need to improve my ballet technique...please respond!?

Question

I really want to improve my turnout so please if you have any tips or exercises to strengthen the muscles at the back of my thighs then please respond. I really want to get the turn out from the back of my thighs instead of using the front muscles

Answer 1

I've been trying to improve my turn out for the whole time I've been dancing 15+ years. Unfortunately I was built for track and field but not for dance...yet I keep pusing. I've found a good stretch that lengthens the muscle from your buttoks to your hamstring. Sit on the Floor with your knees bent, graping your feet right underneath your arches. Keep your chest touching (if you can) to your thighs, and then slide your legs out. Slide only until you feel a stretch, which you should feel right in your butt area and hamstring. Make sure to keep your chest on your thighs and you don't want your legs to be completely straight. Repeat this 3 to 5 times for 30 secs. Do this daily and you will notice that your extension will become higher and if you're feeling your quads engage now during extension work, you should start to feel a difference in a few weeks. Also if your are hyper extended in your knees try this: stand in your natural stance like how you stand at school, then bring your feet together until your thighs and then your knees touch. If your thighs and knees touch before your heels in 1st position you are hyper extended, where you are standing after the test is your 1st position. Try working from there and concentrate on keeping the weight over your toes and not sitting in your heels. This will help with placement and over all turn out and technique. HTH's

Answer 2

Hey there,
In class, do not push your turnout because you are strenghtening the front of your thighs. Work with a little less turnout than you normally do to start feeling the muscles working in the back of your thighs. This is what I had to do and when I was finally able to "feel" the muscles in the back of my thighs, my turnout came easy and so did my extensions. You will also want to do some hip stretches but be very careful and very slow doing these because you can cause damage if you stretch wrong. You will also need to hold the strecthes for at least 30 seconds, do not bounce or push either. I know stretches but Im not sure if I should write them to you because you may not completely understand what Im saying & I dont want to chance risk of injury. Ask your dance teacher and they should be able to help show you what to do. Also, a lot of people might respond by telling you to do leg lifts for the backs of your thighs but I would double check with your dance teacher because you may end up strenghtening a muscle but it may not help you with ballet. It may bulk you up and may even cause further tightness instead of flexibility. Remember not to train as an athlete or body builder but as a ballet dancer and you will able to develop the muscles to take your technique to the next level. good luck