Pirouettes
One part of class that many dancers hate missing out on is pirouettes. However, as turning can place a lot of rotational and torsional strain on the foot it is one of the last parts of class that you will progress back to. Starting to turn too early can irritate an injury that is otherwise going well. However, while you are not turning this is a great time to work on:
- The rotational control of your core
- The alignment and control of your foot on demi pointe
- Endurance in your balance on demi pointe
- Control of the body on the supporting leg
- Proprioception in the injured foot
There are many exercises that could have been included in this section, so feel free to add any additional ones from our other programs that focus on these areas. Make sure to only progress from flat barre to work on rise and then on to turning with the approval of your therapist. When returning to class remember to include traditional pirouette exercises such as the 1/4, 1/2 and single turn exercise to improve your control in holding your pirouette position. Start with single turns in all your set exercises and focus on sustaining the balance at the end of the turn rather doing multiple turns.
Some dancers may like to practice the at of spinning and spotting sitting on an office chair or wheely stool, while others may be able to stand with the foot flat on a turning board. Make sure to clear any turning exercises with your therapist before you add them into your program.
Foam Roller
One area that is really good to work on when you are not turning in class is the rotational stability of your core. Interestingly, a lot of dancers were not very good at this when I initially tested them. A great way to do this is on a Foam Roller, as it is almost impossible to cheat! This exercise is great for training the deepest abdominal and back muscles as well as the obliques in a different way.
Side to Side
Another way to challenge the rotational stability a little more is with this ‘side to side’ exercise. In this exercise we practice controlling the spine into rotation with several different positions of the legs to gradually increase the challenge. Please do not push yourself to do this too early. You must be able to comfortably maintain control of your deep abdominals with both feet off the floor to do this exercise.
Proprioceptive Exercises
For the final area while waiting to get back to turns, you should include some proprioceptive balance exercises. This is just a big word to describe your brain’s ability to sense where your body is in space. If you have had a serious foot injury and been in a lot of pain, your brain can do an interesting thing where it drops its awareness of sensation in the foot in order not to feel so much pain. It is very important to retrain the brain’s ability to feel the foot so that you can get your stability back for controlling your turns.
Plie & Releve for the Other Foot
While you are rehabilitating one foot it is important not to forget about the other foot! While you are not doing your normal turns and rises on the injured foot it is very important to continue strengthening the ‘good’ foot so that it does not lose condition. I do not like people with serious foot injuries doing turns on their non-injured foot due to the risk of falling out of the turn and landing awkwardly on the injured foot. Instead, I usually recommend some exercises at the barre.
Balance in Retiré
When you are starting to build the injured foot back into class for turns it is important to get your balance and placement right. You can start to do this even if you are not allowed to rise. For this exercise, we will go through a simple preparation and then place the foot in a pirouette position keeping the supporting foot flat, and taking the hands off the barre to check your balance.
Demi Pointe Balance
Once you can rise on the injured foot you need to start building back the endurance of the demi pointe position. Young dancers will only be able to cope with 10 seconds or so unsupported, but full time or pre-professional level dancers should be able to hold this balance for around 30 seconds before recommencing multiple turns.
Preparation for Pirouette
This exercise is a great way to challenge the hips, core and foot control at a higher level while waiting for the foot to fully heal and to prepare for recommencing advanced turns in the centre. It is a wonderful exercise to explore the subtleties of turnout control in different positions and helps avoid ‘gripping’ with the gluteals when controlling turnout. Remember to always be guided by your therapist as to how much of the exercise you can do on a rise.
Pirouettes Summary
Please make sure to follow your therapists advice when it comes to turning in class. Many dancers try turning again before they are ready and it can set your other rehab back significantly. Keep in mind that the restrictions taht you have been given for ballet class also apply to other styles, so if you are not able to turn in Ballet, you are also not able to turn in Jazz.