Ballet dos and don'ts. More about the turn-out technique

An illustration of a common dance technique error, an incorrect use of the hip joint muscles in a turn-out position.

The muscles around the hip joint are not activated, which negatively affects the overall body alignment, knees and feet.
The incorrect use of the body in the future can prevent the dancer to develop strong healthy dancing technique.

 How to activate the muscles around the hip joint


Improve your strength, balance, pirouettes, jumps and turnout and many other dance skills by using the floor.

You probably heard many times during your dance classes, regardless of the dance type, that in order to find the correct stance, the alignment and the direction of your body upwards you have to imagine a "string" pulling your upwards from the top of your head. For the sake of many dance skills such as the stability, balance, pirouettes, body alignment etc you have to maintain simultaneously firm connection with the floor.

I would suggest that before starting each dance exercise you reconnect with this important skill by

moving your awareness into your feet; your feet are stably placed on the floor and the floor is carrying you upwards, at the same time your feet are gently "pushing" the flood down. 

This exercise will assist the Vestibulospinal Reflex (VSR keeps your body upright), help your body to resist the gravity and maintain upright position effortlessly. By being stably "grounded" and connected to the floor you will gain extra help for your turnout, pirouettes, jumps etc.
In addition, you eventually will be able to play with this connection and give your dance a desirable quality, for example sensation of effortlessly flying above the floor or sensation of heaviness and power.

Remind yourself about this important connection as much as possible during your dance classes and eventually your body will recall it when necessary.

Good luck! and let me know here how you doing.

In one of my following articles I am going to write about how to use the floor for improving your pirouettes, jumps and for the correct alignment and turnout.
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