A pointed foot finishes the line of the leg, and articulation means moving through the foot in order instead of all at once: in a tendu the foot goes out through the arch and the ball to a full point, then comes back the same way. Battement tendu is the basic exercise for it, and it builds ankle flexibility and a foot that lines up with the leg. The camera only tracks your heel, ankle and the tip of your foot, so from the side it can roughly see whether your heel leaves the floor before your toes and whether the foot extends in line with the shin. Curled toes and small sickles are beyond it, so check those in the mirror.
Point through the whole foot
Stand at the barre in first position on a full foot, weight even. Brush the working foot forward along the floor. The heel lifts first and the arch starts to extend while the toes stay on the floor.
the heel peeling away, not the toes sliding first.
Pass through demi-pointe: heel high, the foot on the ball and the underside of the toes. Then keep going through the metatarsals and toes to a full point. In a pointed tendu the tips of the first three toes rest on the floor and the heel is lifted high and forward.
two stages: half point, then full point.
Keep the toes long. Point them along the line of the foot; don't crunch or curl them under. Test it sitting down: can you point with your toes long and separated? If the arch cramps, those are the small foot muscles working.
the arch working, the toes reaching away.
Keep the line straight (no sickle)
Point straight. The big toe points the way the leg is extending, so the line runs from the shin through the top of the foot without a kink at the ankle.
the big toe aimed like a pointer finger.
Don't sickle. Sickling is when the ankle rolls so the weight goes toward the little-toe side and the line breaks. Think of the inner heel going forward, and fix it as the movement starts, not at the end. A sickled foot that takes weight, in a relevé or a jump landing, can sprain the ankle.
inner heel forward, little toe back.
Don't force a wing. A wing is the foot swooping up from the ankle. Some teachers use a slight wing to the front or back, but not to the side in second. Pushing over the big toe to make one can bring on tendinitis, so follow your teacher's style and never force it.
a straight, natural line, not a twist.
Articulate through the foot
Come back in reverse order: the toes bend first, then the ball comes down, then the arch, and the heel lowers to a full foot as it slides in to close. Don't drop or slap the foot flat.
toes, ball, heel on the way in.
Feel it
The arch does the work while the toes stay long. The floor pushes back as you brush out, so the foot has to work through every stage. The foot ends the line of the leg with no kink at the ankle. Coming back in, you feel each part of the foot meet the floor in turn. If you have pain in the foot or ankle, or feel unstable in balances or jumps, see a physical therapist.
Fix-its
- You crunch or curl your toes to point Point with the toes long and straight. Curling usually means the small arch muscles are weak, so add doming and band points (see Drill).
- Your foot sickles Aim the big toe the way the leg is going and bring the inner heel forward. Correct it at the start of the move. If a stiff big-toe joint is part of it, mobilize it with a ball (see Drill).
- You force a wing by pushing over the big toe Aim for a straight, full point, not a twisted one. Pushing over the big toe can bring on tendinitis.
- The foot skips demi-pointe or slaps flat Slow the tendu down. Go out through the arch and ball to the point and back through the toes, ball and arch to a full foot. Use the floor as resistance.
- The point stops short at the ankle Sit and point in front of a mirror. If the top of the foot isn't flat across the ankle, the muscle on the front of the shin may be tight. Kneel on a small ball and gently massage along it, then check your point again.
Drill
- Doming: sit with one foot flat. Slowly drag the toes back toward the heel, keeping them long, so the arch lifts into a dome. Hold briefly, release. 10 reps per foot.
- Seated band point: band under the ball of the foot, point against it with the toes straight, not crunched. 10 reps per foot.
- Seated band in four directions: point, flex, and turn the sole in and out against the band, 10-20 reps in each direction.
- Slow tendus from first at the barre: out through demi-pointe to a full point, back through demi-pointe to a full foot, pressing into the floor all the way. Film from the side to check the heel lifts before the toes leave.
- Big-toe mobility: with a racquetball under the big toe and the foot on the floor, slowly lift and lower the heel.
- Stop if you feel pain in the foot or ankle. Pointe work is a separate step that needs a teacher's go-ahead.
Sources
- Kassing — Beginning Ballet: Learning barre exercises in beginning ballet class (Human Kinetics excerpt)
- American Ballet Theatre — Ballet Dictionary (Battement tendu, Demi-pointes)
- Brandt (with podiatrist F. Sinkoe) — Ask Amy: Exercises to Keep From Knuckling on Pointe, Pointe (2016)
- Vogel — Ask Deb: How Can I Improve My Pointed Feet?, Dance Teacher (2019)
- Dance Spirit — The Ins and Outs of Sickling and Winging (2017)
- Henderson — Sickling Is More Than Just a Technique Problem. Here's How to Fix It, Dance Teacher (2023)
- Russell — Breaking pointe: Foot and ankle injuries in dance, Lower Extremity Review (2012)
Last checked 2026-10-26.