Decoding How an Irish Dancer Excels: Tripod Foot: Part 2

So now you know the basics concerning how to “engage” your tripod foot.  Great! Had an opportunity to experiment with the exercise yet?  I hope so.   If not, go back and do so soon.  If yes, feeling any difference in your walking/dancing?

 

How I was Introduced to the Tripod Foot

Perhaps you are a little curious about what led me to the study and my own usage of the tripod foot?  Fantastic question.  Many years ago, I developed pain across the top of my left foot.  To make a long story short, I went on a research spree for many years searching for an explanation and ultimate cure. Luckily for me it did not happen continually, but whenever flare ups occurred, I struggled to dance through the cringe-making pain.  Not only that, but my left foot felt so weak all the time and would drop to the floor without warning while performing simple steps of my reels and jigs!  Since Irish step dancers must remain high on their toes constantly, this was devastating when it happened during competitions! 

I was first introduced to the tripod foot while taking Alexander Technique lessons as previously noted.   My teacher and I worked countless months on many aspects of my body “misuse” but the pain in my left foot often took center stage.  Due to the decline of my Mother’s health, not my own, I stopped my lessons.  As events unfolded in her life, I would forget for a time what I had learned. 

Whenever circumstances seemed to calm down briefly or the pain in my foot worsened, I would remember these simple techniques once more.  This past year while writing my book on Irish dance shoes and getting this blog up and running,  I am once again in research mode and striving to incorporate good practices into my everyday living.  And of course, the use of the tripod foot while walking, standing, sitting and, most of all, dancing is one of the most crucial!

The Tripod Foot is Not a New Concept

The concept of the tripod foot and its significance to dancing has been around for decades.  Way back in 1964, Dance Magazine produced a book entitled, “Raoul Gelabert’s Anatomy for the Dancer with exercises to improve technique and prevent injuries” to address the physical ailments being suffered by many fellow dancers including his own self.  Gelabert, a well-known New York City ballet teacher and dance physical therapist, had studied at The Royal Ballet teaching school before opening his own school in New York City and became an authority on dance therapy.  This short concise book explains superbly how and why the use of the tripod foot is so very important by all dancers:

 

“When the foot is taking the weight of the body, it should be holding the ground equally at three points: behind, the back of the calcareous; in front, the heads of the 1st and 5^th metatarsals (the 1^st and 5^th toes).  This triangle creates a base from which the muscles of the leg and sole of the foot can work strongly.  This triangle also works to hold up the foot’s arch.  In this position, the long muscles of the leg, having no actual movement to perform, give the ankle and foot the stability and balance it needs.”

In other words, the greater “balance” the dancer can maintain while executing her steps, the greater chance that the weight will been born by the stronger parts of the foot.  So the less load the feet must hold, the less stress and strain they must endure and the less chance injuries will occur.[i]    The use of the tripod foot to remedy foot pain will be further discussed in the next blog.

To begin with let’s work with the first exercise specifically for the tripod foot that I like to call “mind play!  It is one of my own designs and has proven quite successful for me.  Now time to share it with you.

Tripod Foot Exercise 1:  Mind Play 


Sit in a chair and place both feet flat but firmly on the floor parallel to each other. At first do the exercise with bare feet or socks but then repeat while wearing shoes as you get more proficient.

1.  Using your mind, imagine the three points of the tripod foot one at time. Try to feel them mentally.  It does not matter in which order you do this. Just keep concentrating until you can feel the one point that you are working on at that moment.  
2. When ready, move to the 2nd point and play around with it.
3. Then finish by working on the third point.   
4. Are some points easier to feel than others? 
5.  Once you can isolate them separately, play around by alternating the order of the points as you think about them.  
6.  Lastly engage all three at the same time.

Do the exercise for at least 2 – 5 minutes each day (or longer if having a lot of fun.)  That’s the exercise! The best part is that you can do it anytime, anywhere!  
 

Position of Feet for Tripod Foot Exercise 1:  Mind Play

My Results

When I did this exercise for the first time over a year ago, I had no problem sensing each position on my right foot in any combination since it is my dominant foot.  But when I tried concentrating on my left, I failed to “feel” the place behind my little toe.  In an instant I realized that by not feeling that one point during the exercise meant that I was probably NOT utilizing my foot properly while walking around either.  Ultimately I was dancing only on three toes!    No wonder I was struggling with my balance and suffering from mysterious pain.  


With that knowledge revealed I immediately began to rehabilitate my feet by doing all the exercises that I could.  After exercising almost every day over the last few months, I can now report I am finally using all the points of my tripod foot while dancing in my ghillies (an Irish soft dancing shoe.)  As a result, my feet feel happier and healthier as I am able to dance longer and longer without pain thus creating an additional lightness to my steps! 

My hope is that you too can benefit greatly from using this simple technique as well.  Do this exercise at least two minutes a day everyday at first.  Make note of any points that are difficult for you to pin down.  Look in a mirror or ask your teacher or friend to pinpoint any misuse in your body alignment or dynamics that they see.  Then work on correcting those areas.  

The next blog will be part three of our tripod foot discussion and contain more exercises.  Watch for it!

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[i] Como, William, Raoul Gelabert’s Anatomy for the Dancer with exercises to improve technique and prevent injuries.     Dance Magazine, New York, New York, 1984, p. 51.