I. BALLET AND PHYSIQUE

Chapter 7. Feet

Passing now to feet, we come to the most difficult of all decisions. Feet vary as much as the hand and are of as many shapes, and it would be a prophet indeed who could declare with certainty what will be the result of the next years of training on any, however perfect, at ten years old. Height and weight are undoubtedly factors, as is also the good alignment of the legs. The less weight the feet are called upon to bear, the more they will be spared of the stresses and strains of the highly specialised use to which they are put in ballet, more especially in pointe work. The straighter the legs the more easily the weight will fall correctly on the strongest part of the feet. Toes of medium length forming a round pattern on the floor hold the ground more firmly than those too long and slender, and give strength to the push off in steps of elevation. A large big toe is a distinct asset. A medium arch is sufficient in our ten-year-old and there should be complete and free movement in the ankle joint allowing the foot to be turned up to form a right angle to the leg, and pointed to make a smooth line over the front of the ankle, (figure 16.)

Watching the feet with these points in mind, one may find end­less variations which yet add up to a satisfactory verdict. The type that may give one to pause is the very highly arched foot which leaves no room for further development. No part of the body should at this early age represent the end product of training, for it will then not be capable of gaining the necessary strength. Tempting though it may be to hail with joy an enormous arch, in actual experience it will be found that it is a handicap, and is particularly prone to trouble in the early teens, more especially if it is combined with a too flexible spine, weak musculature and particularly, with long thin toes. It is far better to look for the foot which is perhaps a little tight but shows the beginning of an arch, providing always that the movement in the ankle joint is free. Should that not be so, there is little likelihood of an arch developing, as the limitation will be due to the bony formation of the end of the tibia and the bones of the back part of the foot. From time to time one finds students of sixteen years or so complaining of foot pain of one kind or another due to trying by force to loosen the foot sufficiently to get well up on pointe. The trouble lies not in the foot itself but in the ankle joint in which some slight variation in the shape of the bones prevents any further movement.  There is a limit to the amount the bones concerned, the calcaneum and talus, will roll over each other and nothing will change it. (See figure 18E.) In considering a ten-year-old, however, a test should be made to

Figure 16.

decide whether the limitation is apparent or real. It may be that the child has never fully used the joint and it will then be found that on the half point a good arch appears with a smooth line above it over the ankle joint. In the case of a really tight ankle joint, a good half point cannot be taken.

Alternatively, a short achilles tendon may prevent the upward movement of the ankle without interfering with the arch of the foot. A true shortening is not common, but if it does exist it brings with it technical problems in getting the heels down in pliés, fondus and springs, with consequent wear and tear on the feet and thickening of the calf muscles. An apparent shortening will yield to correct effort, but if it is structural it is a definite handicap.

Next comes the vexed question of the "rolling" foot. These fall into two categories, the "flat" or "valgus" foot of the clinic, which is stiff and has no arch, and the flexible foot in which the arch falls when standing still, but appears at once on movement. A child often who has learnt ballet previously may come under this heading. It need not cause her rejection, as if she has not already been taught to hold the foot in the correct position in standing she can, in the year or two before she begins pointe work, learn how to do so and gain the strength in the foot and leg muscles to hold the correction. The clinical flat foot, however, will never be a "dancer's" foot and is not suitable for a ballet career.

There now remains the question as to what type of foot will escape the occupational hazard of the ballet dancer, the enlarged big toe joint which is deflected inwards, technically known as hallux valgus. Probably if one could compare the incidence of this trouble in dancers with that of any body of people using their feet as merci­lessly, we should find that there was not much to choose between the two, and indeed there are many dancers whose feet remain perfect after a long career; but there are also those who show signs of enlargement of the joint at an early age. When the condition arises after the foot is strong and well trained, it seems to give little or no trouble, but if an audition candidate should present herself with a marked degree of hallux valgus at ten years old—and it does happen —it is asking too much to hope that she will survive the training without disability. She may continue for a year or two, but with the introduction of pointe work, her career is more than likely to come to in end. Two very different types of foot are particularly prone to this trouble, the foot that has a high arch and long thin toes, and surprisingly, the broad male foot. The long thin foot combined with knock-knees is also vulnerable, whereas a foot which has a short vamp and medium arch, often with the first three toes almost the same length is often found to be well-nigh indestructible. It is, however, impossible to give more than a few suggestions of this kind, for too little research has as yet been made on the problem, even amongst the general population, to form a basis for any hard and fast rules. It is as well to remember too that early signs of this condition may be caused, not by ballet, but by unsuitable footwear. The outgrown shoe and short socks can do as much to produce it as a dancing class. If the signs are very slight and the foot good, strong and flexible, with medium arch and short toes, the risk may be taken and safeguards taken against any progression of the trouble by the utmost care in correct execution of all movements, and above all the right footwear both in class and street.

A word of caution may be given before leaving this subject against mistaking a large joint for one which is enlarged. Bones grow by virtue of the pull of the muscle tendons inserted into them and since this pull is stronger than normal in ballet one often finds the big toe joint appears large. Unless there is also some redness or swelling it may be a perfectly normal joint.  The deflection of the toe inwards is the important factor to consider, combined with close questioning as to the presence of pain, however slight, in movement.