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“Dancer’s Feet”
So how many of you have "Dancer's Feet" and have decided to embrace the callouses? I have studied dance off and on for 21 years and my feet give it away.
They are worst nightmare of someone with a foot fetish. When I go to get a massage I am told I have "dancer's feet". When I go to get pedicures they take one look at the bottom of my feet and stop and look up at me with this expression I can't really even describe.
My feet are large and flexible. I have bunions on both feet and pinky bunions too. I have a few hammer toes and callouses for days. I mean large multi layered huge deep callouses on the balls of my feet, the sides of my toe and pinky and even extending up the side of my big toe.
There is no medical dysfunction or illness causing my callouses. My podiatrist wants to break each foot in three places, remove bone and place some tendons differently to 'repair' them. Ummm… when I want to spend 10 months off from dancing and experience outrageous I'll go ahead and schedule that. Due to the level of trauma involved… he refuses to do them at the same time.
I am accpeting my callouses, they are like a badge of honor. These hardened battered feet enable me to do what I love. I have stopped trying the futile attempt to remove the callouses. Instead I am accepting them as a part of me and my story. I am in some warped way proud of them!
I keep them very clean, I make sure my nails are healthy… when they are not broken half way down that is. I moisturize them and wear nice cush socks and appropriate flat shoes when I am not in heels.
I used to be so ashamed and embarassed of my feet. So envious of girls with smooth pretty feet. This is one of my differences that make me… me.
Anyone else out there accepted their dancer's feet? I'd love to hear your story!
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12 Replies
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Hello! Dancer’s feet here, too! I’ve learned to love my feet. I have a couple of hammer toes on my left foot and crazy calluses on both feet. My cousin was a ballerina for years and envied my feet as the natural insanely high arches are desired for ballet. So I learned to embrace them 🙂 I have very ticklish feet and don’t care for foot massages so I use a roller on them. Hammertoes can be cured by massage if you can straighten them against the floor without manually manipulating them. If the muscles have been so tight for years that the bones curve then surgical correction is needed. My left oes have straightened out considerably since I started working on them. Google massage for hammertoes and you can work on them yourself! Learn to love them though. They are cute!
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Hi! Hammertoes are kind of cute! I should roller the feet more often and will try to press my toes into the floor to see if I can do anything with them. I like to get that really deep trigger point style massage where they jab their thumb deep into the bottom of my foot. Feels sooooooooo good! Its been forever… need to schedule an appointment.
I am happy to hear that you not only accept but you have grown to love your dancers feet. : )
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I have my boyfriend work my leg from the knee down. A lot of times people with hammertoes have very tight muscles in the lateral compartment (outside leg in pole lingo) work from the kneecap downward and the tops of your feetsies. If you see any improvement let me know. Otherwise just love your feet 🙂
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I was never a dancer before I took on pole two years ago. For the first year and a half of my pole journey I was basically dancing on carpet, and then came my instructing job. The hardwood floors tore up my feet for the first several weeks. I ended up with blisters under my big toes and on the balls of my feet. Then they started looking like one giant callous on the bottom. I now get regular pedicure from a little place in my home town. They are very affordable and those delightful Vietnamese women are very aggressive with what looks like a cheese grater on my callouses. I use overnight cream when I remember (usually after an evening bath). My feet still don’t look all soft and pretty, but I keep it under control. The callouses remain, but they are flat and unobtrusive. I’ve also been stretching my pointe, as I do have those high arches. I never thought I’d ever care how the point of my toe looks! I guess that makes me somewhat of a ‘real’ dancer then? 🙂
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I am getting to where I file and shape my nails/feet but go to the salon for painting. I do enjoy pedicures but they often cut my nail at an angle that ends up growing out with pain.
Started laughing when I read about the hardwood floors chewing your feet. I failed to mention all the tearing and the glorious discoloration on the top of my feet from friction by splits and other floorwork.
Yes… You gotta rock those arches and point, point and point some more! : )
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Thanks for the tip re the massage for hammertoes and the tightness. : ) I get massage and have them work my calves, feet, forearms & hands bigtime!
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I’m fortunate to not have bunions or hammertoes, but you wanna talk about callouses? My callouses have callouses. I also proudly sport the scars left from the blisters and corns that pointe shoes love to create. Not to mention the rough skin on the creases under my toes, where they have often ripped from doing one to many pirouettes.
Being a dancer may jack up our feet, but look what it does for our bodies and spirits. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Even with my not perfect feet, I still rock my strappy stilettos and red toe polish. I’m proud of my feet and what they allow me to do 🙂
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Definitely Phoenix!!!
That's part of the reason why I am loving my feet as they are. They enable us to do what we do and what we love.
: )
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I have horrid feet and i feel quite embarressed by them!!! My feet are small but i have tiny tiny ankles that make my uk size 4 feet look crazy big and i do not have beautiful arches – they are flat!!! My left foot has a bunion that is starting to fuse the bendy knuckles together, in fact i’m off to see my doctor tomorrow to discuss x ray results and possible surgery. I just feel they ruin the lines of my dancing and i can’t get my feet inpretty shoes any more- i live in frumpy comfort shoes and insoles!!!! I am doing foot excercises to improve my feet after i saw natasha wangs super flexy super beautiful feet at a workshop in london and i actually can see some improvement. Oh well, just one of those things i guess!!!
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Hi Willio!
My bones fan out like a rake on Xray and there are tons of problems (yikes). Surgery for me is a matter of when not if. That being said… I dont want to lose all that recovery time!!! I am in constant pain though, especially my left foot bunion… it is very aggressive.
Go meet with your doc and discuss options. I have known people that have had great results and improved quality of life. One day I might be one of them.
Let us know how your appointment goes!
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Hi JeHanne! My Bunions hurt so much when i walk any distance, but not too bad when i pole or do zumba at the mo. my appointment was cancelled today until jan the 4th. My doc previously said i should wait until the pain is so bad it wakes me up at night!!! But that could just be the NHS here in uk ( our health service) struggling in this recession!!! I have 3 children so it’s hard to know how i could be off my feet and i would miss pole too so i think i will hang on a bit… I must learn to pole in heels as i think hiding the foot will make me more confident! You’re feet look really pretty in your profile pic in those shoes! All the best ! Willio x
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Hi Willio!
Thank you for the compliment! I like the shoes with the wide vamp. It conceals the big toe bunion. The small strappy shoes dig right into them… ouch!
I'm glad the pain is manageable. You will know when it is time to go forward with the surgery. All that pain is so bad wakes you up stuff is nonsense! I think you are right on… it is a delay tactic.
Poling in heels prevents the balls of my feet and toes from tearing. Initially you get some blisters from the shoes but your feet get used to it. My left big toe bunion can get inflammed sometimes from shoe but it is still worth it! I love LOVE love my shoes and will not give them up. I weare an 8.5 street shoe but for dance heels I buy an 8. That way when the top stretches out I can still wear it for a bit.
I got some bunion correctors at the local pharmacy. Honestly I do not expect it to 'cure' the bunions…. but maybe it can help with the inflammation and make my life a little more comfortable until I go under the knife. Which I want to delay as much as possible!!!
You take care and give heels a try… I warn you though, they are additive! : )
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