04/30/2026
I see this all the time with adult dancers.
They are working so hard to balance.
Gripping. Scrunching. Trying to hold on with their toes.
And it feels like it should help.
But here is what is actually happening inside your foot.
Every toe has its own tendon.
And when you scrunch your toes you are overusing your flexor digitorum longus.
The long muscle.
While completely underusing your flexor digitorum brevis.
The short muscle.
And that imbalance means your foot cannot articulate properly.
You cannot roll through your foot the way your teacher is asking.
You cannot fully absorb your bodyweight.
Your balance suffers every single time.
One small habit holding back so much of your dancing.
Comment ππ’π’π§ if this just explained something you have been struggling with π