How can I sustain my leg very high up?

Question

I'm very flexible, can do the splits no problem and have been dancing for ever! though not professionaly. I can lift my leg up to my ears when doing grand battements! however when I have to maintain it held high up a la second or in front it drops and I find it really hard to sustain. I know i must be using my hamstrings too much because I can feel it. Do you know of any exercises to improve this? Or is there any trick? Some girls look as if they could be smoking a cigarette while having the leg very high up with no apparent effort. All they say to me is that one day it just happened!

Answer 1

I can help, but first I need to see you in action. message me and I will show you how it's done properly...

Answer 2

I know a lot of girls who have a similar problem. The problem is not your flexiblity, but your strengh. Ballet dancers and skaters need a combonation of strong musclar legs and loose supple legs. You ibviously do a lot of streching witch id really cool, and will help you a lot but you also need strong upper legs and butt muscles to hold the leg a high position. ( i share your envy of those girls who make it look easy!) I found doing yoga halped me, because it streches, you but holding those poses for a long time is harder than it looks. Yoga works a lot of diffrent muscles all over the body, but does not build you up so you have bulging muscles all over. Also do a lot of full slow long develope's. Then you will really feel those nessicary muscles.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

flexibility only helps in how high you can manage to sustain it.
truth is, you need strength for this.

my teacher often told me that in dancing, flexibility is nothing without strength.

open legs in second position and plie down halfway. tuck your butt in, stomachs in, body upright. hold your arms in front of you, hands clasped together.

first, your right heel goes on full releve. slowly bounce down and up again. don't need to bounce all the way down, a little will do, just count 4-eighths. repeat immediately with left heel. then try both heels up, 8-eights.
this exercise should kill. lol.
my legs get uber tired after this.
it helps to build your strength though.

don't try to hold your leg so high first.
try ninety degress and hold without support for 30 sec, repeat with other side.
after a few weeks, you will see improvement.

remember to warm up, otherwise you will tense your muscles! :D

Answer 5

The best way to get your extentions higher is to weight train. If you get like one to five pound ankle weights and use them during barre you will get your legs higher.

Also if you drop your hip, and lift from your core trying to keep your hamstrings and thighs loose, it should help tremendously.

p.s. I dispise those girls who can lift their legs up with no problem. :-) But I know you can do it too in no time. Good Luck

Answer 6

flexibility has nothing to do with it.. to sustain it.. use less of you leg muscle.. and more of your abs.. i know sounds weird, and when your first doing it.. it doesnt quiet make sense but thats what you have to do.. i didnt understand it when i first started doing that and used alot of my thigh muscle and now the muscles huge haha.. and square your hips off, and drop your hips.. but yea basically have to find how your body works, dont get frustrated, keep trying.. and good luck!

Answer 7

practice makes perfection, but gradually

Answer 8

so you can put your legs up to your ears mmmmm. interesting

Answer 9

something just gonna split someday....someday soon....