raise your heels until you are standing on the balls of your feet, legs straight
keeping your heels raised, slowly bend your knees into a slight plié
keeping your knees bent, slowly lower your heels to the floor
straighten your knees

repeat a few times and then do the sequence in reverse (bend knees, raise heels, straighten knees, lower heels)


stand on one foot and slowly come up & down on the ball of the foot (bend the knee on the non-working leg so that the foot is slightly raised off the floor, just touching the inside of your working leg ankle or calf). try to hold the relevé position for a few counts


come to the balls of your feet; stay in relevé while doing a few port de bras cycles, making sure to follow the movement of one of your arms with your eyes

In a related topic, does anybody have any tips/drills for increasing the flexibility of the feet & ankles? I stretch them a lot but I'd love any ideas you have. Thanks!

The number one thing to remember when dancing on the balls or toes is that balance is not a stationary position, its is constantly active as you are constantly pushing energy out through the top of your head and down though the tips of your toes into the ground. Always keep your weight between your big toe and second toe, and start with your heels closer to the floor and gradual lift up, and lower, over and over and over again. Taking a basic ballet class with really improve your balance and your dancing in releve.

having a strong core and neutral pelvis helps balance AMAZINGLY
there are 3 things (other than your core) that contribute to your balance: ankles, eyes, and inner ear. so if you do things to make your base of support smaller (stand with one foot right in front of the other sobriety test style, or on one leg keeping your hips level) and then close your eyes you're down to your ankles and vestibular system, so they will respond and become stronger. if you then turn your head from side to side (slowly at first) it messes with your vestibular system and makes your ankles that much better at keeping your balanced. if that gets too easy then twist your torso and try it. (Hannah taught us these ^_^)