Dancers -- similar to many athletes -- rely on their ankles to provide stability. Strength and flexibility in this vital joint are a necessity to perform at your best and reduce the risk of injury. Develop a simple but thorough ankle exercise routine featuring dance-specific movements that require minimal space and little or no equipment. For better results, work in bare feet to allow for greater range of motion at the joint. If you are recovering from an ankle injury, obtain the consent of your doctor or physical therapist before starting a training program that targets your ankles and note that all exercises should be pain-free.
Chair Work
Seated exercises involve no resistance and enable you to focus exclusively on your feet and ankles. Because you remain seated throughout these exercises, there is no struggle to maintain proper posture and balance. Seat yourself in a sturdy chair and rest your feet on the floor in front of you. Slowly raise both heels off the floor, lifting them as much as possible while pressing the balls of your feet firmly downward. When your heels reach their peak, hold the position briefly before lowering them to the floor. Slowly raise your toes upward and backward toward your shins while pressing your heels into the floor. Hold the position briefly before lowering your toes to the floor. You can alternate heel- and toe-raises for a total of three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
Bar Work
Dance classes leave your body warm and pliable. You can take advantage of the fact that your joints are warmest immediately after class by remaining in the studio for 10 minutes to work your ankles at the ballet bar. Using a light touch on the bar, stand in turned-out first position and progress slowly through a four-count series of dance-specific movements. Begin the series by bending your knees slightly in demi-plie. While maintaining the plie, lift both heels from the floor. Holding your heels as high as possible, slowly straighten your knees, then lower both heels to the floor. Complete the series by reversing the order of the movements: slowly lift your heels, bend your knees, lower your heels, then straighten your knees. Repeat the entire series 10 to 15 times.
Resistance Band
Dancers consider resistance bands a valuable tool for increasing ankle range of motion. Because such bands are lightweight, inexpensive and convenient to transport, you can keep one in your bag for use before or after class. Always examine your band carefully before working with it to ensure there are no holes or tears. Begin by seating yourself on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Working the right ankle first, loop the band around the ball of your right foot and grasp the ends of the band in your left hand. Pulling the ends of the band slightly to the left, slowly "wing" the toes of your working foot outward to the right. Relax your ankle and toes, then repeat the outward press for a total of 10 to 15 times. When you complete the set, pass the ends of the band to your right hand, pull back slightly to the right and press your toes into the band and to the left. Relax your ankle and toes, then repeat the inward press 10 to 15 times. Repeat both the outward and inward press with the left foot.
Jumps
When you jump, your ankles allow for a full flex of your foot in plie and a full point of your foot at the height of the jump. Whenever you bend into plie and articulate fully through your metatarsals and toes to achieve fully pointed feet in the air, you are, in effect, exercising your ankles. You can easily set aside time after every technique class to strengthen your ankles with a few sets of jumps. It is best to monitor your jump technique in a mirror and work at a slow tempo to ensure that you are bending into a full demi-plie in preparation, stretching your feet thoroughly in the air at the peak of your jump and returning to a full demi-plie when you land. You can perform three sets of eight slow jumps in both first and second positions.
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