Decoding the Tripod Foot: Part 4: The Doming Exercise and Conclusion

Over a week has past since my last post.  Have you had time to work with those three new exercises?  Are you feet becoming stronger?  More connected to the ground?  Great!  That makes me smile!  

My Results Have Been Exciting

The results I am experiencing incorporate a vast improvement in my feet including my ankles and legs as well! At this very moment sitting here typing at the kitchen table, I sense all three points of my foot gently connecting to the floor.  What a wonderful sensation!  How confident and safe!  And even more excitingly, yesterday while practicing some simple hard shoe drills,   I discovered I had greater stability overall and my taps sounded crisper and stronger.  Wow!  After fighting injuries over the last two years, my left foot has become so much weaker overall than my right. As of this week, I am finally experiencing some marked improvement!  Yet I can feel that weakness still remains, reminding me that more work is definitely needed.

Remember the key to achieving strong, loud and crisp taps is keeping your toes “relaxed” but spread out in the shoes.  Then  you must "connect" those two points of your tripod foot (located in the balls of your feet) to the floor every time your hard shoes hit the ground. Not rocket science, just good technique.  One quick side note to remember, NEVER curl you toes under while dancing! There is one correct way to point your toes which will be discussed in much greater detail on another blog.  For right now, no toe curling please!

Now to discuss the three final exercises to keep enhancing the use of the tripod foot in our day to day lives.

Tripod Foot Exercise 5: Doming

One of the best overall exercises for foot and arch strengthening has its roots in Pilate's.  It can be found under different names such doming or arch lifts but the fundamental move is the same. I have modified the basic exercise for emphasis of the use of the tripod foot.  It works to strengthen the three arches (transverses, medial longitudinal and lateral longitudinal,) the Lumbricals, and the Flexor Digitorum Brevis muscles of the feet. 

1. Sit in a dining room style chair.  Feet flat in parallel.  Concentrate and employ the tripod foot on the right foot so you can feel the three distinct points firmly on the ground.   The left foot should remain relaxed. 
2. The toe pads should be in contact with the floor at all times. Do not allow them to scrunch underneath. 
3. Engage/pull up the muscles of all three arches creating a “dome” with your foot.  (It should look like a cave entrance.) 
4. Hold for 3 seconds and release. 
5. Repeat on the same foot.  Start with 3 – 4 repetitions on each foot.  Work up to 15 total. Rest briefly.  
6. Variation: repeat the whole exercise again but this time alternate your feet each time.  Work up to 20 (ten each feet) total.

Doming Exercise

The next two exercises are from Raoul Gelabert’s Anatomy for the Dancer book.  He has no official names for his exercises so I have named them for easier reference. [i]

Tripod Foot Exercise 6: Rolling Back and Forth

This first exercise, quite simple in execution, is specifically to develop the arch of the foot.  Hold onto a ballet barre or chair for support.

1. Stand with feet flat in parallel, toes straight ahead.  Concentrate and employ the tripod foot on both feet so you can feel the three distinct points firmly on the ground.   Ankles should remain relaxed.    
2. While working with both feet simultaneously, roll your weight to the outer border of both feet.  Hold for a count of eight.  
3. Then roll weight to the inner border of both feet.  Hold for a count of eight.  
4. Repeat at least 5 times.

Rolling to the inner foot.

Rolling to the outer foot.

Tripod Foot Exercise 7: Toe Magic  

The second exercise is specifically designed to help straighten your toes so they are able to  grip the floor stronger.  Hold onto a ballet barre or chair for support.  

1. Stand with feet flat in parallel, toes straight ahead.  Concentrate and employ the tripod foot on both feet so you can feel the three distinct points firmly on the ground.   The ankles should remain relaxed.
2. Raise  all your toes up in the air while keeping your heel and the balls of your feet on the ground.     
3. Slowly lower your little toes to the ground.         
4. Continue placing each toe in succession separately ending with the bid toe last.     Repeat doing both feet simultaneously 5 – 10 times.

This will take a lot of control and muscle work.  Be patient and work at your own pace at first.  Try working one foot at a time or holding onto the toes gently if your find yourself really struggling.  That is ok. 

Toe Magic placing the little toes on the floor first.

              

Toe Magic placing each toe one by one.

Tripod Foot Conclusion

So this concludes our current discussion of the tripod foot at this time. Great, I hope things are progressing well for you.  Now you have got 7 exercises to help you gain the strength and stability all Irish dancers need.  You can break them up into two groups and then work on them on alternating days.  Or do all on one day,  rest the next, and then repeat all again the next.  The key is to do some exercises for your feet at least twice a week.

After performing myriads of foot exercises, you may start experiencing a multitude of foot cramps. I know I did!  Not a serious condition, no, but one that is painful and can sideline your activities for awhile.  The next blogs will discuss the 8 main causes of cramps and how to keep them at a minimum.   Watch for them.  

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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. 53.