Exercises for feet strength and flexibility

These exercises will help improve not only foot strength but also flexibility and the arch of your foot. Of course your arch, if exercises are done correctly and everyday, will be brought to his potential but if you have no arch at all don't expect the one in the picture. Depends always and your natural ability and body.
First i will write exercise you can do without the help of equipment.

1. Standing straight in first position with or without leaning on a barre/table/chair,  with each foot move the foot in  demipoint, then go to point,back to demi point and down pushing each position well. Repeat each side for 8 times. Then repeat the exercise in second position and sixth position.

2.Always in first 16 releves without stopping. Now pause. Repeat in second and sixth position.

3. sit on the floor with the back and legs straight(if it's too hard you can lean on a wall) and again: flex, demi point, point, demi point, flex. For eight times each foot and then 8 for the feet together.

4. in the same body position with flexed feet, open your feet en dehor and close always turned out in point. Come back to flex and repeat 8 times.

5. Do exercise three and four laying with your back on the floor and with the legs up straight (if it's too hard lean the legs on the wall, like if you are sitting on a wall.

Exercises with the help of the theraband:

Theraband is really useful and maybe essential for a dancer, it's one of the things that helps most improve foot work and strength. I have all the three in the picture and got the purple and blue in italy at a store called Coppelia and the bordeaux one at dancediscount.com

The purple theraband is the EASY strength and i think it's ideal for children and beginner dancers.

The blue theraband is the MEDIUM strength, i suggest this one for any intermediate or advanced dancer.

The bordeaux theraband is HARD strength, it's just a bit harder than the medium, i don't feel much difference so i think one or the other will work just fine.

1. place the theraband on the ball of the foot, covering a bit the toenails and repeat 16 times per foot: flex, demi, point, demi, flex. Do the exercise slowly and make sure you are pushing deeply in each position.

2.Place the theraband a bit lower than you toes and just flex and demipoint , flex and demi point. Repeat 16 times per foot.

3.Place the theraband at the same point of exercise number 1 just covering a little other the toenails and: flex and point, flex and point. Without passing through demi position, repeat 16 times per foot.

4. Repeat all the exercises with both feet in the theraband.

Make sure the elastic doesn't roll itself like this

but that it's stays open like this (:

Repeat the exercises everyday and you will really feel the difference in the feet. Kiss (: