancer’s body. The second instalment of our Ballet Anatomy series focuses on the vital tools that are the feet.

Produced by The Apiary

[ivaa__]

Pain: *exists*
Ballerinas: *haha I do that*

[coleen]

I think ballet feet are one of the most beautiful things ever. When people think of ballet, what usually comes to mind are their beautiful pointed feet. In reality, their feet look bony and rough outside their ballet shoes. For me, they look beautiful both in and out of their shoes. Their calluses represent their passion and hardwork for something they love. And I believe that is what true beauty is.

[antoniairimescu]

Some people don't understand how hard it is to be a ballerina

[isapatchouly]

I really have a problem with ballerinas feet. Everty time I see them jumping and pointing I just feel pain for their articulations. I always have the feeling they are going to break something.

[ronwhite]

Ballet dancers are the ultimate athletes. They do the extraordinary and make it look effortless. Thank you all for your dedication and sharing your skills with us.

[odeagloriae]

“Yeah, it takes time”.
The greatest lesson I’ve learned as an adult ballet beginner starting pointe shoes at 27 (now I’m 31). Learning how to dance on pointe shoes, yeah, it takes so much time. I don’t have “ballerina feet” : they’re quite flat, with a very strong ankle, which is great for jumps for example but really really difficult for being on pointe because I don’t have any flexibility. My leg muscles are the same, it is very hard for me to have long leg with lines, it takes me like 3 years to bend my knee correctly, and the work is not finished 😅 So I work and work and work and am very jealous about people who have “ballerina feet”, being on pointe without doing anything but just standing on 😅 But even if it takes time I love that, I see my own progression in every class and am very proud of that.
So if you want to do pointe shoes even with feet which are not made for this like mine, do if you want ! Even with all this work, the feeling is... wonderful. ☺️

[GodsSparrowSpeaks]

Thank you for all you Dancers who have kindly and graciously answered the questions that us non-dancers have asked. Your work is appreciated.

[camillenicole]

this is so beautiful, but where's the anatomy?

[elizabethg]

Person: Do you do a sport?
Me: Yes.
Person: Okay what sport?
Me: Ballet!
Person: **weird face**

[beatekelly]

When i was little i wanted to become a Ballerina but then i started growing to end up 181 cm and a size 10 in shoes needless to say it never happend

[elsanery]

It takes a lot of hard work, discipline, extended time & effort, focus, tolerance, passion, artistic desires, poise & grace so beautiful to watch every minute of it. It feels so divine & heavenly, it's magical! They are so pure & mesmerizing to watch, thank you so much for the joy ballerinas!

[mstenson]

The strength and control of ballet dancers mind/body connection is absolutely remarkable and has my total respect and admiration

[jaytee]

ALWAYS lower your heel after a saute. And yes, the feet are crucial for dance!!!

[normamimosa]

Wow! Examples of jumping without going fully through the foot (putting the heel down) in a video about the importance of a dancer's feet!

[h.preston]

Hats off to all the ballet dancers out there. The most I’ve done is just choreographed dances in musicals I’ve been in. I can’t imagine.

[bexiah]

1:50 I'm not doing ballet or any sort of dance, but I can totally understand this since I realized I have severe flat feet and had to do something to fix it to avoid injuring my knees. Btw, this is so beautiful! <3

[Jellyfishstarz]

Not only is ballet beautiful, it’s for the strong and determined.

[Kira]

Their feet are so flexibile, strong and soft in the same time. Like look at that foot at 2:06, look at toes and all the muscles at they land. There's a kind of beauty in them that i can't find words for. Huge respect!

[skytheangel]

I love ballet! I think one of the most important things in it is the way the feet move, it just pulls the hole performance together right? (I do ballet)

[shaalis]

Lovely video. I don't think I will ever really appreciate ballet as an art as you take a person, keep them very fit and very thin, and put them onto their toes and over time it wrecks the appendages. It's absolutely amazing how anybody can do this fo ryears in a career. The fitness level must be incredible and the mental disicpline to keep it up through pain and the art of dance must be brobdignagian.