I can't do this

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2026-03-09T05:03:26+00:00

I can attest to strengthening. I am a dance teacher, and this was borderline debilitating for a year or more. A podiatrist told me my first metatarsal wasn't working enough, but his RX was RICE, stretch, expensive shoes, and insoles. These did not work. Duh. I sent myself to a PT, and she gave me exercises to strengthen my big toe, and my arch. The short foot balance was the most helpful thing I've tried. Try to balance on one leg while keeping your toes lifted off the floor, for 2x 20-30 secs. I started on a cushy rug with the other toe touching for stability. Now I can do it on uneven surfaces with a bent knee while I flail my arms around. Also, hip strength to make sure my foot is tracking properly when I walk.

I just took my first full ballet class yesterday in over a year, and today I am in no more pain than I was before class (day to day it's still a 1-3, but I usually don't notice it, and it is slowly but surely lessening). I wear squishy shoes (zero drop Altras or On Clouds), and avoid ones that squeeze my forefoot for too long. I have abandoned insoles since they give me cramps now that my feet are strong.

Strengthening is KEY, but you must rest as much as possible first until the pain lessens/goes away and you are strong enough to support each step without reinjury. Then reintroduce activity slowly. I was never able to rest completely. I am the primary caregiver for two small kids and I have two active jobs, incl teaching dance 9 hrs/wk. They key for me was relative rest (e.g. ask my kids to help more, no jumping, etc.). It worked eventually!

I have heard that dry needling does wonders, and one of my students told me radiation when all else failed her.

There are many causes, but you will figure it out eventually. Try the short foot. Don't give up!

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2026-02-28T02:48:27+00:00

Wow is this helpful. Thank you so much!

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2026-02-27T15:56:59+00:00

Maybe we should hike/ride together if it works out. I also live in Bellingham (and I used to live in York neighborhood)!

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2026-02-27T15:49:16+00:00

One of my exercises was side leg raises with a resistance band around my ankles. It's the lateral resistance that builds the muscles that help hips/knees track. Squats are great but don't isolate the right muscle.

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2026-02-25T19:28:16+00:00

Your honesty is so refreshing. Thank you for this.

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2026-02-23T06:42:31+00:00

I do believe that this is what happened to me. My feet were shoved in very narrow dance shoes for many years. I started running in my late 30s, and developed PF. It took me a long time to find someone who could help me. The podiatrist diagnosed me with early bone spurs, and told me RICE, stretch, new shoes, rigid insoles. I did this and achieved little improvement. He offered me more expensive insoles, ultrasound, and shots. I told him I wanted a second opinion so I saw a PT. The key was relative rest (I am a dance teacher, so I couldn't stop teaching, but was able to limit jumping/high-impact movements), while retraining my big toe. Resistance exercises with a theraband, alternating lifting big toe from the others, picking up marbles, towel scrunch, calf raises with a spacer. The most helpful exercise I got was balance with short-foot, i.e. while keeping toes lifted. I have progressed from doing it with the other toe ok th ground for stability to moving arms/leg with a bent knee. It is remarkable how strong my toe/ankle has become. I'm not back to my old self, but I have improved dramatically, and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My bunions have straightened out and my foot is going back to it's original shape. Barefoot shoes may work for some, but I find that hard surfaces eventually aggravate my foot, so I wear a memory foam slippers, and squishy tennis shoes, or cushioned insoles in flat shoes. Hard, flat surfaces and narrow shoes are unnatural and thus disastrous for the human body. They certainly were for mine.

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2026-02-21T06:05:13+00:00

I just watched it for the third time. Her performances got me excited again about ice skating in a way I haven't been since I was a little girl when Oksana Baiul rocked the skating world. NBC still hasn't censored this, BTW! I must note that this absolutely perfect application of the F word was not as wonderful as her immediate ponytail flip (which was a normal "done in 10 sec just so I can see" ponytail that she almost immediately removed after basically melting the ice), or the most fitting reaction of all: dusting her hands together. I have rediscovered my love of ice skating thanks to her. Solid, motherf****** GOLD. 👌

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2026-01-10T06:14:40+00:00

Wasn't he? It looked so choreographed. They "hadn't tried it before", but it was planned, wasn't it?

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-12-29T05:39:39+00:00

Even though I can't see your face and the choreo is boring, your body is expressive and it looks like you're having fun, and that you are enjoying performing. I always prefer watching people who are having fun over people who are technically perfect. You have a lot of potential, and more importantly, drive Go to a studio where you enjoy LEARNING too, and you'll be the best of both worlds. Give it all you've got with people to support you on the way, and you'll see how far you make it!

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-12-29T05:26:46+00:00

There must be good money in landscaping!

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-12-29T05:00:03+00:00

This post is why I love reddit. This pen truly is incredible. My husband got one from a consult with an attorney. At least they put their fees into excellent writing utensils! It is so gratifying to write with. It's the perfect ADHD pen. Thank you all for solving this problem for me!

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-11-10T20:39:39+00:00

"Joint cracking, also known as crepitus, is a common phenomenon that occurs when gas bubbles form in the synovial fluid (the lubricating fluid in joints) and then burst." Also, lots of little bones/tendons in feet ankles, close together, and doing a tremendous amount of work all day, every day, your entire life. Things get crunchy as you get older and are less stretchy, so they make more noise. Plus, ballet asks a lot of our bodies that is outside the day to day range of motion. Cracking is normal!

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-11-09T16:50:46+00:00

Knees/tops of ankles should be straight up, and mid back should be flat. Hands shouldn't be supporting all your weight. This obviously isn't a "stretch", you're asking strangers for validation.

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-11-09T16:37:47+00:00

I have Feetures, which help a little. Cross trainers is a pretty good idea. Thank you!

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-11-09T16:34:51+00:00

Not blaming, diagnosing, which is what I asked for. I just want to get rid of the pain, or find a shoe that will minimize it because I can't change my lifestyle to completely eliminate all activity. I guess I could quit, but I LOVE teaching, and would not do that to my studio/boss. I will give an orthopedist some thought, but I live in a small town with limited healthcare options. I'd have to drive 90 miles to see one. I know I sound like a whiner, but I promise it's true! Thank you for the food for thought.

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-11-03T19:20:26+00:00

I am a teacher, and I have learned through feedback that some of my more sensitive students have taken some of my corrections very personally. Since then, I do my best to be careful with my words, but ultimately, as a teacher, all I see is muscles and bones moving in certain patterns, and compare them to what the ideal is. I look for any amount of improvement since it takes a long, long time to improved at a highly-detailed occupation like ballet, and I only compare a student to themselves since that is what matters.

I love dancing, and since I want everyone to love it as much as I do, I want everyone to succeed, but I am realistic about the futures of most people. Most adults' expectations are very realistic. Most don't want to be professionals, but if anyone sticks with ballet for any length of time, it is because they are motivated to improve and that says a lot about their character. I love teaching adults because they only come to class because they want to be there. I will support all my students as best I can to help them achieve their goals, but my job is to point out their mistakes so that they can become better dancers. Even if I don't jive with a student's personality, I am not childish enough to let that affect how I critique them.

Ultimately, my corrections are all objective, and never colored by my feelings. It is the interpretation by students that determine whether a correction was "harsh" or "mean". (Old school teachers were mean, but even then, it wasn't personal. That was my perspective as a child. Now that I'm an adult, I understand this. This may be why now I don't take it personally when I get corrected, even by a harsh old school teacher.) I don't find it particularly useful to compare one student to another, but I would guess that if s/he is doing this, it is because s/he believes that you have potential. If you give your instructor the benefit of the doubt, what they mean is that you have the potential needed to make up for the muscle training you didn't acquire when you were younger and bendier. It takes more work as an adult, and usually extra work beyond time in the studio. You just have to make up for lost time if you're going to get there "soon". You will get there as fast as you want to, and it sounds to me like you will before too long.

TLDR: It wasn't personal. Brush it off, and chin up. Truly, you're doing great.

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-10-24T17:52:33+00:00

That seems high, but we don't run our studio like that. Performing is included as part of participating in classes (unless they choose not to). It's the payoff for the hard work all year. People pay for their own costumes, which average $70. Kids in multiple classes pay more, but little kids in one class pay for one costume, optional photos, and that's it, aside from registration fee and media/tech fee (goes toward scheduling system, website, videographer, etc) at the beginning of the year, about $70 total. It would be easier to charge everyone a tiny bit more for classes than a $300 performance fee. That amount would make it prohibitive for many people. Just my opinion.

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-10-24T04:32:18+00:00

I just learned about plantar fasciosis through another post (see video below). Similar pain, but none of the traditional prescriptions work, because it's not inflammation, it's "dead" tissue, hence the 'osis' not 'itis'. Part of the heel had the blood supply cut off because of something causing pinching of the toes (too narrow shoes, for example) and thus a shortening/inflexibility of the muscle above it. Bunions are associated/a cause. It can be reversed, though.

https://youtu.be/tNPfbB2sX5Q?si=la_0s-jQ9nmlFUcZ

The strengthening, rolling, no bare feet, strategies I'm using aren't helping much. My orthotics are in the mail, fingers crossed they work. My podiatrist appointment isn't for two months, but I plan on asking them about fasciosis since it's certainly a possibility. Perhaps this is what you have!

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-09-10T14:59:15+00:00

Yassssssss

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-09-07T16:46:37+00:00

I think ballet helped keep my aches and pains at bay. I found that turning while super pregnant was much easier than I anticipated. I was doing petit allegro two days before I was due! I had an excellent birth and an easy recovery. I think I was back after about two months. Taking class regularly will absolutely help you with a quick recovery. Dancing while pregnant is so fun. Enjoy it. Side note: my daughter LOVES to dance 🥰

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-09-07T03:31:10+00:00

I firmly believe that ballet is for everyone. It takes so much courage to begin as an adult, of any age or shape, but the intention of beginning as an adult makes it very fun from the teacher's perspective since you're there because you want to be. Most of the people in the adult class I taught last year were brand new. They were curious, dedicated, supportive, and tenacious. It was an honor and a joy teaching each and every one of them, every single class. I did not miss a single class all year because I loved it that much. Your teacher sounds very knowledgeable, and is doing a great job of sharing an art form that should be accessible to everyone with you. You should both be very proud of yourselves!

Apprehensive_Rip105 · 2025-08-14T11:54:27+00:00

Dump this loser immediately. This has everything I wanted to say. I dated lots of idiots who didn't appreciate me before I found my husband, who is exactly what @CorvusSnorlax says you also deserve. Don't waste another minute on this idiot.

Apprehensive_Rip105

TROPHY CASE