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The advantages of developing your intrinsic foot muscles (the ones that are in your feet and are not extensions of leg muscles) are:

* Your calf and tibial (shin muscles) will not be over working and holding extra tension because of weak foot muscles.

* Your Achilles tendon will not be prone to injury due to tense calf muscles.

* Your reflexes will developed in your footwork, giving the needed control and balance.

* You will able to use the full depth of your demi plie.

* You will be able to secure your weight properly on your feet, in the ‘tripod’ of middle of the heel/at the little toe metatarsal joint/at the big toe metatarsal joint

When you cannot get the exact fit in pointe shoes, compensations can be made with toe spacers, gel padding, heel grips, sewing wide elastic across the vamp for extra support. There are also many tricks that dancers develop to make their pointe shoes more comfortable.

However, you gain an extra advantage over the availability of the specific ballet shoes that you want, when your feet are really strong.

Another wonderful quality you gain from control and muscle strength in your feet is an elegant upper body, helping you attain the impression of effortlessness that every ballet dancer strives for.

When you get into a ballet partnering class (Pas de deux, French words for ‘dance for two”), you rely less on your partner for control.

You will also have more of a cat-like quality simply walking in your pointe shoes, not to mention difficult ballet movements requiring finer professional footwork.

Doing ballet in pointe shoes is not difficult if you are prepared. You’ll also prevent dance injuries.