Level 3 Understanding and Managing

Foot Injuries in Dancers

For Dance Teachers and Health Professionals

Do your dancers struggle with frequent foot and ankle injuries that put them out of action at the worst possible times?

What if there was a way to prevent many common injuries, and ensure the best possible healing of any current issues?

Our Level 3 – Foot and Ankle workshop is a 3 day, in-depth exploration of the dancers foot, as well as the influences of dynamic hip stability and functional core control on foot dynamics. It is perfect for Heath Practitioners who work with dancers, as well as high level dance teachers. You will leave armed with many tools and techniques to help dancers suffering with all types of foot injuries, specifically:

Plantar Fascia Pain
Posterior Impingement
Os Trigonum
Tibialis Posterior Tendinopathy
Achilles Tendinopathy
Sever's Disease
Stress Fractures
Bunions
“Shin Splits”

What’s Included:

18 hours of teaching spread over 3 Days. A combination of practical and theoretical components.
Course Schedule. For a detailed outline of what is covered on each day, please review the daily schedules below.
Materials Provided:
- A detailed printed manual which includes both the theoretical components and practical exercises discussed in the course.
- 1x roll of Dynamic Tape to practice the taping techniques demonstrated during the workshop.
- 1 x pot of massage cream
Additional resources. We have curated several specific Injury Management Guides to help you understand and manage issues such as Posterior Impingement that your dancers maybe experiencing. You will also receive Assessment Sheets and Home Exercise Plans to track their progress.
Unlimited access to the online Members Area. After the workshop will you be given access to the Level Three Foot Injuries Members area, giving you lifetime access to numerous pre-recorded videos as well as the assessment sheets & student workbook.
Lunch & Snacks Included. The course fee also covers lunch and snacks for the two days. Vegetarian, gluten and dairy free options are provided, however if you have any major food allergies or restrictions it is advised to self cater.
CEC Accreditation. After the workshop, you will be emailed the CEC Accreditation Application Form, which is designed as an overview of the online course in order for you to appropriately claim CEC credits with your governing body for 18 contact hours of continued education.

For the latest dates and information on upcoming courses CLICK HERE or check out the individual listings at the bottom of this page.

Overview of the content covered:

Day One

The Normal Foot - First up we focus on understanding how a normal foot works. As Leonardo da Vinci said “The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.” When working properly, it allows us to run, jump and dance in the most extraordinary ways. The many bones, joints, ligaments, fascia and muscles of the foot are organised in a way that allows shock absorption, dynamic propulsion and balance in all kinds of positions.

Functional Anatomy - We dive into the functional anatomy of the foot as it pertains to the dancer. This includes learning about the bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and fascial lines that lead into the foot. We explore the various anatomical variations that you may see in a regular class of dancers, and how to tailor the class and their conditioning exercises for optimal performance.

Foot Assessment - We look at optimal positioning of the feet in standing, as well as how the foot should operate during normal walking as well as when moving into a plié or on rise. Participants learn how to carefully assess the dancers foot in many ways, including assessment of the joints in the mid and rear foot, that often are the culprit for long standing foot and ankle injuries.

Day Two

Reviewing the Assessment: On day 2 & 3 we start by reviewing the assessment process covered in day 1 on a new model. Working in small groups you will master the art of identifying possible contributing factors and preparing an intevention plan.

Common Foot Injuries - The rest of the day is entirely focussed on understanding and managing the common foot injuries that pop up in a dance class, the reasons why these conditions occur, as well as taping and treatment strategies to quickly remove the symptoms. Injuries covered include:

Plantar Fascia Pain
Pain at the back of the ankle
Sever's Disease
Stress Fractures
Bunions
"Shin Splints"

Optimal Management of Foot Injuries - We will discuss the optimal management of a dancer when engaged with physical therapy and look at resources to help create clear and open communication between therapists and the dance teacher. Collaboration between both sides of the dancers training are vital in optimal resolution of any injury.

Day Three

The Rehabilitation Process - We look at examples of rehab programs for dancers, ranging from complete non-weight-bearing to full participation in class, along with all of the resources to help dancers track their own journey.

The Whole Dancer: Foot and Ankle injures are never just about teh foot and ankle. We look at how to include the whole dancer in their rehab, for optimal engagement and a full recovery.

How to Prevent Injuries Longterm - Finally, we look at strategies to prevent these injuries in all dancers, by implementing screening tests and progressively graded programs during the dancers regular training.

You will leave the course feeling very confident in implimenting this style of progressive program with your dancers.

The following videos give a review of some of the relevant information from the Level 1 Teacher Training course, to review before attending the Foot Injuries in Dancers workshop.

Why Not to Use a Foot Stretcher

Returning to Jumps Following Injury

Anatomy of the Pointed Foot

Why to Avoid Pointing into a Theraband

Why Not To Walk in Turnout

Why to Avoid Walking on the Toes

Completing the 3 Day Level One Teacher Training is recommended prior to attending any of the more detailed intensive Teacher Training courses. If you have yet to attend the Level One course you may sign up to our Level One Online Teacher Training Portal prior to the workshop going ahead. For further information about this, please contact us on workshops@theballetblog.com.

Click Here for upcoming workshops