Foot and Ankle Injuries in Dance An Issue of Clinics

Ballet is an exquisitely sophisticated and elegant art form. However its seeming ease and gracefulness belie the underlying physical stress. Much of a dancer's ability is reliant on favorable anatomy, strength and flexibility. Their foot mechanics, training and performing techniques are unique and thus they present with particular injury patterns. The following chapters aim to address these differences and provide an approach to assessing and treating foot and ankle injuries in the ballet dancer.