Fun Friday Achilles
In any plié, it is important to relax the lower legs and the feet, particularly on the descent. The
torso is still held properly, with the abdominals engaged, etc. But the legs,
particularly the ankles, must be relaxed.
This relaxation prevents “gripping” or tensing the muscles
which makes them brittle or less resilent, and more prone to injury, especially
during jumps. Tensing the ankles and the feet also causes the toes to grab onto
the floor (like a bird on a wire), instead of melting into the floor (see Ballet Secret #2k).
The tendon most apt to be a problem when a dancer is
constantly gripping his/her muscles is the Achilles tendon. It can be felt easily with the fingers -
directly behind the foot, and one can see immediately what a strong tendon it
is. It can take quite a bit of abuse, but over time constant tension in this
area can be deadly. Such abuse usually manifests first as tendonitis – a warning
sign to a dancer to pay attention and correct the problem!
So remember to relax the feet and ankles during pliés.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Secret #2p:
“In any plié, the
ankles, and particularly the Achilles tendon, must be relaxed.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“Your
mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.”
Help expand the knowledge base!
Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas,
or images that worked best for you!
No comments:
Post a Comment