Put Your Feet First:
Great Dancer Footcare Tips
As dancers we use our feet all day long, so treat them with some love! Here are a few tips from Mary Cowden Snyder, artistic director of Oregon's Medford Dance Arts Center. She will give a free seminar in footcare on Oct. 11 at the center. Call 541-772-1362 for details.
Wear shoes that fit: Street shoes are just as important as dance shoes in terms of comfort. This goes for pointe shoes, too. "Don't wear the shoe that your friend wears just because she likes it," says Snyder. "Wear the shoe that fits you the best." Check out Gaynor Minden's website, www.dancer.com, for tips on pointe shoe fitting. Tape your feet: If you are wearing shoes, "you want to create a surface that can take the kind of abrasion that you're going to give the skin. Most people have 'hotspots' on their feet that need to be paid attention to because they're very sensitive." Snyder recommends using athletic tape. If you are dancing barefoot, tape the bottom of your foot. Keep your feet clean: Sweat can lead to bacteria, making blisters more susceptible to infection. Stay away from flip-flops because your feet get more dirty in them. If you do wear them, make sure that you wash your feet before going to bed
Wear shoes that fit: Street shoes are just as important as dance shoes in terms of comfort. This goes for pointe shoes, too. "Don't wear the shoe that your friend wears just because she likes it," says Snyder. "Wear the shoe that fits you the best." Check out Gaynor Minden's website, www.dancer.com, for tips on pointe shoe fitting. Tape your feet: If you are wearing shoes, "you want to create a surface that can take the kind of abrasion that you're going to give the skin. Most people have 'hotspots' on their feet that need to be paid attention to because they're very sensitive." Snyder recommends using athletic tape. If you are dancing barefoot, tape the bottom of your foot. Keep your feet clean: Sweat can lead to bacteria, making blisters more susceptible to infection. Stay away from flip-flops because your feet get more dirty in them. If you do wear them, make sure that you wash your feet before going to bed
Cari
2 comments:
The subject of a dancer's feet is so important that I thought this would be a great post to share. Cari
Mark your calendar for the second Saturday in October for the annual free seminar, All About Feet. Mary Cowden Snyder,BA,MA, will show and tell all the secrets of how to care for your feet to last a lifetime for ballet, dance, sports, and everyday! She will use visual aids, models, xrays, and handouts to help you learn more. Please call the Medford Dance Arts Center at 1.541.772.1362 for more info or find her on facebook!
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