Are You Gripping in Your Feet in Ballet? Understanding Arch and Toe Mechanics in Tendu and Relevé

If you are an adult ballet dancer, you have probably heard cues like:

“Lift your arch”

“Do not grip your toes”

“Spread your toes in relevé”

“Point through your ankle, not your toes”

But what do these cues actually mean at the structural and injury risk level? And why does improper toe gripping matter for your foot health, especially as an adult or mature dancer?

To answer that, we need to look at foot muscle mechanics, ankle position, and the reason behind those corrections. Understanding this can help you avoid common overuse injuries and build a foot that is strong, responsive, and sustainable long term.

Why the Ankle Position Changes the Foot’s Job

The ankle and subtalar joints govern how the foot supports load and distributes force.

Changing from:

• Standing flat

• Tendu with plantarflexion

• Relevé with plantarflexion under load

Completely alters how the muscles must function.

Using the same muscular strategy in all positions often leads to faulty compensation such as gripping or toe curling. This places excess stress on passive structures and muscles that were not designed to be primary stabilizers in that specific context.

Your foot’s job in standing is different from its job in tendu. Its job in tendu is different from its job in loaded relevé. When we fail to adjust the muscular strategy accordingly, we overload the wrong tissues.

Intrinsic Foot Muscles Versus Gripping

The intrinsic foot muscles, including abductor hallucis, lumbricals, and interossei, are small but essential stabilizers. They maintain the medial arch and control fine balance adjustments.

Research shows that intrinsic muscle activity is closely related to postural control during loaded and demi pointe positions, which are foundational elements of ballet technique.

Gripping, however, typically involves overactivation of the long toe flexors such as flexor hallucis longus and flexor digitorum longus. This produces visible toe curling and compression at the metatarsals rather than true intrinsic stabilization.

Gripping can feel supportive in the moment, but biomechanically it:

• Limits shock absorption

• Restricts normal force distribution

• Overloads tendons

• Alters ankle mechanics

Over time, these compensations are associated with several common dancer foot injuries.

Injury Risks of Improper Foot Mechanics in Ballet

1. Flexor Hallucis Longus Tendinopathy

When the toes are repeatedly gripped or hyperactivated during relevé, demi pointe, or jumps, the flexor hallucis longus tendon can become irritated. This condition is one of the most prevalent overuse injuries in ballet dancers.

Adult dancers may be at greater risk because muscular compensation often increases with age, recovery tends to be slower, and tendon elasticity and blood flow change over time.

2. Plantar Fasciitis and Medial Arch Overload

The plantar fascia and intrinsic muscles work together to support the medial longitudinal arch. When gripping replaces intrinsic support, the fascia bears excessive mechanical load. This can lead to irritation or microtearing near its insertion.

Research on intrinsic muscle energetics confirms the interplay between the plantar fascia and intrinsic muscles in arch support and injury development.

3. Metatarsalgia and Forefoot Stress Injuries

Chronic gripping shifts pressure forward into the metatarsal heads. Excessive toe flexion increases compression in the forefoot and can lead to persistent pain or even stress reactions, especially in adults whose bone remodeling capacity changes with age.

4. Reduced Balance and Postural Control

Gripping does not improve stability. In fact, efficient intrinsic engagement is associated with reduced postural sway in tiptoe standing. True intrinsic activation improves balance without compensatory toe curling.

Foot Mechanics in Specific Ballet Movements

Standing Flat

• The foot should be supported in a tripod consisting of the heel, first metatarsal head, and fifth metatarsal head.

• The toes remain long and relaxed.

• Intrinsic arch support engages without gripping.

• Improper mechanics may contribute to plantar fascia irritation, medial arch collapse, and upstream knee or hip compensations.

Tendu

• 

  Tendu with toes lengthened and plantar flexion coming from the ankle joint.

  Mild shaping of the toes is normal, but curling over the joints is not.

• The foot is in plantarflexion without load. Intrinsic support is subtle but present.

• Overgripping in tendu increases long flexor dominance and unnecessary forefoot pressure.

  

  Tendu with toes curling under (Incorrect)

Relevé Under Load

• The toes should spread to widen the base of support.

• Gripping narrows the base and shifts stress into the toes and extrinsic tendons.

• This increases risk of flexor hallucis longus irritation, metatarsalgia, and progressive intrinsic weakness.

Relevé with toes spread increasing surface area for balance

Relevé with toes compressed together decreasing ability to properly balance

Adult and Senior Dancer Considerations

Many adults begin ballet without the years of intrinsic conditioning that younger dancers develop naturally through play and early training. Combined with age related changes in tendon elasticity and neuromuscular coordination, this can predispose mature dancers to:

• Chronic tendon irritation

• Longer recovery times

• Stress related bone or soft tissue injuries

Learning proper mechanics early in class helps prevent a cascade of compensation patterns that lead to pain.

Intrinsic Foot Muscle Recovery and Long Term Foot Health

Strength work alone is not enough. Tissue quality, decompression, and circulation support are equally important for adult dancers who train consistently.

When intrinsic muscles and long toe flexors are repeatedly overloaded, the tissues need intentional recovery to maintain healthy mechanics.

Toe Spacers for Post Class Decompression

Toe spacers can help restore natural toe splay after time in technique shoes, pointe shoes, or narrow footwear.

When used appropriately, they may:

• Improve toe alignment

• Reduce compression at the metatarsal heads

• Encourage natural toe spacing

• Support intrinsic muscle reactivation without gripping

  
  

I use a more structured wider toe spacer (link here) during the daytime after ballet class. I will often wear them during light gym exercises or walks for up to two hours total wear time. This allows the forefoot to decompress and the toes to relearn spacing without tension.

At night, I switch to a softer spacer (here) to gently support correction of hammertoe positioning while sleeping. A less aggressive option is preferable overnight to avoid nerve irritation or excessive pressure.

Toe spacers do not replace strength training. They are a recovery strategy that helps undo compression patterns ballet can create.

Keeping the Plantar Fascia Healthy

The plantar fascia plays a dynamic role in arch recoil and toe articulation. If it becomes restricted or inflamed, several issues can occur:

• Toe extension becomes limited

• Arch recoil efficiency decreases

• Relevé feels more difficult

• Gripping increases as compensation

When the plantar fascia cannot glide efficiently, toe articulation in tendu and push off mechanics are compromised. This directly affects your ability to lift the arch properly.

To maintain tissue mobility, I use a wooden foot roller (link here) before and after ballet class. This helps increase circulation,

improve glide, prepare the foot for articulation, and reduce post class stiffness.

During flare ups, especially after heavy pointe work, I freeze a generic plastic water bottle, cover it with a sock, and roll my arches for about one minute per foot.

The combination of cold and compression can help calm inflammation while maintaining mobility.

Consistency is more effective than aggressive, occasional rolling. Gentle daily care supports long term performance.

How to Reduce Injury Risk

1. Train short foot with proper ankle alignment to strengthen intrinsic muscles without gripping.

2. Focus on toe spreading in loaded relevé rather than squeezing the toes together.

3. Monitor for signs of flexor hallucis longus irritation, such as pain behind the ankle or under the big toe.

4. Support tissue health with regular fascia mobility and decompression strategies.

5. Recognize that gripping is compensatory, not strong.

Take Home Message

Adult ballet dancers must learn to differentiate between:

• Functional arch activation

• Neuromuscular intrinsic engagement

• Compensatory toe gripping

Proper mechanics reduce the risk of tendon irritation, plantar fascia overload, and forefoot stress injuries. When strength and recovery are combined, dancers build feet that articulate well, balance efficiently, and support long term participation in ballet.

Ready to Improve Your Foot and Ankle Mechanics?

Inside my Foot and Ankle Program on the Veronica K Platform, I guide adult ballet dancers step by step through:

• Articulation of the foot and ankle

• Intrinsic strength development

• Mobility that transfers into technique

• Functional carryover into everyday life

• Progressions that support safe advancement toward pointe work

  
  

This program is designed specifically for adult dancers who want sustainable mechanics and real functional transfer, not temporary fixes.

Join here:www.veronicakballet.com/veronica-k-membership/

Questions? info@veronicakballet.com

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References

1. Jastifer JR. Intrinsic muscles of the foot: anatomy, function, rehabilitation. Phys Ther Sport. 2023;61:27-36. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2023.02.005.

2. Fukuyama H, Maeo S, Kusagawa Y, et al. Plantar intrinsic foot muscle activity and its relationship with postural sway during single-legged and bipedal tiptoe standing in ballet dancers. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):17948. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-02917-9.

3. Chang R, Larsen R, Kent-Braun J, et al. Energetics of the intrinsic foot muscles in plantar fasciitis. J Foot Ankle Res. 2008;1(S1):O1. doi:10.1186/1757-1146-1-S1-O1.

4. Fukuyama H, Maeo S, Kusagawa Y, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. Differences in the size of individual plantar intrinsic foot muscles between ballet dancers and non-dancers. J Dance Med Sci. 2025;29(2):91-97. doi:10.1177/1089313X241273887.

5. Hamilton WG, Luk HK, Rietveld GL. Effects of a “toes-off” modified heel raise on muscle coordination in dancers and dancers with flexor hallucis longus tendinopathy. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2021;78:105287. doi:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2021.105287.

6. Mikkelsen P, Andersen A, Shih H-JS, Rowley KM, Kulig K. Flexor hallucis longus tendon morphology in dancers clinically diagnosed with tendinopathy. J Ultrasound Med. 2024;27(1):41-49. doi:10.1007/s40477-023-00793-5.

7. Biomechanical risks associated with foot and ankle injuries in ballet dancers: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(8):4916.