Many new ballet dancers covet the professional's sculpted inner calf, made all the more prominent when en pointe. The majority of the definition comes from a low body fat percentage, which allows the muscle to show without a layer of fat. Practicing steps that focus on inner calf action can help develop the muscle. Working your legs one at a time as the supporting leg adds body weight resistance for quicker results.
Eleve
A simple eleve series from each position targets the calves directly. Begin with first position and rise to demi pointe or pointe depending on your skill level. To target the inner calves more intensely, depart from ballet-thinking for a moment and position your feet so that your toes are touching, but your heels are apart, and eleve from there. Eleve is very similar to calf raises, which you can switch to for more of a challenge -- perform regular calf raises with your heels hanging off of a step. This way, you can descend lower than your toes and incorporate a wider range of motion. Stick to the five arm positions for eleve, but you can hold light dumbbells in your hands for calf raises to provide extra resistance.
Glissade
The glissade requires a bit of room to work in. Begin on one side of the room and glissade to the other side as quickly as you can, beginning and ending in fifth position. Repeat the steps to the other side of the room. Each time you move in a particular direction, you are targeting the trailing calf as it is the supporting leg for the lift-off portion of the step, so be sure to work both sides evenly. Each time you push off, you should feel your inner calf squeezing to lift you from the floor. Ideally, you should keep moving in one direction until your trailing calf can no longer support the jump, but this is not always possible in confined space. Just alternate directions until both of your calves are tired.
Jete
Jete en arriere is similar to a glissade in that your trailing calf is the one bearing the weight, but the "throwing" of the leading leg gives you some momentum behind the leap. This is a good step to do towards the end of your workout when your calves are fatigued. The lateral movement forces your inner calf to bear the brunt of the weight while the force of the leap keeps your ankles from turning in. Include a series of rapid petit jete en avant, which will increase the explosive power of your inner calf as long as you maintain good turnout. This may lead to higher, more powerful leaps.
Fouette rond de jambe en tournant
Fouette rond de jamb en tournant emphasizes the inner calf for balance and releve, but turning in the direction of the supporting calf also forces it to play a role in propulsion. Even if you cannot dance en pointe, execute the step demi pointe. You will achieve less spin, but that just means more releves, which are perfect for strengthening the inner calves. This is a difficult step to execute flawlessly, but strong calves are a big help. Practicing won't just perfect your form -- it will strengthen your inner calves, and maybe someday you'll execute the 32 consecutive fouettes on stage as the "Black Swan".
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