The Ballet Bible
Discover the Secrets to Conquering Some of The Most Common Pitfalls You Face When Learning Ballet
TurnoutHey I know you probably get asked this all the time but can someone please help me improve my turnout!! I’ve only been doing ballet for 8 months but I’m 15 so need to progress faster than normal. Any advice would be great. Thanks!! April 13, 2007 | In Questions |9 Comments »RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment |
|
Do you know the butterfly stretch?
This link explains it better than I could if you don’t: http://www.tinajuanfitness.info/exercises/butterflystretch.html
Thats great for improving turnout.
Abbie
Comment by Abbie — April 16, 2007 #
yeah, the butterfly stretch, and also the frog pose in yoga. u lie on ur stomach and have ur legs open, knees bent, and ur arms proping u up. this probably isnt the best explanation that was ever created by man, so go look it up. good luck!
Comment by Nobody — April 17, 2007 #
Do the rond de jambe with a flexed foot. Instead of the butterfly, I have something better: the upside down butterfly. Now, be careful with this, and it really hurts, but it really works. Lie down, face down, and move your heels towards one another as if you’re doing the butterfly upside. Your elbows and wrists should be on the ground supporting your weight. Make sure you’re lying on a sturdy surface and no one comes up from behind you. This works well but hurts like hell.
Comment by Jaymie — April 21, 2007 #
hmmm… agree with Jaymie… do the rond de jambe with a flexed foot.. or not,do plies. and if you do, feel your hips turning out as you strectch you legs…
Comment by angel — April 23, 2007 #
For strength in turnout, practise tendus (in any position) without using the barre. Lift the leg slightly, turn in, and turn out again. Your standing leg and pelvis should not lose their correct position as your working leg rotates.
Also doing ronde de jambe a terre without the barre, very slowly will tell you exactly at what position you are letting go of the turnout on your standing leg, or changing your pelvic position. In other words, wobbling!
Be sure to stretch and relax your hips afterwards by sitting cross-legged and doing side bends, keeping both hips on the floor. Then relax forward, this will stretch your hip joints and leave your muscles relaxed when you are done.
Hope that helps, cheers.
Comment by Dianne M. Buxton — April 24, 2007 #
ronde jombs sry bout da spelling
they help ,what ever you do dont force it that just gives you bad posture
Comment by geane — April 27, 2007 #
Holding the turnout that you have is much more important than stretching for more. The frog and butterfly positions actually are not safe stretching positions, because of the strain on the knees. And the stretching in the groin area that you get from those positions can be obtained without straining the knees.
If you stand facing the barre with one leg up in second, the high or lower barre, whichever is better for you, you can press into the barre to stretch the area that will allow for your leg to go further out to the side. Keep the standing leg turned out when you do this. So you are increasing your second position, though this is different from rotation.
In turnout, strength is the most important aspect, and also relaxing thoroughly in between exercises. Let the hips relax, shake out the thighs, so that you can use the full rotation that you have.
Hope that helps!
Comment by Dianne — April 28, 2007 #
One this that no-one has metioned is your turn-out muscle. The one in your butt.
If this is strong you will be able to turn out more. It is imperative that this muscle is being used at all times during practice, becuase you need to turn out from your hip.
Make sure that you are keeping your butt muscles clenched at all times during your class and practice to enable you to turn out fully.
Comment by Rosanna — May 10, 2007 #
My teacher said a great way to work on your turn out is to do froggy, and butterfly. Good Luck!
<3 Melissa
Comment by Melissa — January 3, 2010 #